The All-Time Champion of Jesus Jukes!!!

OK, I am going to admit something here.  Like I haven’t admitted 50 things “here.”  But I love the Jesus Juke.  It is a way of speaking that was brought to light a few years back by Jon Acuff, so I can’t take any credit for it, but he is spot on.

If you don’t know what a Jesus Juke is, it is basically someone who turns any conversation or phrase said back to religion-ese.  It is annoying.  Aggravating.  It is the Christian equivalent of the old Debbie Downer SNL skit. (yes, I know SNL is debased and to reference it probably means I am not truly saved, but…I am , so get over it.)
 
“Man, this Starbucks coffee is soooo good.”

“Well, with the money you spent on that, 12 orphans in Uganda could’ve received shoes for Christmas.”

JESUS JUKE Guilt Trip.

“My wife and I saw Grown Ups 2 last week and it was hilarious!”

“Well, we wanted to go see that, but it is rated PG-13 and we decided that we didn’t want to fill our minds with the devil’s garbage.”

JESUS JUKE- Holier Than Thou Edition.

“It has rained four straight afternoons, so I haven’t been able to mow my grass in 2 weeks.”

“Amen!  Thank you Lord for the rain for the farmers and those who use rain water for their baths!”

JESUS JUKE-Get Out of My FACE Edition.

Now, whenever, I pull one of these off, it is tongue in cheek and I end it with “Amen?”

But whenever I see/hear these either in person or IN FACEBOOK MEMES, I have to laugh at the whole thing…I understand that God is in all things.  But to constantly point it out is prooooobably not what the Bible means when it says to fill our conversations daily with speech that honors God.

“My son is home with a 104 fever and may have the flu.”

“Better to be sick physically than……..spiritually.”

So, the all-time kicker.  The crème-de la crème of Jesus Jukes is rearing its ugly head all over the South!  You know you have heard it.  You almost expect it 3-4 times a year…

“WOULDN’T IT BE GREAT IF WE GOT AS EXCITED AND FANATICAL AT CHURCH AS WE DO AT FOOTBALL GAMES?!?!”

If I had a dime for every time I have heard that, I could buy a Venti Starbucks coffee, or a goat for a village in Liberia. (see what I did there?)

There are many problems with this analogy.  I get exactly what is trying to be conveyed. I do.  but there has to be better ways to say it.  Do you really want the youth to take off their shirts and paint R-E-D-E-E-M-E-D on their chest and scream everytime something happens?  NO.

Tailgating before the service would be cool.  Maybe I should stop being critical now.

The fact of the matter is that when worship leaders make this Juke, it doesn’t convey what they really mean or want to say.  You may desire that more people are involved, but is that a selfish desire?  Is that born out of a concern for God and His name not being lifted high, or because not enough people are singing, clapping, and raising hands at that one awesome key change to stroke YOUR ego?  Maybe we should do the wave when the preacher makes a great point?

It is the Guilt Trip Jesus Juke.

Again, you can shoot many holes in this analogy, but another that I want to point out is…those people who are fanatical and emotionally attached to their teams are just as likely to be saddened and have a reaction to a sporting event with NEGATIVE emotions.  Do we want people to yell BOOOOOOOOO if the drummer misses a beat?  If they don’t sing the songs I like, should I be sad like I would at a football game when things don’t go my way?  If the preacher has an off day, should I rip him apart for the next week on the radio and talk bad about him at work and hope he gets fired?!?!

 

Football “Fans” don’t always have the best reactions.

My worship for God should come from a heart that has emotions involved, but not football fan-like!!  AT ALL!

I understand what your Juke is trying to say, but it doesn’t say it well.

Trying to guilt someone into being “involved” at church is probably not the way to go.