authenticity

From the mouth of a student (who is a Christian but sick of the posers he’s around) I was talking with:

“I don’t consider myself a Christian because I’m too real.”

Powerful quote. I don’t think he really knew the gravity of what he was speaking. As Christians, I think we’ve forgotten (or hidden ourselves behind fig leaves) how to be real. We just try to fit a mold that doesn’t exist beyond the sweet preachy t shirts, bumper stickers, and CD’s found in the Family Christian Bookstores. It’s become the pursuit of ultimate fakeness. As long as we look holy, then we’re good. We’ve gained this goodness, but lost the authenticity. And without authenticity, what are we actually left with?

Any thoughts?

President Lincoln once turned down a job applicant citing his reason, “I don’t like his face.” One of his Cabinet members expressed surprise and let the President know that he didn’t think the reason given was a sound one. But Lincoln wouldn’t bend, saying, “Every man over forty is responsible for his face.” Pat Morley “Man in the Mirror“

A man’s face reveals or betrays what kind of life he has lived.

Often we live by intention. Very few of us seek to live life with evil intentions. We try with good intentions to be good people, but you know what they say, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” We may not mean them, but if the result of your actions lead to evil, your intentions don’t really matter.

Step outside of the people we want to be, and try to see who we really are. We’ve tried to get our kids to understand that “what I do says who I am.” And to take it a step further, what I do says who I am and who I am is written on my face.

Here’s my challenge to you:

1. Ask the Lord to reveal to you what you need to see. Step forward with expectation.
2. Take two minutes in front of the mirror to examine the life that has been written upon your face. What do people see? What has caused those lines and wrinkles? To people see joy, anger, fatigue, depression…
3. Then [if you're brave enough] post it.

To get to where we want to be (or who we want to be) we must first begin with where we are at. To every great journey, there is a starting point. So let’s start with ourselves and see where God can take us.

So here I go: I see apprehension, uncertainity, along with a tired weariness. That tells me I’m trying to to too much on my own. I’m not relying upon God enough and living like everything depends on me. Not enough faith, and not enough trust.

[NOTE: this post is best experienced if you listen to "From Yesterday" by 30 Seconds to Mars while reading]

A couple of days back one of my posts (or rants) brought forth the question:

“How do we change the Church? Or is it worth changing?”

(from youthminister66 )

And I’ll go ahead and accuse myself of being critical and often times offering no answers. SO let me embark upon these questions. It will bring us into territory that is bigger than me, so your input into the journey is paramount. I need all of you to take apart in this.

So let me answer the easiest part first: is the church worth saving?

The answer is a resounding YES. It must. The bride/church is meant to exists until He returns.

Then that leads us to the first question: how do we change the church?

Walk with me for a bit as I meander around the question. Christ cleared the church with a whip because the people had forgotten its intended purposed. So clear your mind about any church clutter you may have entertained thus far in the conversation. Step into the clearing with me.

Picture this. You are apart of a Kingdom. A mighty Kingdom. Now picture this Kingdom established deep within enemy territory. You serve a mighty King. To live you must obey what is governed by your King. To survive you must protect yourself from the enemy that surrounds you. You live in a walled city. Men stay watch over its walls at all times. As you leave those walls, you gird yourself with heavy armor; protection against what may come your way. You serve a cause greater than yourself. This Kingdom is your hope and life. You live to provide for your family and serve your King with honor. You would die for your King and your family.

Now apply this to your lives now. What if we as Christians lived like we had a King? Like we lived with a kingdom? Like we had an enemy outside the walls. If that was reality, how would it shape our lives today?

What if prayer, like the men in the watchtower, were necessary by someone within the body of the church at all times? If the post is left, the city is vulnerable.

If we began to take on this Kingdom view, how would it change our churches (little “c” churches, not THE CHURCH – His people)? We have forgotten that this battle we are in is LIFE and DEATH. Part spiritual, part physical. The events of 9/11 changed our views on safety and patriotism, but they quickly faded away. What if life was like 9/11 every day? How would you live differently?

We have an enemy (some flesh, some spirit) that seeks to “steal, kill, and destroy”. Do we act like it? I get angry because the church has turned into psychiatry and steps to good living. We have lost our edge, our drive to be apart of his Kingdom. We have left our city unguarded and taken up residence with the enemy. The dream has been forgotten and we’ve moved on with our lives.

What if we began to see the church as our lifeblood? Not the walls or steeple. But the people and community we have there. What if it wasn’t simply once a week? What if we sought out to live this Kingdom lifestyle?

This whole vision is all a dream you wake up from. It makes sense, at the time, but it doesn’t within the context of the world of your awakend state. You know it’s real, but can’t completely define it. We’re just waiting for it to take physical form. So wake up dreamers. Wipe the sleep from your eyes. Until now, we’ve lived alone and dreamless within the dark forest. We’ve scrimped and scratched by to live. Step out of the forest and into the clearing… your Kingdom awaits.

[tomorrow: a second side to add contradiction to the first]

If any of you have about 45 min to burn… check out the message I gave at our church this Sunday.  

“Called to a Journey” Mp3

Check it out here

I was unpacking (yes, I’m still unpacking) and found a note from a old friend. She had given me a few words of wisdom about Authentic Spirituality.  Since I blogged a few days back on authenticity, I figured I should share her wisdom on the subject:

 Authentic Spritiuality is displayed in the book of Acts. So what is it?

1. Love for Christ

2. Loyalty to fellow disciples

3. Contagious Faith

4. Unreserved commitment

5. Expectation of great things

6. Filled with the Holy Spirit

I blogged a while back on Hollywood pursuing the Christian dollar. And after hearing about it again this morning on the news, I’m just mad. What have we done as Christians to be viewed as a dollar demographic of people?

Is it even good that we’re viewed as a demographic. It makes us sound more like lambs for the slaughter than roaring lions. We are no longer viewed as dangerous individuals tirelessly pursuing Christ and giving our lives over to saving a lost world. No, we’ve become a buying class of people. Are we dangerous? No.

How does the world percieve us? Well, we’re PG and family wholesome. We buy nice clean things that make us feel nice and clean. We have let ourselves become stereotyped and neutered.

Where are our Christian testicles!?! They were lopped of long ago. I want to be a scary hairy smelly man crying out in the wilderness like John the Baptist. I don’t want be Ned Flanders.

Hollywood sees us as just another group to market and milk for cash. They don’t fear the message we have to offer. The smile, nod their heads and then give us what we want as we call it a victory for Christians!They set the trends (take the cash) and we dutifully follow.

The guys at the XXXchurch.com website use the phrase, “If Satan’s a pimp, don’t be his hoe.” Well are we hoe-ing ourselves out for a better life? To fit in? To be comfortable?

What has been lost? Too much.

How do we get it back? That’s something I’m trying to figure out, seeking it in prayer and practice.

So how about you? How does this make you feel?

Authenticity. It’s a word that’s been hitting me for the past few months. So what does it mean to be authentic (or mainly an authentic Christian)?

 Hebrews 4:13 says that “nothing in all creation can hide from Him. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes.”

So why are we incapable of being authentic? Fear of shame, embarrassment? Maybe.

I think it goes beyond that. Granted, Adam and Eve eating from the apple shattered true authenticity and lead to us all covering up. There’s a deeper message here. 1) Satan tempted Eve to eat the apple. Shame and distance (from God and man) resulted from it. So then I could say that 2) Satan uses our fear of intimacy to keep us from truly having fellowship with others. Isn’t that his paramount goal? Separate us from God and other believers? There’s safety in numbers and when we stray too far from the herd, we’re toast.  

So then, is true authenticity acutally true oneness (with God or others)?

Agree? Disagree?

What is your definition of authentic?