Stuff RUF People Like

Inspired by the popular article "Stuff White People Like", as well as the recent Carolina RUF Fall Conference at Camp Greystone, I present to all reformed presbyterians, the stuff that consumes (or is predestined to one day consume) their lives.

We'll start with the basics...

1) Chacos
Somewhere out there, Teva is trying to find a way to sue RUF as payback for running them out of business. Chacos have become such an RUF staple, that they're almost too obvious to put on here. The rainy weather at Greystone this weekend brought the Chacos out in hoards. "When the rains came, God commanded Noah to put two of every kind in the ark, including Chacos."

2) Salomons
Leave it to RUF to wear shoes that sound just like a king from the old testamant. Once it gets cold, the Chacos go to the closet and the Salomons come out. How many times do we actually use the shoes for their intended purposes (i.e. trail running or mountain climbing)? Uhhh....

Which leads to number 3...
3) "Getting as close to nature/ being as outdoorsy as possible without ever really roughing it"
This one's a little vague, but I'll explain...
One word: Greystone. Yeah, it's a camp, and it's in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and it looks kind of rustic from the outside...but let's be honest, the place is a resort. The cabin I stayed in this weekend was more domestic than my bedroom growing up. We had stand-up lamps and air conditioning and waited about 2 seconds for the water to get warm.
So Greystone is the perfect place for an RUF conference. Outdoorsy, rustic, but very convenient and comfortable. We can bring our Chacos and our Patagonia but never get a mosquito bite. Ideal.

4) Banjos/ Bluegrass
Only at an RUF event do you have a bluegrass band play right after small group discussions over the gospel of Luke. What is it about bluegrass that Calvinists love so much? I still haven't figured it out, but I think it's two things:
4a.) Banjos
RUF people LOVE BANJOS. I can't explain this one; they just do.
4b.) Line dancing/ Swing dancing
"Hey baptists, see us over here line dancing?? We're really doing it! You hate dancing, but we love it! Jesus went to weddings, and what do they do at weddings? Dance!"

5) The Avett Brothers
Take me to your RUF large group and show me one person that doesn't have the Avett Brothers on their Ipod, and I will show you five that do. What's so funny is that the Avett's don't even play the banjo (see above) in the traditional manner. But what do we care? It's still the banjo. Ignorance is bliss.

While we're on music...

6) U2
I think I've heard references to U2 in presbyterian sermons more than any other non-biblical entity. Why? They represent everything that reformed theology loves when it comes to the arts. Beautiful music, not sacrificing beauty/ selling out, Christian undertones, etc.

7) Flannery O'Connor
I'm perusing the "book table" at the RUF retreat, which is put on by GoodTheology.com (great website)... I see Calvin, I see Sproul, I see Luther, I see... O'Connor.
O'Connor?? The devout Southern Catholic?? Yes, that's the one.
Oh I just love this one. Leave it to RUF to take a Catholic writer like O'Connor and claim her and her stories of redemption for the reformed kingdom. I've been doing it since 11th grade when I read "A Good Man is Hard to Find".

7a.) Walker Percy
I didn't even know who Walker Percy was before this summer at Alpine, and now I hear his name everywhere. He's similar to O'Connor--southern, Catholic, borderline-existential. I can't get enough of him, and apparently neither can RUF ministers.

8) ESV Study Bibles
I admit, I have one. Admit it, if you go to RUF, you do to. And if you don't have the study Bible, you at least have the ESV pocket Bible. Did you know that John Calvin only preached out of the ESV Bible? No, kidding, that's not true--it wasn't invented until 2001. But you would think that he did.

9) Coffee/Tea
This probably goes under "Stuff White People Like", but I think it can apply here too. It's pretty self-explanatory. RUF intern: "So I'll see you at Local Coffeeshop X in the morning before your 9 AM class?"
RUF student: "See you there."

10) Iphones
And on the third day, God created iPhones. And RUF ministers saw that they were good. Their recording devices, easy internet access, and text messaging capabilities make them a minister's must-have. Mine (Kevin Teasley) will be the first to tell you.

Honorable Mention (or being saved for next time): bonfires, ultimate frisbee, Indelible Grace, going to extreme measures to make sure they get to watch their college football team play during free time at fall conference, letter-writing, Patagonia everything, G.K. Chesterton, djembes, Tim Keller.

Is this just a list of stuff I like? If you feel offended, know that I have only offended myself.

Until next time.