As Jesus followers we are called into the Kingdom Life. This blog will help us converse and learn what that means. It will contain thoughts on Scripture, Sermon Reflection, Leadership Training and interesting reads. -Pastor Jeff

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Let's Get Real

So, I've been wanting to write this blog for the last few days, but I haven't felt comfortable with the direction it should take.  We've been exploring the contagious ethos of BridgeWay Community Church for the last week, the contagious culture that has continued to reach people throughout the communities.  This culture has been given descriptive voice through the core values of the church.  So far we've looked at intentionality, transformation, and 100% Commitment to Christ.   We move to our fourth core value, authenticity.  Now this should be a no brainer...right?  We value everyone being real, no need to put on a show or be fake.  Done...short blog.  Hold up, not so fast.  I think there is more to authenticity than that.  Here is why...

1.)  Perhaps, you've been in churches where there has been a pressure to be something you are not.  It's as if some churches have a mold that in order to fit, you must pour yourself into the mold.  If it fits, you fit.  If it doesn't, you won't last.  If you've had that kind of experience, the thought of authenticity can be very contagious.  God has wired all of us in very unique way.  Our call to follow Jesus takes very seriously our specific place in a life, our life experiences, our personalities, our wiring.  Being a Jesus follower is definitely not a "one size fits all" mold.  Being a Jesus follower is given expression in our own unique lives. 

2.)  Authenticity gives people the permission to come as they are.  There is no pressure to clean up your act before you come.  Jesus meets us right where we are, each and every day.  That's awesome right?  At BridgeWay we have people arrive from all walks of life.  They come!  No pressure!  Acceptance is an integral part of valuing authenticity!  That's awesome right?  Authenticity acknowledges that we are all very much on a journey of Jesus following.  None of us have arrived and we aren't given permission to look down on those that are at a different place in their journey.  We walk together, honestly without the need for masks.

Here is where most of us would stop with our description of authenticity...but here's where we have to push on a bit further.

3.)  If we aren't careful, "authenticity" can be a word we use to make excuses for our spiritual complacency, our unconfessed sin, or our sloppiness in following Jesus.  This is what I call fake "authenticity."  This is the kind of authenticity that demands to have things my way on my terms.  As followers of Jesus, we celebrate the call to acceptance, we don't celebrate overt rebellion against God's intentions in the name of "letting people be who they are."  Wait, Jeff...this is sounding pretty judgmental...I know right.  Now you know why I hesitated a week in writing this.  I have seen conflict, pain, disorder, chaos, hurt feelings, abuse, neglect all in the name of letting people be "authentic."  That doesn't cut it for Jesus followers.

Why?...and here is what the Lord added to all this for me.

4.)  To be authentic means to be genuine, the real McCoy, the original.  But here's the problem.  When we are living outside of who Jesus called us to be, we are all fakes, cheap knock-offs.  God has an intention for each of our lives.  He has dreams of who you and I would be.  We were "knit together in our mother's wombs" and we are "fearfully and wonderfully made."  Messy, sinful, and rebellious living leads us far from that intention.  We can only be authentic as we follow Jesus.  If authenticity is used as permission for people to live as cheap knock offs...we are doing them a disservice.  We are to encourage one another to press on and take hold of that which Christ has taken hold of us.  We are called to take the journey toward becoming more and more authentic each day.  We model "real" authenticity by chasing after Jesus. 

At BridgeWay we very deliberately say, "Come as you are."  "Come as who you are."  "We have no one-size-fits-all mold."  "Just come!"  But in the name of authenticity we also say, "Who you are right now is not the genuine authentic you God has created you to be."  Only in following Jesus can that person be realized.  Only in following Jesus within the context of a community will we even know what that means. 

So let's get real...no masks needed...as we get busy about getting real (following Jesus) together! 

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