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Touch points Liz Selzer shares a liberating approach to relational evangelism.

Amazing love William C. Goold celebrates the 300th birthday of Charles Wesley.

Modern day circuit rider Tina S. Pugel tells about Wesley Putnam's road to ministry.

Church must support returning soldiers Kathy L. Gilbert reports on army chaplains' call to the church.

Pastoral leadership and church membership Gregory D. Stover explains why membership standards matter.

How to become a General Conference delegate Joe Kilpatrick outlines election strategies for delegate hopefuls.

Aaron Neville's road to redemption Steve Beard profiles a music legend's return to faith.

 

COLUMNS

Editorial The continuing debate about membership

Next GenerationThe dangers of transparency

RENEW Women's NetworkRetain the label-before it's lost

The Great Commission Obscurity and fame

From the HeartMen without eyes

 

DEPARTMENTS
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Straight Talk
News Bishop applauds homosexual membership as "courageous"

Decision 1032: Theologians debate its implications

Scholarship fund set up in memory of Robert D. Snyder

Culture in View The Reaping

News Analysis Has our United Methodist ad campaign ignited any church growth?

The Next Generation
What do students really see when we think they’re seeing the real us?
By Duffy Robbins

Transparency, if it is healthy, will always be bound by common sense, prudence, propriety, and the awareness that there is a fine line between transparency and exhibi­tionism. In the last issue of GOOD NEWS, we began thinking about how being an authentic leader means going beyond naked confession. One is honest disclosure, the other is imprudent exposure. Let’s be a little more explicit about

• Healthy transparency is heard as honest confession; unhealthy transparency is heard as implicit permission. It is appropri­ate for students to understand that my own high school years were not free from mistakes and bad choices. But I must also understand that what I meant as confession will likely be heard by some of my students as permission. Some of them will think, “Well, if he did it—he’s doing okay and he’s got a good life—I’ll play now and worry about confession later.” In my own mind, I am looking back on my bad decisions as signposts of God’s protec­tion and mercy. But when my students hear too vividly

THE DANGERS OF TRANSPARENCY
 

what we mean when we talk about healthy transparency:

• Healthy transparency allows students to hear what they need to know; unhealthy transparency tells them more than they wanted to hear. It is completely appropri­ate, for example, for the students in my youth group to know that I struggle with lust. On the other hand, if I continue by saying, “In fact, Sally, your mom is a fox!”—that crosses a line!
  
• Healthy transparency allows students to trust the messenger; unhealthy transpar­ency distracts students from the message. If I begin my Bible study lesson by confess­ing, “I’m battling an awful case of diar­rhea tonight, and I may have to quickly end the Bible study,” my authenticity may be admirable. But, human nature suggests that after my touching revelation, some of the students will spend more time wondering about my bug than about my Bible study. Comic and radio emcee Gar­rison Keiller, host of National Public Radio’s A Prairie Home Companion, is right: As soon as the pastor stands up in the service and says, “I’m a human being just like you,” the immediate conclusion of everyone in the congrega­tion is that he must have committed adultery. And then, the next question on their minds is Who was she? And for how long? Sure, I want them to understand that I struggle with real issues. That’s being authentic. That gives me credibility when I teach and speak. But, there is a point at which the sharing of my dark emotions begin to make it harder for them to hear.

response: “If I answer that it’s none of your business and the answer is between me and God, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll hear that as a ‘yes.’ If I answer ‘yes’ to your question, there’s a pretty good chance that you’ll take that as permission to make the same mistakes that I’ve made. If, on the other hand, I say ‘no,’ there’s a good possibility that you might reason that then I couldn’t possibly understand what you’re facing or what you’re going through right now. So, what that question amounts to is a lose/lose proposi­tion for both of us, and I’m not willing to put us in that position, so I’m not going to answer that question.”

In the next issue of GOOD NEWS, we’ll wrap up this series of columns with some practical guidelines for honest sharing without indecent baring.

MAY / JUNE 2007

 

 

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