Gaming

Interesting article by Jim Rosignol over on www.boingboing.net in the Offworld section (view BoingBoing at your own risk but OffWorld is pretty safe).

Jim interviews game designer Ed Stern. Ed has designed several outstanding video games including "Return to Castle Wolfenstein". Any way, Ed makes the comment that all too often game designers try to design for the "in crowd" of hardcore gamers instead of the the community of gamers at large. There are the in jokes and designs in the games that many casual gamers just don't get or appreciate.

Ed even argues against innovation to a certain degree, saying that if you want to bring in more people you have to have things at least partly familiar.

As I read the article I was reminded of how similar this is to the Christian experience. We become so familiar with our own vocabulary and rituals that we fail to realize how outsiders might feel when they visit our churches and services. To the unchurched, a typical worship service in a typical church can be almost incomprehensible.

Add in something like communion and many first time visitors will be out the door never to return.

And I am not sure that the so called "seeker sensitive" services are the entire answer either. I have heard it many times that the goal of our evangelistic efforts is to get our neighbors to come to church with us.

I think that is the wrong approach. We need to get people to Christ. First. Foremost. Always.

And too many times church is a hindrance to getting people to Christ.

Time to go check out Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter...