During
the Christmas season just gone by, one major American retailer offered a brilliant
new innovation: wake-up calls recorded by celebrities to alert customers it
was time to get up and shop. As if we needed reminding.
The
Target chain offered customers the opportunity to sign up to receive a wide
variety of wake-up telephone calls the morning after Thanksgiving, considered
one of the busiest shopping days of the year. (I wouldn't know, given that I
was still sleeping off my unsuccessful battle with a relentless pumpkin pie.)
That day, Target stores opened at 6:00 am — which is somewhat earlier than my
heart typically starts beating — and customers could get their wake-up calls
as early as 4:00 am. (Frankly, up until now I didn't realize there was
a 4:00 am.)
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The
wake-up calls were recorded by celebrities like rapper Ice-T, supermodel Heidi
Klum, and Star Wars villain Darth Vader. (Sorry, but the Target marketing budget
couldn't handle the cost of actual stars.) Call-recipients also had the option
of receiving calls from a crowing rooster and crying baby, along with other
choices. Yep, if I was going to get up at 4:00 am, I think I'd enjoy hearing
from a supermodel or a crying baby.
I
don't know if the wake-up call gimmick enabled Target stores to ring up lots
of additional sales — as best I can determine, the celebrity callers didn't
warn customers about the dangers of sneaking over to Wal-Mart. But the whole
idea made me wonder if we should try something similar in the church.
Every
pastor knows that there are members who sleep in on Sunday morning instead of
making it to worship at their local congregation. Perhaps we need to start providing
wake-up calls to folks that will help them get up and get moving on Sunday morning.
And
just think of the celebrity callers (and their messages) we could use!
Billy
Graham: "I'm asking you to step out of your bed and make your way to
the front of your bathroom, and start getting ready for church. Don't worry,
the buses will wait."
Robert
Schuller: "It's time to get up and think positively. Have a be-happy
attitude and get a move on to church."
Max
Lucado: "Once upon a time there was a church. So get up and go there
to hear the rest of the story."
Rick
Warren: "Looking for purpose in your life? Then get that lazy body
out of bed and get ready for church."
Or
maybe we could just get everyone an alarm clock that sounds like a crying baby.
___________________________
Michael
Duduit is Editor of Preaching magazine and President of American Ministry
Resources. You can write to him at michael@preaching.com, or visit his website
at www.michaelduduit.com.