The Merchandising of Authenticity

» Dan_Ellsworth - It's enough to make you wonder ...

Thanks for the message. It's enough to make you wonder, WWJD? (Dot-com, copyrighted, trademarked, sold separately, some assembly required, batteries not included.)

Fortunately, I can find enough authenticity in family and church to give me my spiritual Vitamin Au. ("I've been a miner for a heart of gold." N. Young)

Weird thought for the midweek: What Would Jabez Think?

-- posted by Dan_Ellsworth

Permalink Print Discussion Join the latest discussions

» jerrib - You cause pause

to think, for sure. I have really been unsettled by how some churches seem like they are selling memberships through their merchandising. Some are just too much for me. I like the simple, old-fasioned way of worship.

-- posted by jerrib

Permalink Print Discussion Join the latest discussions

» sudrumguy - church history is a scary thing

i read a book about month ago regarding the growth of the church in America from 1776 onward. At one point in our history, mostly in the East, well-to-do churches typically considered mainline, sold the best pews to the highest bidders!

-- posted by sudrumguy

Permalink Print Discussion Join the latest discussions

» Bill_Samuel - Where's the Change?

Who was it that had a CCM song a while back talking about having the WWJD bracelet, the bumper stickers, etc., and then asking, "But where's the change? Where's the difference?" or something like that?

The true mark of the authentic Christian community is that lives are transformed. The priorities and behavior of the members change in ways that are recognizable from the scriptures.

-- posted by Bill_Samuel

Permalink Print Discussion Join the latest discussions

» sudrumguy - Re: Where's the Change?

In response to message posted by Bill_Samuel:

That was a Steven Curtis Chapman song off one of his recent albums.

Amen to transformation. I think we're sometimes far too content with being formed in someone else's image (i.e. trying to emulate "a really good Christian") instead of being transformed into God's image.

Isn't this what Paul talked about? "It's not me. It's not Apollos. But Christ."

Maybe that's where we lose the authenticity. I see it like copies of a copy. With each generation of believers that follows someone's teachings as opposed to Christ's teachings, the authenticity of a Christian dwindles. Imperfect beings copying imperfect beings would seem to lead to more imperfection.

Am I making sense here?

-- posted by sudrumguy

Permalink Print Discussion Join the latest discussions

» metamorphasis - authenticity

I suspect that what might replace the term authenticity is "heart connection". Recently (about a month)I have been posting at the Christian Humour Site here at suite 101. Diffeent times I have been praised for being open and authentic. Well, I just don't do superficial well. This authenticity comes from my faith which is relational (read heart connected) with God. Okay it may also have to do with many years invested in group therapy and learning to share my thoughts with I statements and feelings.
I think that part of the desire for authenticity may also be explained by the emergence of definitions of dysfunctional family rules. People are aware, even if only on a gut level that these rules (don't think, don't feel, etc) have no place in the church. Recently I had a bumper sticker shared with me that fits for me.
I love Jesus - it's his fan club that scares me Now, just the fact that other christians laugh, smile and nod at this bumper sticker acknowledges things that exist but that are not talked about or confronted in churches. In a dysfunctional family this secret may be the alcoholic, or the incest that we are pretending doesn't exist and that we are all a big happy family. People who have confronted dysfunction in their families of origin (or haven't ) recognize when the dysfunctional rules are in play- even if it is no more of an awareness than they are just uncomfortable.
For those who I may have lost using the term dysfunctional I have found an effective guide post to be how conflict an or a crisis is dealt with. It isn't the events that make a family dysfunctional but how they are dealt with,or not. So a healthy functional family may have an alcoholic in it or have a member attempt or commit suicide but it is openly acknowledged and the feelings and repurcussions are worked through by the individual family members as well as the family as a whole. granted I am not talking easy stuff here. This is the kind of stuff that working through sends people looking for their "higher power".