I've found several very cool things in my jaunt down south this past weekend to Blacskburg, VA. Among them, a bevy of shops and cafes on nearly every corner here downtown, a delightful walking/jogging trail (enhanced by the still-lingering colors of VA's fall foilage) to rival my beloved Lagoon Park back home, and — yes! — cheap gas. How does $1.99 a gallon sound when in the cold-hearted "North" we've been paying $2.99 or more in recent history?
But one of the coolest things I've found here was Sunday morning church hosted in, of all places, a restored movie theater downtown. That church would be NLCF, aka New Life Campus Fellowship. The campus in question would be Virginia Tech, home of the Hokies, who kicked some Clemson football butt last Thursday in the ACC, right before my eyes inside Lane Stadium. That was another cool experience— for a mere $10. The college students at the game loved everything loud, colorful, and invigorating, so it should come as no surprise NLCF works to create a similar atmosphere in their services, one where the students from campus will feel right at home.
That meant the rock-concert style music was near-deafening, as played by a kickin' band up on the stage of the Lyric, this adorably-restored 1930's era moviehouse on one of the side streets here in Blacksburg. That also meant the imagery and the references shared in the teaching of the jeans-clad pastor was appropriately of the moment. Hey, the current sermon series features a shot of the "Little Miss Sunshine" gang chasing that darn yellow VW bus with the title "Living the Good Life" over the movie still, so I do believe the phrase "culturally relevant" would apply. The whole thing was just wild, or wicked, depending on which phrase you'd prefer. (And that would be "wicked" as in the "wicked cool" sense of the word.) For all of that, the topic of discussion was the Lord's Prayer, or rather redeeming it from the pre-game high school sports mantra/when-in-doubt-religious plea/rote recitation "thing" it seems to have become. Interesting how the combo of music, deep theological discussion, moviehouse setting, and other quirky amenities all worked together. (For example, the offering, such as it was, was collected in oversize blue plastic bowls that I'll bet get used to serve chips later in the week.) Like I said, the whole thing worked. And the seats were comfy, even though they were missing modern cupholders to hold all the coffee students had brought in. Also interesting, the place was packed, even at 10:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning, when you'd think most college students would still be sleeping in. The Lyric is just a single screen theater, and I'd estimate, with the balcony included, it seats maybe 450? 500? Yeah, I'm terrible at math and worse at estimating crowds, but I'm telling you, the place was packed.
The whole thing got me thinking. Not only was I curious how a similar service might go over with the college/career crowd in Rochester, were such a thing held at, say, the Little, or maybe the Cinema, but I wondered if a moviehouse setting alone is what it takes to hold the attention of the college/career crowd these days. I mean, most of the churches I'm familiar with in the "North" seem essentially clueless about — and therefore devoid of — that particular demographic. Which doesn't make a bit of sense given how many colleges operate in the Greater Rochester region, and therefore how many students, continuing students and those who'd consider themselves still students in mind living and working nearby. But why is it that so many places (by which I mean churches) don't seem to know how to approach, let alone attract say, a twentysomething/thirtysomething, pro-environment, global-minded deep thinker who drinks chai, regularly volunteers with local non-profits, and considers an art show a spiritual experience?
According to its atypical "bulletin," upcoming events for NLCF include a giant tailgate party/ battle of the bands before the next big home football game; invitations to provide photographs, personal writings, sculptures, paintings or other art inspired by one of the "Blessed are the _________" verses in the Bible; and requests for donors to fill shoeboxes with Christmas gifts for underprivileged children in Third World countries, or to help collect items or raise funds to support the daily work of a mission in the Dominican Republic and/or special summer trips students may make there.
I have chai-drinking, globally-minded, deep-thinking friends I am confident would give their right arm to find any organization, let alone a church, that would get them and what they're all about that well.
Maybe this is a weird question to ask in what is akin to an electronic postcard, but ... Anybody else wish you were here?
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