Right or Wrong? Authentic relevance

Due to my work, I travel quite a lot. But I visit a Baptist church any time I'm away on Sunday. Many churches now use the phrase "come as you are," apparently to make visitors think the church is relevant to them. But this phrase often seems to be a church's only attempt at relevance. How can churches move beyond mouthing an empty phrase and become truly relevant?

I commend you for your habit of attending church when you are away from home on a Sunday. When you worship in other churches, Baptist or otherwise, you are exposed to many ways others practice their faith. Often, you return home feeling better about your church.

Churches attempt to convey relevance in lots of ways, one of which is encouraging members and guests to "come as you are." I suppose this does no harm, but it is based on a false assumption—that casual clothing is synonymous with relevance. It is not. A person can dress out of the Banana Republic or Lands' End catalog but speak a religious language and go through religious motions that are trite and unrelated to life. Clothing is a function of personal taste. It is a superficial or shallow matter and says little about the character of a person or the gospel itself. The same goes for contemporary—whatever that term means—worship.

People are more interested in authenticity than in relevance. They want to know that Christians and their message are real and vital, not that they keep up with the latest trends. Relevance can be fake, phony, an imitation or knock-off. Authenticity is almost impossible to fake. People do not tire of it.

Christians who are not judgmental, hypocritical, out of touch with real hurts and pain, disconnected from relationships or insensitive to others are attractive. Mean, angry, scheming and intolerant Christians are unattractive, even when they wear the hippest clothing money can buy.

Every church and its members can be authentic. The place to begin is by listening. Pay attention to the places where life bruises or gashes people in your congregation and community. Do you know people who are unemployed or underemployed? Who cannot afford health insurance? Who have lost life's love, or have lost at love? Who cannot meet the monthly payments on their house? Whose children have bought in to a different value system? Who are weary of work but cannot retire? Who spend each day with chronic pain? Who are marginalized because they are different?

Do your gospel and your church's ministries speak to them? If not, then the invitation to "come as you are" lacks the look of authenticity. People want a real God and a real gospel. Give them that, and it will not matter to them or you whether they are dressed in denim or a suit and tie.

Mike Clingenpeel, pastor

River Road Church, Baptist

Richmond, Va.

Right or Wrong? is co-sponsored by the Texas Baptist theological education office and Christian Life Commission. Send your questions about how to apply your faith to bill.tillman@texasbaptists.org.