Is Jesus Cool?

Since cool is hard to define it is difficult to be sure if Jesus is cool.  But it seems that many churches are working to make sure Jesus and Christianity are cool.  I don’t want to sound like an old cantankerous Pharisee, but these efforts are leaving me a little tetchy.

I know the church has to be relevant.  It has to speak to a new generation.  It has to communicate the unchanging message in the ever-changing language of the unchurched.  I know all these things; I said all of these things 30+ years ago when I was arguing the merits of taking the youth group to a Petra concert. 

This was brought to mind recently when a saw a list of church names compiled by Christianity Today.  Here are a few that caught my eye:

Oasis Church  

Paradox

Renaissance Church

Origins

Legacy

Tapestry

Relevant

Radiant

Elevate

Illuminate

Matthew's Party

The Salvage Yard

Sandals

Compass

Paradox

2 Pillars Church

Immersion

Impact

Urban Refuge

EpicLife Church

Liquid

I’m not questioning the faith, sincerity, or effectiveness of any of these churches.  I’ve not attended, nor do I know any of these churches.  What concerns me is the faddishness that seems to be creeping into the Church, and names are just the example of the day. 

Over the last 30 years, we have seen fads sweep the church like flu in a day care.  Each seemed to promise a spiritual awakening, or a dynamic renewal, or a new and more effective way to do something.  Each had its flash; each had a conference with a book, a three ring binder, and a set of cassettes (followed by cd, then DVDs, then podcast).  Now you can buy the books second hand for a quarter.

In Acts 6, we see the choosing of seven to serve the needs of Greek widows.  What we sometimes miss is the job description of the Apostles.   “…And will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” Acts 6:4.  Not flashy, not hip, not cool and certainly way to simple for a conference.  “Talk to God about people, talk to people about God.” 

It is my sincere hope that all these churches with cool names will faithfully proclaim the Gospel, and will be faithful in making disciples.  My point is not traditional verses cutting edge.  My point is that we not get so enamored with cool stuff and attempts to make Jesus and the Church cool that we forget the basics. 

How about this for a cool church name, “Double Talk Church”....