Part II, Jesus & the Pink Bike: Don't Pimp the Gospel.

As Jesus pedaled off to the Cathedral word got back to the senior pastor Chuck and his staff about the incident that occurred in the "lobby." People were a little startled that he reacted the way he did and a few wanted to know if this was some sort of skit the drama team had planned.

Cruising along beside Jesus on a skateboard was a 19-year old young man in a Ramones tee-shirt and baggie jeans the size of a small tent that hung just beneath a bright pair of flannel boxers.

"Dude, you rock! That bike is tight!" he shouted over to Jesus.

Jesus looked over and said, "Any way you can stop that thing, you are scaring me to death."

Jesus winced as the young man jumped off his yellow-wheeled skateboard tattooed with skull and crossbones stickers and ran about forty steps ahead of him. As he made his way back to Jesus, Jesus asked, "What’s you name?" The young man replied, "Joshua, my friends call me Josh."

"Hey, why were you so pissed at Pastor Chuck’s church?" Josh inquired.

"Look Josh, BTW, I like your name, I wasn’t pissed at those people or Pastor Chuck. I love those folks deeply. I don’t have a problem with drinking coffee at church, although it may be nice to be consider where the coffee is purchased and from whom, but that’s another story. My problem is with merchandising at church."

"I am concerned with the consumer mentality. I’m concerned that it will get in the way of a relationship with God. It can be a huge hindrance. People need to connect with God in a real way. My Church does not exist to distribute religious goods and services to the masses like a Starbucks Coffee or Krispy Kreme Donuts." Jesus said.

Looking how to help make the connection Jesus added, "I mean, this isn’t a Ramones concert where one gets to a frenzied emotional state or a Giants baseball game where vendors walk the aisles selling hot pretzels and cold beer while the fans hope for a good game. What happens when the Ramones no long move you or Dee Dee dies? People want to be sedated or calmed by God’s presence, not have their moods altered by gadgetry. This is not about entertainment, it is about encountering and worshipping God, the creator of life. Folks need God… folks want God… but sadly many are getting repackaged and regurgitated leadership and pop-psychology books because we think we are supposed to give people what they want versus what they need. I mean, not everything tastes like pizza; sometime you have to eat the brocholli. It may not taste as good but over the long haul it will sustain your life."

"I am pissed about the overall merchandising and consumer mentality. Honestly, most folks just don't know any better. Believe it or not, I thought those WWJD bracelets weren’t all that bad, but I knew it would just turn into a fad and a marketing blitz and lose its message. It made huge profits for the shareholders of the publisher, but did very little to transform lives. It’s like Kanye mentions my name in a song and he’s popular for two minutes with the church."

"Dude, you like Kanye!? Je-sus... walks... with... me..." Josh sang excitedly.

"Uh, I walk with him, but I walk with y-o-uuu-oo." Jesus said with a smile. Actually, I thought Tupac had a message with some depth but some it wasn’t always church-friendly. I would have liked to spend some time with Tupac." Jesus said.

"But you see Josh" Jesus continued, "that’s what happens when we turn to gimmicks, we are always looking for the next big thing to capture our attention. I want to break the American church’s addiction to fads. I want to wake us up and stop the insanity. The church exists as a mantle to carry my ministry into the world, and sadly sometimes folks get lost in the medium and miss the message."

"Look, I need to get to the Cathedral. Hop on the back of the bike and you can ride over with me. This will be a trip of your lifetime!"

"Sweet. This bike is like Pimp My Ride." Josh emarked jokingly.
Startled at first, Jesus responded seriously, "Whatever, pimp your ride and pimp your crib if you'd like, just don't pimp the Gospel."

(to be continued)