The Church of Jazz and Wallmart

I spent some time hanging out at the Jazz Fest this year (what else is new), and I suddenly realized that good church should be a lot like music festivals. And no, this epiphany had nothing to do with my beer-to-jazz ratio.

For one thing, people come up with catchy slogans at the Jazz festival. Such as: “I can’t decide whether that guy reminds me more of a hippy or a sex offender.” These catchy slogans hold just enough truth to get you thinking (‘you’re right: those neon mini-shorts and tank top are like something a hippie sex offender would wear’), are simple yet striking enough to get stuck in your head, and contain a hefty dose of judgmentalism. Exactly the way many sermons turn out, right? Good church will have sermons with catchy slogans. And, in order to preserve tradition, at least some of those slogans will be judgmental.

For another thing, the music at the Jazz festival is free, at least if you stay outdoors. You can wander in during the middle of a set, leave before it’s over, comment on the music, and eat snacks (you can also drink beer). Church is free, too, unless you go to one of those places where you have to pay for your seats. [note: although church is ‘free,’ donations are encouraged. You can donate to the festival by buying special passes that make you its friend.] I think a good church encourages people to walk in at various points, since that way the people who are ten minutes late won’t skip out entirely. Maybe if there were less parishioner glaring at perceived church-going infractions such as coming and going, we’d be a more welcoming place. Also, the potential for people to leave might encourage us to be more interesting and dynamic. We could have sock-puppets, for example.

Some churches have music that does make you feel like dancing, or at least responding in some way. I applaud them.

All in all, the Jazz festival welcomes everyone. Poor students and super-wealthy finance people, dudes covered with tattoos and professional swing dancers, children and the man in the neon shorts. Everyone just comes and enjoys the music and the atmosphere, and no one feels like they don’t belong.

In the opposite vein, I think churches should be less like Wallmart, which I’ve also visited lately (I bought suspenders and a hula-hoop. Don’t ask). Wallmart sucks out your soul. They don’t like you going unless you buy stuff. They really, really don’t like it when you try to take stuff for free. Wallmart tries to make you a conformist. They have very bright lighting.

In short, church should be more like the Jazz festival and less like Wallmart. It should probably also have a point, unlike this rambling post of mine.

Well, you can't please everyone.