COMMENTARY
At first glance the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago’s downtown Grant Park is a perfect expression of the American penchant for personal preference. Walking through the festival entrance on a recent overcast Friday, my friend Bob and I were instantly faced with serious decisions. Festival goers studied their detailed, minute-by-minute agendas of which of the 130 bands they planned to see on the eight different stages. The Decemberists or Thievery Corporation at 6:00pm? The Killers or Jane’s Addiction at 8:00pm?
Agonizing decisions, and because I’m a pastor they reminded me of the choices people must make when looking for a church. Whether a person wants to join a congregation or explore the faith, the options seem endless. Multi- or mono-ethnic? Welcoming to young families or 20-something hipsters? Cultural elites or the marginalized poor? Gospel proclamation or justice mindedness?