rollerskating

there is a subculture for everything.  I never in my wildest dreams imagined that there would be an actual rollerskating subculture- but there is.  Our church decided to get together and have a fun night at the old roller rink in town.  When i got there i saw people with little suitcases with their rollerskates and an attitude to boot.  It was weird until i remember that recently i was able to be immersed in frisbe disc golf subculture where everyone carried a bag full of discs (ok i ended up using an old diaper bag) and many even pulled their bag of discs on a cart like a golfer carrying clubs.  It is not my intention to disparage these folks or really to even analyze their subculture but i do believe that it is telling as each group stuggles to find their identiy within the confines of their practice.  This trend suggests that the command to do Christianity as part of a local church is not an arbitrary command but rather a necessary one corresponding to our relational nature.  We all want to belong yet increaslingly churches make it very easy to not belong.  they set up their services like a shop or a mall and provide options for people to choose, whether it be this group or that class etc.  there is nothing wrong with these things but there seems to not be an expectation that people will identify with the local church and share a common identity with one another - do we really think its cool for people to identify readily with rollerskating or disc golf but not with the church.  I am ashamed that people will carry their dumb roller skates or firsbes around in special bags to protect them while many Christians dont even carry a Bible to church (or even a special bag to carry :)) We need to constantly remind ourselves that Christianity, like waterskiing, cannot be done alone nor can it be done as a consumer.  When we get together and make our own subculture (not the bubble gum pop christian bubble we see promoted all the time) it will shake the world.