I once attended a mega-church in another state. The worship service was a television-worthy production. Sound amplifiers, stage lights, and a live band, all created a flawless performance. Staff members were dressed in expensive suits with skinny-fit pants and designer shoes. Every haircut was trendy and pomaded to a high spike. Nothing was out of place. 

Camera crews moved throughout the congregation, capturing intimate worship moments and projecting them live on the big screen. Raised hands and tear-filled eyes earned the worshiper an instant spot on the jumbotron. I guess they hoped you didn’t mind. 

As one service ended, the staff hurriedly prepared for the next. The speaker rushed past me with his entourage, barking director-style orders to his assistant. “There’s too much dead air between transitions! We need to fix that!” He shot me a look to make sure I was hearing all this. Then he continued his directives. All this to preach the good news of the humble Christ.

In contrast, I once attended a church service in rural Africa. The congregation walked to church on dusty, dirt roads. Many were barefoot. They brought produce offerings from their gardens. They had little else to give. We worshipped outside in the drizzling rain. It remains one of the most memorable events of my life.

Maybe we try too hard to make Jesus cool. If we present following Him as stylish, maybe we can minimize the costs that come with it. Entertaining is more marketable than self-denial and submission. A trendy God is an easier sell than a transcendent God. We can simply modify God to attract the world. We create Him in our image. 

But, we know better. Jesus said to “count the cost” before following Him, because there is one. Discipleship comes at the exclusion of many other things. It’s not easy, and it’s not often very cool. For me, however, it is too late in the game to worry about how it looks to others. The day quickly approaches when it will be the only thing that matters. Whatever the cost, whatever the sacrifice, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12)