Recently I read an article in Harvard Business Review about Lego and their commitment to innovation. If you have children you’re probably already aware of Lego’s mastery of childlike fascination, and also of their relentless release of new themed sets. Lego Batman, Ninjago, Lego Friends, Lego Star Wars … apps, video games, devices, augmented reality toys. The Danish company seems obsessed with newness, seeing growth as “one testimony of whether we’re sufficiently innovative.” But as much as Lego is obsessed with innovation, they are driven by something deeper. They care about how children play.
I suppose I am partial to Lego because it has provided such enjoyment for my children, perhaps never more so than when my daughter staged her bedroom as a “house church,” only to excommunicate her brother for playing Lego during the sermon. “Get those out of God’s house!” she demanded, to which he replied, “God’s home is in my heart; plus, the Lord told me he loves Lego.” Unfortunately, my daughter had no one to assist her in removing her unruly congregant, as I had already been kicked out of “Hope Faith Chapel” for not wearing pants.
The church of the future will care about how people pray and play at the same time.
Adapted from Then. Now. Next.: A Biblical vision of the church, the kingdom, and the future.