3 Fears, 2 Sermons, 1 Hypocrite

It is absolutely scary how easy it is to be a hypocrite when you preach.

My message on Sunday morning focused on three fears that I had observed in the lives of teenagers and ultimately all of us.

Fear #1- Teenagers fear alienation, no one wants to be left out.

Fear #2- Teenagers fear vulnerability, can I trust this person with this information?

Fear #3- Teenagers fear the unknown, what happens past this?

I tried to highlight how these fears are exemplified in the lives of teenagers but also the 12 disciples and to different extents, all of us.  In previous posts I have hinted at some of my own anxiety in the midst of a fairly major life transition.  During this time of changing jobs and moving to a different state I have experienced fear in a very palpable way, while these fears have abated considerably they were and to some extent are very real.

The rub comes with the fact that not only am I literally saying one thing and doing another in my sermon, but this isn’t the first time I have shared this message, or at least a very close version of it.  One of the biggest challenges that I think I will face in ministry will be this ease of hypocrisy.  Now, I never claimed to have this all figured out in the message and believe that I explicitly said that I didn’t have it figured out.  However I am routinely shocked how easy it is for me to disassociate the preacher Josh with the everyday Josh.

Even in a postmodern world, and perhaps especially in a postmodern world, preaching is incredibly dangerous.  As many communities make authenticity a crucial priority, a postmodern will perhaps become even more trusting of someone is transparent.  This trust could possibly lead to an elevated perception of the individual.  I would imagine that you have seen this as well perhaps at work, church, college campus, etc. the people who are seen to be the most authentic and counter-culture become some of the most respected and esteemed.  We all admire people who do things we are hesitant or afraid to do.  Those who preach are always predisposed to pride, it just depends on how this is handled.

I know I speak on this issue rather frequently, but I really struggle with pride and a lack of self-esteem (and I’m not very creative).  Which is really a nasty cocktail.  I have to be aware of my own blind spots, and make sure I am fully aware of my own dependence.  So hopefully this rather insignificant blog can serve to keep my ego in check, so thanks for coming along for the ride.