Well, Conroe, Texas has arrived. We’ve finally gotten a Freebird’s World Burrito. It’s like a Chipotle, but hipper. I was amused by the iced tea canisters with pictures of Mr. T and Ice Tea on them. And of course the Statue of Liberty on a motorcycle suspended from the ceiling.

The music was loud an edgy. It had a fun, hip feel to it. The staff was young, and looking around, the customers were too. I didn’t know there were so many college students and 20-somethings around.

Got to thinking, if we wanted to attract and welcome the conspicuously absent 20-somethings to the church, it would have to feel more like this. To some extent, our formality is an impediment. And our attempts to be “contemporary” by having Baby Boomer easy-listening style music are, in the words of my 18-year-old son, “Lame, Dad.”

Thing is, if we created this, a church with word and sacrament with a hip, informal atmosphere and edgy music, most the older folks in our churches would be be offended. It still feels to me, personally, that do much I what the church ladies and gentlemen see as sacred about church is really more about style than content.

I also think this is why the Cowboy Church has so much traction, at least here in Texas. It’s really not much different than a Baptist Church. It’s just really informal. You walk in and there are big vats of iced tea (sans Mr. T) and oversized cups of ice as you walk into the entrance. People are dressed casually in jeans and boots. It feels comfy, not stuffy. By contrast, some of our older church buildings feel like courtrooms.

I don’t propose abandoning our courtrooms. I do think, though, we need to start building worship services alongside them that will attract 20-somethings. Young pastors of the world, push us!