Authenticity?
I have heard the word authenticity thrown about a great deal over the past couple of years. As emerging Christians we often talk about authentic Christianity. We talk about authentic community. We talk about authentic leadership.
I must tell you that the whole idea of authenticity appeals to me. It should. It has to do with integrity and being who you are being made by God. It has to do with vulnerability and trust. Authenticity breeds trust.
For years, I think that we have talked in broad strokes about integrity. We have talked about it in terms of not spending money without proper receipts. We have also talked about it in terms of giving a full day's work. We have been called to be people of our word.
I think authenticity and integrity has to go deeper than that. I wonder how many of us do things in community and in the world with no motive other than to do them for sake of being loving people.
I know I live in an organization where we are called to "saving the lost." I am wondering if we did more things with authentic love, expecting nothing in return if more people would be transformed by the love of Christ. Instead, we seem to scheme, plan and gravitate toward the latest model in order to satisfy some idea of what we have called success.
Recently, we have invoked old language as a means of recapturing authenticity in our movement. We seem to want to resurrect some by gone era. We invoke the names of our past and we use much of their metaphor thinking that we can some how make ourselves more missional.
I see it this way, authenticity is not coaxed, a catch phrase or a something I do because I want to win the world for Jesus. I become vulnerable, I become caring and I become loving, because that is what Jesus did. If people get "saved" that is a bonus. Don't get me wrong, I want to see disciples made. I just wonder if more would be transformed by grace if we did not do things just to get them there, but rather built authentic relationship that would expect nothing in return.
I am not sure that I have made much sense today. I have been thinking about the whole idea of authenticity recently. Actually, I am trying to get my head around it. I am wondering if we are really as authentic in our faith as we need to be?
What are your thoughts on this idea of authenticity? How do you think the church would look if we really were authentic with each other and in the world?
Am I just dreaming that real vulnerability and authenticity will happen in the church? What is your definition of authenticity?
What do you think?
I must tell you that the whole idea of authenticity appeals to me. It should. It has to do with integrity and being who you are being made by God. It has to do with vulnerability and trust. Authenticity breeds trust.
For years, I think that we have talked in broad strokes about integrity. We have talked about it in terms of not spending money without proper receipts. We have also talked about it in terms of giving a full day's work. We have been called to be people of our word.
I think authenticity and integrity has to go deeper than that. I wonder how many of us do things in community and in the world with no motive other than to do them for sake of being loving people.
I know I live in an organization where we are called to "saving the lost." I am wondering if we did more things with authentic love, expecting nothing in return if more people would be transformed by the love of Christ. Instead, we seem to scheme, plan and gravitate toward the latest model in order to satisfy some idea of what we have called success.
Recently, we have invoked old language as a means of recapturing authenticity in our movement. We seem to want to resurrect some by gone era. We invoke the names of our past and we use much of their metaphor thinking that we can some how make ourselves more missional.
I see it this way, authenticity is not coaxed, a catch phrase or a something I do because I want to win the world for Jesus. I become vulnerable, I become caring and I become loving, because that is what Jesus did. If people get "saved" that is a bonus. Don't get me wrong, I want to see disciples made. I just wonder if more would be transformed by grace if we did not do things just to get them there, but rather built authentic relationship that would expect nothing in return.
I am not sure that I have made much sense today. I have been thinking about the whole idea of authenticity recently. Actually, I am trying to get my head around it. I am wondering if we are really as authentic in our faith as we need to be?
What are your thoughts on this idea of authenticity? How do you think the church would look if we really were authentic with each other and in the world?
Am I just dreaming that real vulnerability and authenticity will happen in the church? What is your definition of authenticity?
What do you think?
posted by Larry at 1:46 PM
9 Comments:
Susan Howatch has written a series of novels that often raise this question. One of her themes is that of glittering images, and I see this fitting in with this question of being authentic. As an organization or as an individual, are we consumed with presenting 'glittering images'? If another really saw us for who we are, what would they think?
How I wish that my life could be purely about loving others, but I know that my motives get much more muddled. Yet an awareness of that - and the necessary confession and repentance - ends up leading to increased authenticity in my living.
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I find it interesting…no, downright fascinating and very telling that you’ve had the least number of responses on this particular question. I’m convinced that most of us are desperately seeking “authenticity” in our personal faith and in the religious experience of faith that we share with others, but also aware that few of us seem to be able to put our desire of authenticity into useable thoughts that would allow us to actually begin the process of building authenticity into our church experiences.
