Try putting this on a billboard

I do not have a sexy faith.

It sounds weird, heavens I know it sounds weird.

But come on. Lots of people out there have sexy faiths.

Not me. I don’t have a faith that says we are elbow deep in spiritual warfare and need to be ready to defend ourselves from demons at a moments notice with scripture and the right things to say.

I don’t have a faith that aims to save people’s souls from eternal damnation with an urgency that's so intense it hurls me into the fight.

I don’t have a faith that says we have to sell everything to the poor and go live in Africa building wells and educating people vowed to a life of poverty and selfless service.

I don’t have a faith that suggests that by accepting Jesus and turning your life over to him you will be blessed with more material wealth in this life and that the sun will shine upon you daily.

But rather, I am a man who says “hey, go do the best you can do everyday and there is grace for you and me when we mess up even if you don’t see it.”

I say stuff like, “life is complicated” and “it’s not just black and white” and “yeah, the Bible is a contextual document that is hard to discern for our own life application sometimes”

I am for all intents and purposes a social interactionist Christian. Social Interactionism is a sociological term. One that says that the stuff that matters and why we are the way we are is because of our daily interactions with individuals.

I don’t have some grand theory that explains all of life. I don’t scare people into faith. I don’t promise immediate fulfillment upon accepting Jesus. I don’t even dictate to people that Jesus is the only way necessarily to earn your salvation.

I mean don’t get me wrong. I’m not wishy washy. And I have my convictions.

But it’s not innately attractive in modern culture. It’s small scale. It’s grass roots. It takes time. It’s complicated. It’s level headed. It’s accepting. It’s forgiving.

It’s just not sexy.

....but I like it.

The problem being in youth ministry... is that this kind of faith is not inherently attractive. It doesn't sell well. If you get people to believe they're in spiritual warfare... or if you get them to believe if they follow Jesus they'll be blessed with more... you've got a compelling case on your hands. If you really get kids scared of hell. You can get them through those doors. But I'm not about to sell out just to sell 'it'.

I'm grass roots... and organic... and all those new trendy hipster terms that are just reiterations of the significance of really knowing and relationally connecting with other human beings. And that'll win out. Eventually. That kind of stuff takes time.