The New "Church Lady"

 

Not having grown up in the church I think I have an advantage.

I grew up around sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll. Well, more sappy country music than rock. I was more than happy to escape that dysfunction for Christ and I embraced Church.

At any rate I grew up "un-churched" and maybe I'm glad I did.

Something I'm really noticing the last several years are the people who did grow up in the church and have now seemingly hijacked it. Maybe it needed hijacking, but I don't think it's much better off with this group at the helm.

 

You might recognize them- they are mostly from my vantage point women who are authors, speakers and bloggers. They bemoan the legalism they grew up with. They complain about their kids, don't seem to be able to stay at home- it's too boring and the kids are exhausting. Their kids are enrolled in private schools, as many after school activities as their parents can find, and carry around cell phones at a young age (in order to keep in touch with their parents).

These women are embracing feminism and evolution and leaving their young children in the care of others for the sake of the excitement of church planting and world travel- um, I mean missions.

They speak out loudly and critically of conservatives. They mock homeschoolers.

They are the new breed of Christians who don't like to be called Christians. They are hipster church ladies who have thrown off the oppressive cloak of "holier-than-thou" and traded it in for  "cooler-than-thou".

 

You've seen them and you know what I'm talking about. They are often doing good work- feeding the homeless, adopting and feeding orphans, planting churches...thus their flaws are camouflaged and the damage they do overlooked. Believe me, I'm not saying they aren't doing good. I'm not saying they don't have a few things very right. They are doing some things we all should have been doing all along.

 

 

But no. I'm not impressed. Not having grown up in a legalistic church maybe I don't understand. I don't have anything to rebel from. Yes, I can't deny these hipster church ladies are out there moving and shaking and doing some social justice and they can teach a few things to the old church ladies who are more interested in keeping social rules than feeding the hungry, and yet...are they misusing their liberty?

These women have some influence in their spheres. They are often pastor's wives (and daughters) whose husbands casually drop references in their sermons to casually drinking beer and smoking a cigar or two. Their small groups get together to "study the Bible" er, I mean watch a video teaching of a popular pastor/speaker while knocking back a few cold ones and the women, their wine coolers. Oh, they're a cool group alright.

Is this supposed to make Jesus look cooler? More "marketable" or something? Or are they really sincere? I don't know. I haven't figured it out yet. It's not attractive to me and I don't participate. I have sat back and watched truths come out. Drinking problems. Affairs. Divorce. Sad.

 

I don't know. I don't know a lot of things. I just know there's something about these popular women in the church culture right now that bothers me.

 

What do you think?