It reminds me of an ongoing conversation that’s been taking place at a Corps I’m very close to. Every other week somebody from that Corps makes the statement that they really need to become more child friendly and embracing in their services. Every time somebody from that Corps suggest this, I find myself wondering what in the world that even means? Should we get somebody, dressed as Barney, to lead worship? Or maybe smaller chairs? Nobody can really say, there’s just this general sense that they are not, in fact, child friend (I actually tend to think that they’re very child friendly, incidentally).
As for authenticity, how do you tell somebody how to do it? Well, what’s the difference between a real heart and the prosthetic ones we’re manufacturing from metal and plastic these days? In theory, they both work for a while, but only one works for a long period of time and only one can beat without taking large amounts of drugs to keep your body from rejecting it. I guess the same is true with the church. I look around me on Sunday mornings and see manufactured versions of actual church community. What was once a natural outpouring of remembrance and gratitude that took place when Christians had a meal together, has now been replaced with shot glasses and little styrofoam wafers. It doesn’t even fit Webster’s definition of “communion” let alone Jesus’. And when the New Testament speaks of Christian fellowship, did it really mean what takes place just before or after the service starts? How about worship? Is that really what we’re doing when we sing those little songs on Sunday morning? And are we really involved in social action because we hired a social worker for our church?
Is a veggie burger much like an actual burger? Neither is the Sunday morning gig much like “the church community” that Jesus must have had in mind.
(I’m pretty happy about the fact that I’ve just compared the Sunday morning worship service to a veggie burger. I may have to use that again.)
Authentic: behavior which is not false or an imitation of realness. Authentic behavior is not fraudulent, destructive or deceptive.
As a musician, I cannot exclude my additional understanding of authentic from my musical definitions. Authentic movement occurs within the chordal progressions of the use of definite intervals, especially concerning the 4th interval of any scale or key. This 4th interval demands movement to another - a listener hears it, a musician feels it. The presence of the forth demands movement to another. This demand, this compelling need to move is the authentic movement.
The 4th interval pulls in authentic movement to another interval - either to the 5th (possibly the end or completion) or to the 3rd (determining whether this is a major or minor key. The authentic movement draws the ear even before the chord is played.
Authentic movement is compelling within the foundations of musical writing and it is compelling within the foundation of spiritual growth.
Authentic spiritual movement compells action upon the spiritual teaching which has been given and received from the Scripture. I contend that the most important word which should confront any believer's spiritual growth needs to be "WhatamIgonnadoaboutit?!."
Hearing or reading about God's love is an honorable and disciplined manner to be connected with God. But doing something about the knowledge takes an authentic movement, just like this music theory example, an authentic movement which compells to be led somewhere.
Authentic spiritual behavior follows God's leading, not to create an innovative form of worship for others to emulate; authentic spiritual behavior follows God's leading not to accomplish a 3 year goal or a territorial membership mandate.
Authentic spiritual behavior aligns God's leading with all its componants - easy and hard, and asks for the stamina to be the man or woman God is calling the believer to be in light of it all.
This is my experience - my footsteps not always chosen by me, my address not chosen by me, my congregation not chosen by me, my daily schedule not always chosen by me...but authentic spiritual movement compells me to ask God to use me. When encountering different situations, circumstances, people, I have to askGod to help and guide, asking, "Lord, WhatamIgonnadoaboutit?!." and trust that I will have the courage and stamina to make His authentic movement.
Lent has been an all-inclusive schedule buster. And an authentic problem requiring authentic movement has brought about our corps having 9 softball teams using our gym for practice and training. So, legitimately at the busiest time of our year, we are finding 200 more adults and children through our corps each night.
The testimony and prayer time has been amazing.
The spiritual contact is present.
The friendship development has been vast.
God is at work, while we are using ball gloves, bases and pitching techniques.
God calls us as believers to be solutions in the world...an authentic example of His love.
I don't know how long it will last
Tim,
You find the lack of response interesting? I think this may be a comment on how much we actually trust the community of believers. That is sad indeed.
authenticity may be the reason many have not commented. This post has caused me to reconsider my motivation for commenting. As well as looking deeper into my church and its motivations.
Thanks for the impetus to reflect on the truth for awhile before moving on.
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