Advert Distraction

My brother recently wrote a blog about growing up as a pastor's son. http://davidstevensramblings.blogspot.com/ It got me thinking of my own experience of it, so I was going to write down my thoughts but I got distracted by adverts that kept popping up on my computer screen and I lost my train of thought. This probably says a lot more about me than the adverts.

Adverts are crafty little things, whether they be online, huge billboards, inbetween TV programs or in glossy magazines. I am an advertisers dream in that I easily get sucked into whatever they are selling. Take mascara for instance. If it promises me longer and fuller looking lashes then before you can blink I'm queueing up at the nearest boots ready to make myself a purchase. What a sap!

In a way I love advertising because of it's cleverness and ingenuity but I think it's also dangerous. You can take the obvious dangers like skinny models not being a good role model etc etc but I'm thinking more on the distraction to life that it promises. It's always telling us life can be better, that life isn't complete without a certain product or service. That you will be richer, more beautiful, more clever, happier, contented. And you know what, we fall for it every time.

The Church is missing a trick. Now I know some churches do advertise commercially, especially in the States and often it's bad. But what if we had compelling and interesting adverts that would have people queueing up at our churches? God made us to be the advert and so instead of being sucked in by the advertisements around me, I want to be the advert.

I want to be compelling and distracting, and able to point people to a better life, happiness and contentment. I have a lot to learn but I want to market Jesus well.