Are you cool?

So I'm sitting here in my un-tucked shirt, ripped jeans, sipping a latte, twittering to all my "peeps" while I write my latest blog....ugghhhhh...Lord, please deliver us from "cool."

Here’s what’s hard though. Cool is such a desirable commodity is our world. In fact, many, many of my best friends are cool. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Cool is the word that never goes out of style. It is our verbal stamp of approval when we like anything. “Cool.” It’s blessing, approval, validation and pure goodness all wrapped up in one magnificent word.

To set the record straight, I do happen to enjoy a more modern, casual dress. I also like my coffee. Every now and again I “twitter”... only because someone talked me into signing up and now have about 60 “followers” that I feel obligated to throw down amazing status reports to.

Cool seems to have become a pre-requisite for nearly every occupation today…whether it’s being a Mom with the 'fly' stroller, McDonald’s and their latest offerings of uber hip coffee or churches with their trendy marketing and phat worship “experiences.”

Ok…I am not on a personal journey to Dorkville, nor am I saying that we should avoid the cool technology that the nerds of this world are creating for us. I just think we should take a step back and re-define cool.

To me, cool is confidence in who you really are. Cool is not being afraid to boldly forward the mission God has given you for life. And sometimes cool is saying I’m not going to do this just because everyone else on the planet is doing it. I love when I meet someone who tried watching LOST and had the inner courage to tell me that they hated the show. BRAVO!! I know a Pastor who preaches in one of the most relevant churches in our nation who doesn’t even come close to passing the “cool” test in his clothing and dress. But that’s what makes him so cool. He is confident in his calling and secure in his mission.

Here’s the deal folks; if you market and sell vacuum cleaners, you have a responsibility to attract the culture you live in to your sucking machines. You better find a way to make sure your vacuum cleaner is more than just a cool looking machine. It better be a better “sucker’ than the rest of them. If your machine looks like something out of Star Wars and still doesn’t pick up the dirt, then obviously…it doesn’t suck…and you do. Cool alone won’t cut it.

For those of us helping to lead the church, our job is also to clean up the dirt. Let’s remember our mission. Let’s be who we are knowing that there are people out there who will be attracted to the gift of personality, style and talent that God has placed within us. It’s not our tricked out 25 Flat-Screened Information Desk in the lobby that is going to save the sinner. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Cool? Cool.

7 Thoughts on the Art of Cool:

Here are some thoughts on cool for the church, market place and anyone else that is attempting to be cool.

1. If you have to convince people that you are cool, you're probably not.

• Example: PC commercials.
• Stop calling yourself cool and just be.

2. Excellence is more attractive than cool.

• Do things well to attract people.
• Better is better. Cool is not better.

3. Usefulness is more important than cool.

• Is your message or product useful and applicable or just cool?
• Relevant and cool are not synonyms.

4. Cool makes something popular, but once it's popular it begins to decrease in coolness.

• Example: When your mom is on facebook it becomes a little less cool.
• Oprah was the worse thing that could have happened to twitter.

5. Cool can not be copied.

• You can't duplicate cool, but you can be inspired by it.

6. Cool has a very short shelf life.

• Just because something or someone was cool does not mean they are or will continue to be.
• Cool is constantly evolving and is subject to opinion.

7. Cool is overrated.