Tag: accountability

Transparency isn’t the best you have to offer.

May 11, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Transparency

Transparency is often billed as on of the most important traits a leader can have. I mean, people like the Dalai Lama saying things like, “A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity.” How do you argue with the Dalai Lama? I assume if you tried, he might just hug you. The point being, if you were to ask any number of leaders what are the most important traits of leadership, odds are transparency would be on that list. But, I’m not convinced that transparency is the best that a leader has to offer. I’ll can take that a step further and say that I’m not even sure that transparency is the best you can offer to the community of people you’re doing life with.

When we talk about transparency there’s this idea that it means our life is completely open for others to observe and peer into. We also attach the idea of being completely honest with our thoughts, feelings, emotions and struggles. That transparency is supposed to extend to anyone who has even the slightest connection to you; if you’re a leader, that means any one that follows you. If you’re in community with others, that means everyone you “do” life with.  Leaders talk about the importance of transparency in community and then try to demonstrate it by example. Unfortunately, I know enough leaders to know that transparency is often more of a pipe dream than something that is actually fully practiced. But it isn’t for not wanting to. I think people know there is a benefit to allowing others equal access to the attractive and unattractive areas of their life. The problem is that fear of being hurt or taken advantage of is stronger than the desire for openness in our relationships. The truth is that sometimes there’s no benefit to either party in allowing that type of full access. So, we tell others how important transparency is, while hiding certain areas, and pretending that you’re living a life of full disclosure. That’s not the best. At the least it creates false closeness in our relationships. At the worst, it creates unrealistic expectations, setting people (leaders especially) on pedestals. When those expectations aren’t met, or a leader fails in an area, it’s devastating. Transparency forces you to say, “Everyone has access to every part. No matter how private or hurtful.” It removes that ability to differentiate the depths of our different relationships.

So, if transparency isn’t the best, what is? I’m going to say a word that no doubt has been over used in the past ten years; Authenticity. I know, I know. You’re mind probably just flashed to some saggy-beanie wearing, Christian hipster who’s sitting in a hole-in-the-wall coffee-house, drinking his reverse-drip, syphon-separated, goat-milk, half-caff, latte and talking about how he’s seeking an authentic faith in an authentic missional community of authentic believers pursuing authentic communal living. But, it’s overuse doesn’t diminish the truth of it’s importance. I think that authenticity trumps transparency every time. Authentic is simply being real, or genuine, with others. It doesn’t try to force you to open areas that you may not be ready to open. Authentic allows you to say, “I am deeply struggling with something, but it isn’t for you to know about. Instead, it’s reserved for two other people who are helping me walk through it.” Authenticity allows you to be honest with others, while still maintaining a wise level of privacy. Authenticity allows you the ability to be really real with everyone, while allowing you the freedom to cultivate depth in a few really important relationships. Authentic allows you to be open with those people who will help you grow and avoid openness with those that would just assume tear you down.

With that said, transparency isn’t useless and shouldn’t be abandoned. In systems and structures transparency is crucial. If you tithe to a church, 100% transparency in those financial records is necessary for accountability sake. Transparency in your mission as a community is equally necessary, because people should to be able to easily perceive the motives of your group. Transparency in your leadership building process allows people to know what to expect as you work through developing them. Transparency in the context of systems provides the ability for people joining you in community to see more clearly into what they’re joining. Transparency in structures and programs works far better than it does as a trait for a person.

When you shoot for authentic, you get the right amount of transparency with the right people.

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If I’m being completely transparent here, we’re not going to ever be completely open to everyone, nor should we be, but we can be completely real with everyone. Some people won’t understand or accept that, but those are the people who solidify the argument that it doesn’t benefit everyone for you to give unfettered access to everyone. When you shoot for authentic, you get the right amount of transparency with the right people.

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4 Essential Elements of Gospel-Centered Community (Pt. 2)

March 25, 2014 / / 0 Comments

Missional Community

Here it is, part 2.

In the last post (HERE), I talked about the first two essential elements to genuine Gospel-centered community.  I said that fellowship and seeking God provide the foundation for genuineness and authenticity in Gospel-centered community.  Without the first two as the foundation community collapses under the heavy weight of these next two elements.

