A half-marathon seems like a wonderful idea until the 10th mile. Runners are in a constant state of mental arithmetic. Only one formula matters: how many miles down, and how many remain. There’s a kick in the pants at mile 10 because you’ve already run 10 miles, but you still have a 5K to go (a 5K being a race in its own right).

A few weeks ago, I ran the LuLuLemon half marathon. Races are fun because you find out your not the only lunatic who chooses to get up very early and run a long time. The LuLuLemon race is even more powerful than most because of “Lululemon culture.”

That’s right, a sports store has a culture-

An intentional culture-

A culture with a name and a large price tag.

This culture is exemplified by the yoga pant wearing population you often see here in Southern California… a culture I never thought I belonged in.

They even have certain trainers and people associated with the store that are their evangelists for the brand known as ambassadors.

It is a coveted position and a high honor to be an ambassador. An ambassador, an evangelist… for a culture… for a brand of sports wear…

What I realized is I loved being part of that culture–even just for a weekend. There was a sense of tribal identity. We were the fit few. I belonged and I had the yoga pants to prove it.

We were the lululemon crew. Everywhere we went in Vancouver we were identified by our dress and where I may have been cynical before about yoga pant wearing wealthy folks, for this weekend I embraced this fit identity.

It felt great to belong and be associated with something bigger than myself-

But that isn’t the identity or tribe I am meant to be an ambassador or evangelist for… but there is something about the ability to create culture that this pastor loved.

Something about it that resonated in a deep part of me. I want people to want to belong to find a home in the faith… I want them to find a tribe.

The second adventure was a weekend retreat with the art and creative teams from Mosaic church in LA. I don’t attend Mosaic (I have a gig most Sunday’s but I hear it is a great community! ) My dear friend wanted a partner in crime so I joined her on the weekend retreat- sometimes I like Pastor Undercover

We went to the mountains

I stayed in a Yurt (If you don’t know what that is look it up trust me its worth it)

I went to classes about leading a life from a vision statement and all weekend I heard again and again how Mosaic is a tribe- a creative tribe.. a creative Christian tribe…

being part of that church means being part of a tribe…. they are to spread that message, they are to be ambassadors of creativity…

I loved it.. identity…. it was as sexy as the lulu lemon yoga pants I had bought in Vancouver…

But something seemed off…

Both of my adventures culminated in a large concert. At the end of the Lululemon race capital cities had all of us dancing with wild abandon at the end of the retreat their worship band had most participants dancing with wild abandon- it was during this worship service that One of the girls from my yurt pointed out something that put it all in prospective as we sat watching all the action… hip Christians dancing to hip creative music.

“People keep saying they are “creative Christians” and it seems off-“

In that moment it hit me

here is the problem…

no matter what we are affiliated with…. no matter where we get your identity from if it isn’t first from our identity of Christ it is off… no matter how well intentioned. Its awesome to be part of a tribe whatever that tribe is but it isn’t what makes me who I am…

Now I know for a fact that Erwin McManus the pastor of Mosaic would agree and this isn’t a critique of the weekend or his teaching it was just something hit me

I am a Christian who is creative not a creative Christian… No matter what we think gives us identity… it comes secondary to our primary identity as a Christian. There is no such thing as a Conservative or Liberal Christian- There is a Christian who is…. and fill in the blank…

our tribe was established long ago and for that I will be an ambassador- maybe Jesus never meant for us to fit in…

“Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Jesus didn’t have anywhere that he could completely identify with other than the father that came first.

photo credit: tedeytan via photopin cc