I try to do a lot of cross-polinization reading. I just read a fascinating book titled Developing Retail Entertainment Destinations. Got to give props to Ben Arment for the recommendation.

First things first. Churches aren’t competing with other churches. We’re competing with MTV and Hollywood and Madison Avenue. We’re competing against any alternate use of time. That means we better know the competition. That’s part of being “as shrewd as snakes.” Second things second. The church isn’t a retail or entertainment desination. The church is a spiritual wormhole where people can connect with God Almighty.

Gregory Beck, the president of Architecture + Entertainment Design, makes a straight forward observation that has huge ramifications for the church. “Entertainment values have raised our expectations about the quality and rewards of most places we visit.” Take out “most places” and insert “churches.”

Beck says, “Retail stores are theatrical occasions.” The same is true of book stores. Most of them have added in-store cafes. My kids love going to IKEA because of the “play room.” They can have fun while we shop. Like it or not, that raises the creativity bar for churches. That means if the church stays the same it is actually losing creative ground by virtue of what I’d call “creative inflation.”

I’m obviously not suggesting that the church conform to the culture. I’m just saying that retailers are getting more creative. The competition has upped the ante. The church shouldn’t just be keeping up. We ought to be setting the creative pace. It’s one of my core convictions: the church ought to be the most creative place on the planet.

Developing Retail Entertainment Destinations is all about creating themed environments. Isn’t that what God did with the Tabernacle? Fifteen chapters are dedicated to the color of the draperies and the smell of the incense. That reveals one simple truth: aesthetics are important.

Sometimes I feel like I’m cursed. I’m like an interior designer trapped in a pastor’s body. I’m like an artist who can’t even draw stick figures. I have tons of artistic ideas. But I’m 100% reliant upon others to turn them into reality. I just think it’s the “little details” that give a space its signature. Evidently, God was concerned about the color of the draperies. Maybe the color of the carpet is a bigger deal than we think it is. That’s why so much thought has gone into the aesthetics of Ebenezers, our coffeehouse on Capitol Hill.

One of the things we’re going after is what I’d call the “double take” effect. We want some elements to be so distinctive that it causes people to look twice. For example, the train tracks in the floor on the main level are a “double take” feature. My latest idea on the lower level is an 18th century map of DC on the stained concrete floors.

For what it’s worth, I think Heaven will be the ultimate entertainment destination And when I say entertainment I mean it in the holy and highest sense. Nothing is as “entertaining” as worship God Almighty! Like everything else, I think we need to redeem entertainment. Please don’t take that the wrong way. I’m not trying to denigrate worship to the level of entertainment. I’m trying to elevate entertainment to the level of worship.

I think the thirty minutes of silence in book of Revelation is induced shock from the aesthetic effect. We’ll need thirty minutes to catch our breath. We’ll need thirty minutes for our eyes to adjust to the light. Actually, we’ll spend all eternity “adjusting” to the physical presence of God.

Talk about creative inflation!