Miller is right. I think that a lot of this mindset has developed out of our approach to Youth Ministry over the past 20 years (focus upon fun, games, entertainment). Now, those veterans of our Youth Ministries are adults, and they realize there has to be more to church and faith than all of the hip, slick, cool, fun stuff. But, then again, the "ministries" that we see on TV don't help. Churches somehow feel they have to compete to keep up with the "ministries" being broadcast through the entertainment industry.

Our culture today is changing. It definitely wants what is real. Putting on the "God show" in our churches each Sunday is definitely more about us than Him.

http://www.missionmpossible.blogspot.com
http://www.missionmpossible.net

Interesting...
So here's the problem with trying to make Jesus "cool":

Cool in this context is defined by Dictionary.com as
Slang.
a. great; fine; excellent
b. characterized by great facility; highly skilled or clever
c. socially adept as in "It's not cool to arrive at a party too early."
The first two are certainly descriptive of Jesus. He is excellent and is great and proved in his time on earth that he was more clever than the smartest religious leaders of his day. I would also say that his ability to create all things every made would mean he would qualify as highly skilled.

The problem comes in the third definition of this slang word: socially adept. This in turn means that Jesus is either adapting to people's idea of what is socially worthy of promotion or imitation or that he is establishing new patterns of behavior which are embraced by others. Most of what we see in emerging churches today (Miller's audience) would lead us to believe that Jesus is adapting to current culture. What we need is churches who establish new ways of living for others to imitate.

I guess theologians would say this is the difference between incarnational and transformational. And I acknowledge we need some of both - we are to be in the world, but not of it. But we are certainly not to imitate it but to lead them to imitate us Christ-followers. As Paul said, "be imitators of me as I am of Christ.

And sometimes we do that. As a guitar player I think it is pretty neat that the cut or short capo (used to change the tuning of an acoustic guitar) was invented by Christian worship leaders and is now in demand all over the world by musicians of every creed (or none). And Christian music is the second-best selling music genre in the country. The church used to have the best architecture, music, art, education and ideas. And perhaps we are coming back to that. But being cool should not be our priority. Here is Philippians 4:8 in the New Living Translation -

And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

If we do this, not only will we please the heart of God but we will be winsome to the world as well.

Now that's cool.

At first, I thought of the desperate-to-fit-in junior high girl trying to gain entry into the alpha clique when you read Miller's quote. Then I took a closer look - at the ickiest, neediest part of myself. This sin-sickness is what usually leads me into sin, compromise and embarassing behavior. You're right, Don Miller.

I'm cURious, Ur readers. If this quote jabs you in the solar plexus, and you agree that repentance is needed from addictive Cool-ism, then what does that repentance look and sound like?

I really like this quote because it almost forces a person to reevaluate personal actions and motivations. I don't really think we should be trying to make Jesus look cool, either, but I think that's DM's point. If Jesus walked the earth now he would definitely not be cool.

I wonder if in the process of trying to make ourselves look cool, we begin loving the thought of Jesus more than Jesus himself?

Ain't that the truth?

That's a cool quote.

on the 'loving the thought of jesus' comment: this sounds good, but i have absolutely no idea what it means. can anyone explain?

This quote does hit me at the core. If Jesus is supposed to be cool, then this assumes that the main goal is mass appeal. The gospels show us the opposite. Every time Jesus became popular He said something really tough that made people choose between easy religion and absolute followership.

I think that making Jesus look cool allows us not to have to face rejection. "Hey Jesus is cool, I'm cool--why don't you join us and be cool too?" Much easier way to evangelize. This however does underscore what Dallas Willard points out, that discipleship is missing. We're afraid to say that following Jesus is hard, unpopular and there's a cost. We can't be part of the world and do everything we'd like to.

We do need to repent. Repent of selling an easy Jesus without real cost.

To make Jesus look cool? Sounds a lot like the words of a stupid song ... "I was country when country wasn't cool." So we could say "Jesus was cool when Jesus wasn't cool?" Wow, I think DM or anyone else who think we need to make Jesus look cool has some too lose theology or maybe I should say "christology" (probably neither word is cool). Whoever talked about "discipleship" hit the nail on the head. Discipleship is showing and leading others to not only see, but follow Jesus for who He is, God's Son, so that I might go and make disciples myself. But I am getting older and "cool" is a term we use to smoke years ago ... and we never thought of Jesus as cool ... but more along the lines of sinless Son of God who died for my sin(s) and as well the world. That's how I see Him.