Joe Manafo

the new economy: accountability

it’s so easy to hide - it’s an art. crafting words, images and scenarios that project select facets of who we are (whether fabricated or real) to others. and what’s even more intriguing is that this fiasco traverses a variety of mediums. for example:

virtual life: blogs (an online diary where you submit filtered thoughts and ideas); facebook (have you ever seen an unflattering photo of an online member?); church websites (some churches are more impressive online than they are in real life…the look…the pitch…the following…all of it makes for a convincing argument)

real life: too often we live guarded lives, afraid of what others may think, say or assume. and for some, they protect their hearts and souls for once someone violated their trust and they’re still hurt.

more and more we cloak ourselves under the guise of value, skills, importance and position. the rabbit hole is deep…and it’s getting deeper. “will the real (insert name here) please stand up?!” soon enough we may not even recognize where we begin and where we end for all these self imposed additions and layers have made us a variety of cyborgs.

all this to say that as the church is faced with the discipline of accountability in the new economy, we have to rethink and return to a biblical approach.

for the church leader: our lives and so tightly tied to our vocation. the risk of exposed sin threatens our very lively hood. how can we be ‘real’ with our communities without being terrified of repercussions? further, to whom are we really accountable to?
who are we surrounding ourselves with? i am thankful for the movement of which i am a part of and my church planting brothers and sisters who’ve often offered their support and guidance, but distance and the infrequency of our contact leaves my thick, protective membrane intact. so who have i given the right to ask me the hard questions?

for the laity: understanding that full disclosure is reserved for those we’re in deepest relationship with (spouses, mentors, confidants) my question here is what does authentic accountability look like for committed to each other in a church community? size is a factor, personality and affinity add to the mix, i know. but if we were to truly be honest with ourselves, can we be truly vulnerable with each other? and if not, how do we practically change this? perhaps the institution of confessionals is not such a bad idea…not necessarily a two sided wooden box with a sliding panel in between, but a commitment to true transparency for the sake of our souls.

if we were to be honest, how much longer can mechanical, performance driven churches last? how much longer ’till commitment replaces attendance? how much longer ’till untouchable church leaders repent of their arrogance, practice submission and lead as shepherds and not CEOs? how much longer ’till our loyalty to the image we project is overtaken by our loyalty to each other? how much longer ’till we starting taking the health of our souls seriously?

all that to say that in this new economy…

may we refuse the temptation to hide.

may we lose the idea that we’re untouchable, that no-one has a right to speak into our lives.

may we risk being offended. (holding in check our rehearsed rebuttals)

may we become vulnerable.

may we be open to the Spirit’s work in our lives, to change us and make us more like Jesus.

“Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” D. Bonhoeffer

Filed by Joe at May 7th, 2007 under Uncategorized, video post