Old, Boring Ways of Doing Church

American evangelical churches are often faulted for a fascination with the new and cutting-edge, and for neglecting the tried-and-true practices of the historic church. The Los Angeles-based writer Brett McCracken, who knows a thing or two about the lure of coolness from his portraits of "hipster Christianity," makes the case for old, "boring" ways of doing church in his review of David Fitch's Faithful Presence: Seven Disciplines that Shape the Church for Mission (InterVarsity Press), which anchors the reviews section of CT's January-February issue. "The world," writes McCracken, "does not need churches where indie music, third-wave coffee, and Uniqlo wardrobes are tangibly present (those things can be found in any number of suburban malls or gentrified neighborhoods). The world needs churches where Christ is tangibly present."