Authentic worship...
Authentic community...
Authentic church...
Authentic ministry...
Authentic leadership...
Authentic prayer...
Why in the world do we feel the need to add the word authentic to everything we do or experience? It seems to be we are always on the hunt for something authentic in our ministry. My problem with the over use of the word authentic is we keep trying to attach a human emotion or feeling to things that are eternal like community, worship, prayer, or the church. Authentic is subjective. What is authentic to me may not be authentic to you. When we say something is authentic we are subliminally saying that it is the right way to do something, it is genuine, it is real. We unintentionally are saying there is a way to be in community, to worship, to encounter God, or do church that somehow is not authentic. Maybe it is time to expand our vocabulary when we are talking about things that are eternal. Worship, ministry, church, community are way more than authentic in any context.
I agree 100%. I worked at a church that wore the "authenticity" badge in order to cuss... because it made you more real. What a load of garbage. I find myself at a church now that uses the word authentic, but it looks totally different from where I was before. It's a popular word and the way it's carried out is just going to vary.
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