Are you familiar with this church face?

"Church Face" cartoon by nakedpastor David Hayward Not only members do this, but pastors as well. In fact, one Sunday morning when Lisa and I were going through a hard time, before we got out of the car to go into the church, she said, "Well, let's put on our church face and go in!" I was the assistant pastor. It's not just a religious thing. It's a human herd thing. And I'm not just talking about hiding our sadness or other emotions, but hiding things that really matter to us, like questions, doubts, fears, and identities. Which is why I've always tried to provide a safe space where authenticity can happen. It is always powerful. Real. But powerful!