Being Real

I read an article a few days ago. It was so bad it has haunted me. The title was something like “Ten Things We Should Never See From the Pulpit.” It was obviously addressed to Pastors. Most of the Ten Things were okay; but a couple were horrible. The writer, a well-known pastor, said one of the things we should never see from the pulpit is someone struggling with doubt. He said if you have doubts, you shouldn’t be preaching. The other thing we should never see is someone struggling with temptation and sin.

Wow. Here’s a truth: Christians struggle with doubt and sin. Pastors are Christians, so we can assume they too have these struggles. Let’s be real. I read another article recently about what people are seeking when they come to church. When they don’t find these things they move on. I know we are supposed to be careful about being “Seeker Friendly.” That’s just stupid. Are we supposed to be Seeker Unfriendly?

Folks come to church seeking. They are seeking acceptance, love, truth, and God. What they often find is talk in a language they can’t understand, a holier than thou attitude, watered-down-truth, and no sign of a God they would want anything to do with. Lately at church we have heard a lot about righteousness, sanctification, holiness and that’s as it should be because that’s the “full” gospel along with repentance, redemption, faith hope and love.

When folks come to church they have a right to see the real God operating in real people. They should see a supernatural love for folks, that’s God. They should see real people who suffer and doubt and struggle, that’s us. They should see all that in us. If we put on a holiness that isn’t real, that’s a lie. If we talk about a God who doesn’t care about sin, that’s a lie. If we portray a Christian walk that’s a bed of roses, that’s a lie.

The only truth we can portray is a real God who loves us, forgives us, changes us, and gradually, in baby steps makes us more like Jesus. What’s real is a supernatural process that includes triumphs and  joy, as well as doubts and struggles. Seekers deserve to see the whole truth: us being real, from the pulpit and in the congregation.