Thoughts & other musings…
Culture
Observations about the world around me…
Coffee Shop Cool…
011 months ago
This morning I am sitting in a new “trendy” coffee shop that opened near our church several months ago. I am looking around at those who are, like myself, in a seemingly hypnotic trance as they gaze into their screens on ipads and macbooks, all the while feeling sorry for lowly character sitting in the corner with a dell. “If he only knew how “technologically” lost he is” we are thinking to ourselves. Hoping that one day, he will see the light.
This is coffee shop cool at its worst and snobbery at it’s pinnacle. “Why are you even sitting here?” “You are not one of us.” “Dude, you need to be technologically saved and when that happens you can come back here and sip your coffee with absolute confidence of inclusion and acceptance” ”Don’t come back unless you have glowing Apple shimmering off the background of a smoked steel canvas.”
It might seem like I am exaggerating but I am not. The tension at times is so thick you can cut it with a knife. I think some pc users sense it and want to stand up and scream at the top their lungs “stop looking at me you pretentious, arrogant, assimilated geeks!!!” It’s like some weird scene out of zombie movie.
I don’t write this today to muse about my daily rituals (well maybe a little). I write this to pose some questions.
1. What do we do in our churches that make people feel this way?
2. Where have we allowed the culture of the world to define church community and it’s expression? Is this healthy? Why or why not?
The “Beat” Is On For A New Generation of Music Fans
01 year ago
The Beatles
The Beatles are possibly the most popular band in history with the greatest and most diverse musical legacy. The influence of The Beatles has been felt literally all around the world. They made more than music, they made statements. Not only were they brilliant song writers and entertainers they always broke paradigms within the music industry and within culture. They challenged the status quo on regular basis. They were also innovators in music recording and technology.
I remember when I heard “Let it be” for the first time. I was pretty young but for some reason the lyrics resonated with me;
“And when the broken hearted people
Living in the world agree,
There will be an answer, let it be.
For though they may be parted there is
Still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be.
Let it be, let it be. Yeah
There will be an answer, let it be.”
-Let It Be (The Beatles)
I think it was the hope these lyrics presented. A hope for people. Pretty bold message in a world that focuses on the “hopeless” state of humanity. A humanity that can’t be trusted and is completely dis-functional, but yet McCartney and Lennon thought differently and wanted others to know that. Pretty sure this song is my favourite.
They were truly a great band. I don’t really see the genius in anyone because I think genius is overrated and should be accredited only to God, however, I do believe in “beauty” and I think these guys looked at the world through rose colour glasses. They saw beauty in the people around them and wrote about them. Their ideas were not often popular with the “status quo” but the records sales would say their message resonated deep within the hearts those who listened. By 1964 they had sold over 80,000,000 records worldwide and according to wiki, The Beatles have sold over 1 billion units to date. That is 1/6 of the world population!! I would then conclude that their message has resounded with every generation since.
Now with Apple (which didn’t come easy) finally releasing the first digital catalogue of The Beatles music, a whole new generation can listen and be inspired, as I was, by great songs that had changed the way a generation looked the world.
-k