(Hey, here's my ticket to fame and fortune - I'll write a book called The Purpose Driven Sex-Life. It won't have to be a good book, the title itself will be enough to sell millions!)

As a pastor, this helped me to understand something of life in the church today. Today, the highest value in many churches is to be "Purpose Driven." I wonder how much of the purpose-driven stuff has unconsciously grown out of Bobo culture. In one sense, this shows the genius of guys like Rick Warren. Warren is so successful because he has tapped into one of Bobo-culture's greatest desires—to find purpose in all they do. This "purpose-driven gospel" is very persuasive in Bobo-land and is a great point of contact for the church with the world outside the church. Warren is correct when he says that God has a purpose for every individual life, and this is a very powerful point of connection.

On the other hand, if Brooks is correct this "purposeful" Bobo life is driven by the ideas of merit and achievement, two ideas which are foreign to the Christian message. Sure, merit and achievement are important to the Christian, but the Christian faith depends on Christ's merits and achievements on behalf of His people and specifically disdains any attempts of anyone who would seek to achieve or merit His favor. So, its worthwhile for the followers of the "purpose driven gospel" to ask themselves if their pursuit of purpose is not tantamount to a pursuit of merit or achievement in God's eyes. If so, they need to re-orient their thinking.

One of the fun things about reading the book is seeing myself in the book. I am with the Bobo's completely in the "more casual than thou thing." I hate to wear ties and dress shoes. I've always been with Linda Ellerbee who said: "If men can run the world, why can't they stop wearing neckties? How intelligent is it to start the day by tying a noose around your neck?" Amen, preach it sister. (By the way—here are some fun quotes about ties for those of you who share my disdain for them). If I wasn't afraid of creating a scandal I would preach in jeans and a t-shirt. Some guys take pride in their tie collection, I take pride in my t-shirt collection.

Although I didn't go to an Ivy League school, I did go to college, and education has been a big part of my life. This is very much a part of Bobo culture. I can relate to the idea that life is one big long graduate school. I'm always wanting to read more, learn more and I love to get certified in things. (Yep, I'm certifiable alright!)

I don't have any glacier glasses, but I do have the SwissChamp, which is the top of the line Swiss Army Knife, or at least it was top of the line when I bought it. If it's not anymore, then by all means I will have to get the newest and best. MacGyver would be proud of this knife, it has enough tools to handle any survival situation. And you never know when you could be lost in Baltimore, yards from civilization, and need a knife like that. It's got 50 features and I know I have used at least a half-dozen of them. Even though I have only used a few of them, I am comforted to know that the rest are there should I ever need them. Oh, I also have a cool little pouch to carry it with on my belt. Makes me look rugged and outdoorsy!