When Authenticity Becomes an Aesthetic
There is one word that often comes up when people describe an ideal church family or ministry style. They want it to be “authentic.”
We want to live an authentic Christian life. We want authentic, personable preaching and teaching. We are tired of hypocrisy and polished performance. We just want people to be real. But sometimes in our search for the authentic, we settle for an aesthetic. In our search for the real and the genuine, we sometimes settle for a feeling.
The Vibe of Authenticity
What do we usually mean when we say something is “authentic”?
Often, we’re just describing a particular vibe. It’s relational, casual, and spontaneous. It feels unrehearsed. If we were to make a caricature of the authentic church that relates to people we might imagine the pastor is in jeans and a t-shirt, the worship leader shares an emotional story between songs, and the sermon feels more like a conversation over coffee than a formal proclamation. The music is emotionally resonant, and the prayers sound like they were crafted on the spot. It all just feels so real and unforced!
The truth is this “authentic” experience is often the product of meticulous planning. The songs were rehearsed for hours. The casual segue from the song to the sermon was scripted and timed to the second. Sometimes even the emotional and spontaneous prayers are rehearsed with a script.
A church service or experience like this is a performance of authenticity. The goal is to manufacture a specific emotional environment that feels genuine. If we are not careful, we begin to equate authenticity not with what is real, but with what feels real in a way that is cool, modern, and engaging.
Unglamorous Authenticity
The problem is that true authenticity is often none of those things. Authenticity doesn’t always feel nice. It isn’t always engaging or enjoyable. In fact, it’s often the opposite.
The awkward, stumbling prayer of a new believer who doesn’t know the right words to say is authentic. An authentic sermon may be the one on Levitical law that feels a bit boring but is wrestled with honestly from the text because it is God’s Word. In an authentic prayer meeting someone may confess a sin that is genuinely uncomfortable, and there may be no neat resolution at the end of the meeting. When your pastor is authentic, he may stumble over his words or even annoy you with the tone of his voice.
This kind of authenticity is rarely impressive. It’s not awesome or super-human. It’s the simple, imperfect, reality of finite people trying to follow an infinite God. We see this unglamorous faith all over Scripture. In the Psalms, David expresses thoughts that are often desperate and depressing. Jeremiah’s authentic ministry was filled with tears and rejection. Paul was authentic about his “thorn in the flesh,” a weakness he pleaded with God to remove.
Authenticity isn’t a vibe or feeling; it is faithfully following Christ in spite of our doubts and fears.
Chasing Our Feelings
The danger in chasing the feeling of authenticity is we begin to chase the feeling itself.
If we only define an experience as “authentic” when it is emotionally resonant, casual, or cool, we risk dismissing the countless other ways God makes Himself known. We might reject the profound truth in a centuries-old hymn because it feels “stuffy.” We might tune out a theological truth that challenges us because it doesn’t give us an immediate emotional high.
We say we want authentic people, but we are often still drawn to the super-human pastor who just happens to be perfectly vulnerable and winsome. We want authenticity, but we want it to be impressive. We want the real, as long as the real is also really cool.
Authentic Faithfulness
Instead of chasing authentic experiences, let’s commit to the simple practice of faithfulness, however unglamorous it may be.
Let’s remember that God is not experienced only in the perfectly sung special, but also in the off-pitch and grating sound of each true worshipper who is singing for God’s glory.
Let’s honor the faithfulness of the saint who has served for 40 years without fanfare, not just the charisma of the young leader with a compelling testimony.
Let’s think carefully about our desires to be relational and authentic. It isn’t about curating a “real” version of ourselves for public consumption. It should be about showing up as we are and offering that reality to God to let Him change and use for His glory. It should be choosing obedience when our feelings are calling for disobedience.
Some Practical Takeaways
Here are a few practical thoughts on seeking genuine faithfulness over a manufactured feeling.
1. Value basic Christian worship over smooth and impressive execution.
There is a pressure to create a perfect and emotionally powerful program. Instead of asking, “How can we make this moment powerful?” ask, “How can we encourage others to honestly face God?” This might mean a moment of silence that feels a little too long, or allowing a transition to happen after a time of prayer (as opposed to transitioning during prayer). Value basic, meaningful Christian worship over smooth and flawless execution.
2. Make room for real prayer.
We often equate authenticity with spontaneous prayer, but unscripted prayers can also become repetitive and cliché. Thoughtfully prepared prayer isn’t less authentic. Prayer should be intentional.
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Have intentional times of prayer. Don’t just use it as a transition time.
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Allow times of silence for people to pray on their own.
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Pray the Scriptures. Use a Psalm to give biblical words to feelings that are hard to articulate.
3. Platform faithfulness not just impressiveness.
When someone shares their testimony, we naturally gravitate toward the dramatic narrative that ends in complete victory. While these are encouraging, they can inadvertently create a standard most people can’t meet. Intentionally seek out and share testimonies of ordinary faithfulness. We can be encouraged from the person wrestling with chronic illness who still chooses to trust God, the member who is faithfully serving in obscurity, or the person in a long season of depression and doubt who keeps showing up. Faith is seen in the process, not just the victorious outcome.
4. Focus on substance and not just style.
In our music, it’s easy to get caught up in creating the perfect emotional experience. While God certainly works through our emotions, we should first ask what we are teaching the congregation to sing. Does this song teach good theology? Does it give voice to a wide range of human experience (lament, confession, thanksgiving, praise)? By prioritizing theological substance, we guide people to worship the unchanging God, not the fleeting feeling a chord progression gives them.
Conclusion
A relationship with the living God is not limited to our preferred aesthetic. He can work through the polished production, and He is present in the imperfect stumblings of a faithful servant. The goal is not to manufacture a feeling of His presence, but to grow in our faithfulness, especially in the plain and ordinary places.
