Core Values, Part 3a: Authentic
Ok guys and gals...we've come to Part 3 in our quest to better understand the four core values put forth by Brian McLaren in Church on the Other Side. We have ventured past More Christians and Better Christians and we find ourselves today grappling with the concept of an Authentic Missional Community.
If I tried to address my thoughts on this value in one blog you'd all bail on me before we got to dealing with the word missional. So, let's take this slowly and start just with the word authentic today.
The Webster's definition of authentic I believe we're working with is this:
Have you ever considered how widely accepted lying is in our culture? We do it all the time, although we of course don't label it that. We can see it coming from ministers (they call it "ministerially-speaking") and it goes like this:
Q: How many people attend your church?
A: 1500, ministerially-speaking. (Of course reality shows about 1200 but somewhere we've learned to round up to the nearest multiple of 500 to get extra bonus points -- with someone.)
You can also see our battle with truth and authenticity raging in relationships. Why else do we hear so much talk about masks being worn at churches? Do we not trust each other? Can we not safely tell someone that we're just not doing too well today without being afraid that the gossip tree will be activated or that we will be thought of as "lesser" just because we didn't show up smiling ear-to-ear, Bible in hand, tie tied to perfection, ready to go!?
What is the deal with this stuff? Why do we lie to each other? Why do we say things that aren't true? Why do we allow ourselves to do it and why do we allow others to do it? Sooner or later we are going to have to come to grips with how this problem is destroying the communities we "say" that we love so much.
Could it be that we don't really understand the concept of Truth and so we don't live out our lives in truth? Small-t truth...that way we live out or lives...the way the church lives out its mission in the world should reflect the power, the goodness, the perfection, the purity of God's Big-T Truth. Everything we do...again, EVERYTHING WE DO should be conformed to the character of God - Truth - in a way that will be trustworthy, reliable, and believable for everyone we come in contact with. If it is not, then Houston, we have a problem.
It's funny how sometimes I'm writing something...finish...and find myself re-evaluating everything I've just written. That's one of the bummers of monologue...it's nothing like sitting with a group of friends and wading through tough, interesting topics. That said, comment if you'd like. I'm certainly not writing in concrete here.
Challenge for you and me: Think about the things you do today...what are they conformed to? Your desires? Others' desires for you? Or the pure, beautiful, unadulterated Truth of God?
If I tried to address my thoughts on this value in one blog you'd all bail on me before we got to dealing with the word missional. So, let's take this slowly and start just with the word authentic today.
The Webster's definition of authentic I believe we're working with is this:
Conforming to fact and therefore worthy of trust, reliance, or belief: an authentic account by an eyewitness.The first thought that pops into mind is "what is being conformed?" I think this can be thought of as everything we are doing...our words, actions, thoughts. In my church this would relate to our service(s), ministries, philosophies of ministry...everything we do. So, what this is saying to me is that everything we do must be molded around Truth -- and thus be trustworthy, reliable, and believable.
Have you ever considered how widely accepted lying is in our culture? We do it all the time, although we of course don't label it that. We can see it coming from ministers (they call it "ministerially-speaking") and it goes like this:
Q: How many people attend your church?
A: 1500, ministerially-speaking. (Of course reality shows about 1200 but somewhere we've learned to round up to the nearest multiple of 500 to get extra bonus points -- with someone.)
You can also see our battle with truth and authenticity raging in relationships. Why else do we hear so much talk about masks being worn at churches? Do we not trust each other? Can we not safely tell someone that we're just not doing too well today without being afraid that the gossip tree will be activated or that we will be thought of as "lesser" just because we didn't show up smiling ear-to-ear, Bible in hand, tie tied to perfection, ready to go!?
What is the deal with this stuff? Why do we lie to each other? Why do we say things that aren't true? Why do we allow ourselves to do it and why do we allow others to do it? Sooner or later we are going to have to come to grips with how this problem is destroying the communities we "say" that we love so much.
Could it be that we don't really understand the concept of Truth and so we don't live out our lives in truth? Small-t truth...that way we live out or lives...the way the church lives out its mission in the world should reflect the power, the goodness, the perfection, the purity of God's Big-T Truth. Everything we do...again, EVERYTHING WE DO should be conformed to the character of God - Truth - in a way that will be trustworthy, reliable, and believable for everyone we come in contact with. If it is not, then Houston, we have a problem.
It's funny how sometimes I'm writing something...finish...and find myself re-evaluating everything I've just written. That's one of the bummers of monologue...it's nothing like sitting with a group of friends and wading through tough, interesting topics. That said, comment if you'd like. I'm certainly not writing in concrete here.
Challenge for you and me: Think about the things you do today...what are they conformed to? Your desires? Others' desires for you? Or the pure, beautiful, unadulterated Truth of God?
posted by Michael Shattuck at
1:00 AM
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