Sermon Illustrations
I Subscribe, Therefore I Am?
A journalist for the BBC named David Lee recently moved from America to London. Rather than haul his stuff, he said, “I’ve become one of life’s subscribers.” Lee writes:
Looking around my (rented) flat, what happened to my box sets? Now a Netflix subscription. My music? Spotify. My books? Kindle. If I’m going out, forget the car— it’s Uber or Lyft. Staying in? Takeaway food via Doordash or GrubHub.
If I am cooking for myself, I get my ingredients via meal kit service Blue Apron. Recently I learned about start-up Feather, which offers subscription plans for furniture inside your home. For less than $10-per-month you can subscribe to a bed. Now there's an idea: Subscribe to a bed.
Lee notes that the subscription economy has grown 100% each year for the past five years. He points to a study by Goldman Sachs that concludes: “The must-haves for previous generations aren’t as important for millennials. They’re putting off major purchases—or avoiding them entirely.” The question is, does it matter?
Possible Preaching Angles:
1) Eternal & Temporary; Heaven; Possessions – Although a bit extreme, this story reminds Christians that we are merely travelers in this world; possessions should never be our security. 2) Church; Membership; Involvement – Care should be given lest this non-commitment lifestyle infiltrate the church. We are to be fully invested in the life of the body and not just be subscribers.
Source:
David Lee, “I subscribe, therefore I am?” BBC.com (7-14-18)