I can just see the people who put together this billboard hi-fiving each other for thinking so far outside the box.  I don’t know if all church marketing sucks (actually, it’s a pretty great site), but it is certainly responsible for more than its share of groaners like this one.

Sometimes I will watch the late-night music video shows on the Christian television stations — partly because I am mean and snarky, but partly out of sheer fascination.  The hosts, who are tirelessly sincere, will often roll out a video with phrases like, “Check out these fresh tunes from hip-hopper John Reuben.”  Sometimes I worry about coming across as an over-eager dorky poseur to my youth group students.  Actually, I don’t worry that much about being dorky (it’s kind of a given), but there’s nothing creepier than some old dude trying to be “down,” usually using phrases that are at least five or ten years behind the times.  Despite the fact that I am inordinately slangy, I purposely try not to come off in this way when I relate to members of my youth group.  In the end, I think most students would rather have a reliable dork in their lives than some flaky hipster.