Purposely Un-Hip Pastor?

I'm going on record today. I'm starting the 'un-hip' trend for pastors. You heard it here first. In fact I'm so un-hip I'm going to resist the urge to start a blog called 'Stuff Formerly-Hip Pastors Like'

I used to be cool. Wore odd clothes, weird hair, toured with a band, used all the 'rad' lingo. I was the bomb. Now I'm the punchline of my own jokes.

Yeah, laugh now you young hipster pastor-types with your made-up job titles (HT to Driscoll). Punks. I was sipping espresso when you thought a strong drink meant 'Jolt' cola.

As usual, I'm way out front on this trend. I sport a boring hairstyle. My music is now labeled 'classic' rock. I drive a sensible car. Students automatically call me sir. I actually have a plan to pay off my mortgage.

I'm old school by choice. I fought it for a while. But face the facts, I started in ministry before email and managed to keep up. My first church office phone had a cord, plugged into the wall. Voice mail was an upgrade. Cutting edge worship music was printed on overheads.

I'm experienced enough to know that all the twitter, blogging, Facebook followers, new music, awesome graphics, tattoos and louder, cleaner audio won't make you a better pastor. Nor will it make your church any more biblical. Been there. Done that. Got the drawer full of T-shirts.

Be Un-Hip My Brothers
We are doubly responsible for how we live and what we teach. Love God, read His Word, obey Him, pray. Ask Him to break your heart over the lost and the least. Keep your word. Be consistent. Repent frequently.

Keep your eyes on your wife and no other woman. Grow old in honor. Aim to be married in 40 years to the same woman and for your kids to love Jesus and raise godly grandchildren. Take Sabbath rest every week. Be honest and accountable. Be the real deal to your children because when they become teenagers, they'll know if this hip cool thing is fake.

And most important: Do the simple things that Christ did when He was here. Pray. Be physically present with people on their turf. Pour your life into leaders who will pour their lives into other leaders. Be Biblically-driven. Be humble. Revel in your relationship with Our Father.

The Goal isn't how cool you can be or how many hip people you reach. The goal is this: to make Jesus Christ more famous, more valuable, more weighty in the hearts of the people God gives us to pastor.

And if we get a 'Well done! good and faithful servant' from the One who deserves all the glory, it's way better than we deserve.