The Importance of Genuineness

Being a young Pastor with the ambition of next year transporting my family back to my home town to begin a church plant I am often times peppered with questions as to the what, where, when and why's. Most of the time those questions just seem like the polite things to ask and that people are really disinterested or at most trying to figure out why I feel a need to start one more church when the "world already has so many."

However, every once in awhile some will ask a question along the lines of, what do you feel this current generation is searching for? In my albeit somewhat nontraditional experience I would say that whereas the previous generation seemed to be drawn by professionalism, things need to be very polished and pristine, most in my generation are concerned first and foremost with genuineness. People what to know that we believe (to use sales vernacular) in the product we are selling.

They want to know that we are not "fake", that we have faults and will admit to them, that we won't say one thing to their face all the while practicing something completely different. People are not searching for the correct answer on the test (though we sometimes seem to think they are with the amount of "truth" we push on them, please do not misunderstand I am as willing to die on many a theological hill as the next), they are however, concerned with seeing our faith in action. I am not talking strictly in the working at the local soup kitchen sense (though presenting the Gospel with our hands and feet is a good indicator of our genuineness).

However, we need to ask ourselves are we living a life trying in vain to keep people at arms length so that they do not see our personal sins, because after all we should know better. Or are we inviting people into our lives in order that they can see that we are an imperfect people in desperate need of a perfect Savior. Are we allowing people to see our weaknesses and vulnerability in order that they may also see and experience they strength and power of our Risen Lord Jesus Christ as He gives us victory over our trials and temptations.

I recently spent a weekend at a men's retreat at was encouraged by the amount of time we spent in hammering home the point that we need to be authentic and accountable to other men (not a new concept, but a very good reminder). It is not very difficult to become too busy in life to feel that we can pour ourselves into others and make disciples. Have you ever stopped to think how that looks to "outsiders"?

If our neighbors, who do not go to church, have a basic understanding of our beliefs (and they do), that apart from saving faith they are going to spend eternity in hell and we are not doing all we can to cultivate a relationship with them, how does that look? Disingenuous to say the least.

I am convinced that one of the things that keeps people from coming in the doors of the church is our vain attempt to keep everything squeaky clean, pristine and white within the walls of the church. Life is not pristine. Life is ugly. Life is painful. Can we admit that? Can we allow others to see how painful our personal lives are? Can we be genuine?