What I didn’t say it in the last post, but you may have heard me say in the past if you’ve talked with me about this, is that I don’t think this is the only way to do church, just the way that God has called me (and it appears a lot of other people recently) to do it. I will say this, however, every model of church ought to have, at its core, some type of genuine Christocentric community that contains these elements.  You don’t need to call them the same things (I’ve been pretty clear that it doesn’t matter what words you use; use friendship, pursuit, responsibility and service), but the fact remains that a community centered on Christ IS and must be the core of Christianity.  Churches that dismiss this core, either willfully or out of negligence, will eventually become nothing more than a business. And, just so it’s clear, the 4 elements I’m writing about aren’t my idea; they come from Acts 2:42-47.

So, without further ado, here are the third and fourth elements essential for genuine Gospel-centered community.

3. Accountability

Accountability - 5Put simply, accountability means, “being responsible for… or to something or someone.”  This word, if any are, is typically a pretty foul and off-putting word in today’s church.  This is especially true in the American church where so many people leave to start there own thing, typically under the guise of “seeking God deeper than their church offers”, but in reality are simply trying to escape some sort of accountability. In genuine community we are responsible for or to three things: others in the community, the purpose of the community and the Word.  Just like fellowship, accountability has been dismissed as a necessary idea because it typically draws thoughts of sitting around on a Tuesday night with a group of guys or girls (most of whom you don’t know outside of Tuesday) and telling them your “dirty little secrets”.  Nowadays it can also look like sitting at Starbucks and telling one of your “bros” what you’re “struggling” with.  Often there is little, if any, honesty in what is shared, so it’s really only a manufactured and counterfeit form of transparency.  Typically meant to give the guise of community, but only so far as the people don’t have to actually commit to it.

Accountability in community is far deeper than either of those descriptions.  This part of community isn’t about airing your “dirty laundry”. Although it does involve transparency and vulnerability with one, or a few, other person(s) in your community.  Those other people ate there so you can honestly share those things that actually burden you and that you really do struggle with.  Accountability allows you to unload those burdens on to others in you community that will lovingly accept them and walk through the difficulty of those burdens with you so that you can succeed in being following Jesus. It also allows them to do the same with you.  Most times carrying someone else’s burden is far easier than carrying your own.  In community you’re responsible for others and you become other’s responsibility.  The second part is that you’re responsible for and to the purpose of the community. What has God called your community to accomplish?  What has God called you to accomplish in that community?   Do you contribute to that purpose?  Are you obedient to what the Holy Spirit directs you to do inside (and outside) of your community?  Accountability to God’s purpose for the community is what helps draw it together, in unity, around one shared purpose.  It helps us to be one body with one hope because we are called to one Lord. (Eph 4:1-6) The last area of accountability, and the most important, is responsibility for and to the Word of God (both in print and incarnate or the Bible and Jesus).  You’re responsible for the correct handling, as a community and individual, of the Holy Scriptures.  You’re also responsible to Jesus and the direction of the Holy Spirit and for the correct presentation of Jesus, because we are His ambassadors. (2 Cor 5:20)  His introduction to to the lost is dependent of your accountability (or responsibility) to His Word (i.e. “Be my witness to the world“).

4. Sacrifice

SacrificeThis last area of community is so vital and so difficult. This last area is what separates a bible study from a Gospel-centered community that’s on mission for Jesus. This last element, though the simplest idea, is far from the easiest.  This involves giving yourself up.  It involves being “poured out” for the sake of others, to quote the Apostle Paul. It requires your time, money, car, emotions, intelligence, dedication, tears, laughter, house, agenda, and the list goes on.  This element says that you and your community will give for Jesus, each other, and your purpose, no matter the cost. This element is where the widows are cared for, the orphans are loved, the hungry are fed, the thirsty are given a drink, the naked are clothed and the sick and imprisoned are visited. This is where we focus our efforts to seek out the lost and introduce them into fellowship with a community that will love them and a Messiah that will lovingly save them. This is where we put all the other stuff we talk about into action.  This is the deeds part of our faith.  This is the perfecting of our faith that the author of the book of Hebrews spoke of. This is the true religion that Jesus described. Without this element, the other three are useless, because they don’t change anything.

That’s it; four easy steps to genuine Gospel-centered community.  I’m just kidding; it isn’t easy.  This is the most difficult thing you’ll ever do and it will take you the rest of your life. BUT, it will connect you to a group of people that will love you like you’ve never been loved before and to a God that will love you more than that.  In the times that I’ve lived in community like this, I got to see Jesus in a way that I never had before.  To be honest, it ruined me, in the most glorious of ways, for anything less. Once you’ve experienced fullness, nothing else will do.

So go on, go forth, love without exception or expectation and experience the fullness that Jesus desires us to have.

What would you add to the four?

 

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