Counting the Cost: Discipleship Beyond Convenience

In Luke 14:25–33, Jesus turns to the crowd and tells them the truth: “Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” It’s a hard word, but an honest one. Discipleship is costly. It may mean strained family ties, letting go of possessions, even risking safety for the sake of love.

In this episode of Queer Church: Faith Without Fear, we wrestle with what it means to count the cost as queer people of faith. We hear wisdom from Presbyterian leaders like John Calvin, Frederick Buechner, and Eugene Peterson, alongside the voices of Audre Lorde, Bayard Rustin, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. We bring this scripture into Vancouver life — from the renaming of Musqueamview Street to the long airport hotel strike, from Pride parades to tragedies that call us into solidarity. And we share personal stories, like a tense SkyTrain encounter, to remind us that discipleship isn’t abstract — it’s lived every day.

The cost is real. But so is the joy. Join us as we explore why costly discipleship is not a curse, but the door to freedom, justice, and life abundant.