Smoke Machines and Jesus

I'm watching the series with Leah Remini exposing Scientology and as I'm thinking how terrible it all is, it also seems very similar to a lot of what I see on Christian television channels. 

When you need smoke (machines) and mirrors to enhance your message, your message isn't all that powerful. 

And the message of Jesus...the good news...is powerful enough on its own. You don't need literal smoke machines to draw people in. You just don't. While certain things can be useful tools in ministry, don't ever let them become more important than Jesus and His word. 

I used to think you NEEDED smoke, an amazing sound system, light shows and techno music...anything that would surprise the world enough into realizing that the church is like them IN ORDER TO draw them in AND THEN get them to hear the message of Jesus. 

But now I realize that 

it's just about the word. 

The good news.

The hope. 

The joy. 

Redemption. 

Forgiveness. 

Jesus. 

The world doesn't want the world. 

They may not realize that but they don't. ALL the world GETS is smoke and mirrors and light shows and celebrities. Let's be different. I'm not saying let's wear sackcloths and refuse anything nice. Refuse technology. Refuse indoor plumbing. For the love! I'm also not saying a small country church is better than a large one with technology. 

But there is a holy balance and it is different for each house of God. We need to all check ourselves about what makes us excited to walk into that building. What makes us proud. We need to question what we see on television. We need to connect with one another in real life and we need to have open hearts and arms for when the world comes to us. 

They will know us by our love. Not by our smoke machines.