There was a big article in the newspaper today about the local franchise of the Church of What’s Cool at the Moment which has taken over a local nightclub and is producing “services”(we’ll see if any “worship” takes place) complete with rock-n-roll and a fog machine. The article quoted someone with the title of Campus Coordinator as saying “You don’t need to change to be here.” I found that interesting. No need for change?

If you don’t need to change, what’s the point? Country club memberships are cheaper than a tithe, and they have golf, tennis & swimming. So if you don’t need to change, why not join a country club instead of go to church.

I need to change.

In my unchanged state I am angry. Don’t know why. Training I suppose.

In my unchanged state I want to kill people whom I am pretty sure deserve it.

In my unchanged state its all about me. Who cares about you!

You see, my unchanged state isn’t a pretty thing. Decorate yours up with all the fancy flowers and Deepak Chopra mantras you want, and it still smells like a pile of…….

Make no mistake about it: you need change!

I’ve found that churches don’t offer much change, for the most part; particularly as they drift away from the central teaching that Jesus came and died in our place to PRODUCE CHANGE in our lives if we would submit to follow Him. Over and over the message of Jesus was “repent” which means “change”—literally it means to turn around and go a new direction. A change in direction! Yes! That’s what I need!

It concerns me when we spend thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars to increase the cool factor of following Christ, and in all of the cool the man Jesus often gets over-shadowed. Reminds me of something the prophet once ascribed to God. “Not by might, nor by power (nor by coolness?), but by my Spirit, says the Lord.”

Let’s give the Campus Coordinator the benefit of the doubt, maybe she meant “You don’t need to change to come here, but you can leave here changed.” If that’s the message, I’m all for it! But if the purpose of her multi-million dollar, video-driven, fog-filled stage is to produce a cool place to hear rock-n-roll that occasionally inserts the word “Jesus” into the lyrics so the club can maintain it’s tax exempt status, I’m dubious. But then……I can change.