Mannequins and Paper Dolls

I did a partial retreat this weekend with a WONDERFUL YOUTH GROUP (SHOUT OUT MPC!!) about community. What is community? We started off by exploring the fact that most "communities" fall short because there is a lack of authenticity! The more churches I've worked with (in any facet you could think of) the more I see that this unwillingness to encourage and teach people to be authentic within the church, the more that community is nothing more than a shell; a husk of something that could have been far greater! Being FREED to be who you truly are, without worry of ridicule or judgement is the first step in a true biblical community.

I watched as a group of teens struggled to take off their masks! That is really hard for a teenager to do!!!! I admire them! The problem is that they learned how to wear masks somewhere, by someone, earlier in their lives. It is not an innate ability, It is an art form that many have perfected! They've learned how to wear masks by watching other people!

WHO?
People on TV
Musicians
Parents
Teachers
Ministers

Very few people are actually teaching our youth and kids what it means, and how to be
AUTHENTIC
FREE THEM
TO BECOME THE PERSON INTO WHOM GOD WANTS TO MAKE THEM!
he can't work with the fake
he can't paint the portrait of who we are to become when we hide our "face"

Behind masks
Facade's
Lies

We are all trying to be someone we're not....
We've all tried to be someone we see...
but we never really see
an authentic
person

Just The Mask.....

And that's what we aspire to?

A video I used for a youth lesson on trying to be someone you're not:




Stone Sour-Through The Glass
I'm looking at you through the glass
Don't know how much time has passed
Oh God it feels like forever
But no one ever tells you that forever feels like home
Sitting all alone inside your head

How do you feel?
That is the question
But I forget you don't expect an easy answer
When something like a soul becomes initialized
And folded up like paper dolls and little notes
You can't expect a bit of hope
So while you're outside looking in
Describing what you see
Remember what you're staring at is me

'Cause I'm looking at you through the glass
Don't know how much time has passed
All I know is that it feels like forever
but No one ever tells you that forever feels like home
Sitting all alone inside your head

How much is real?
So much to question
An epidemic of the mannequins contaminating everything
We thought came from the heart
But never did right from the start
Just listen to the noises (Null and void instead of voices)
Before you tell yourself It's just a different scene
Remember it's just different from what you've seen

I'm looking at you through the glass
Don't know how much time has passed
And all I know is that it feels like forever
But no one ever tells you that forever feels like home
Sitting all alone inside your head

And it's the stars
The stars that shine for you
And it's the stars
The stars that lie to you, yeah ah
And it's the stars
The stars that shine for you
And it's the stars
The stars that lie to you, yeah ah
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If only those we put up on pedestals were authentic people, maybe the the youth wouldn't have to burn their masks and try to LEARN to be authentic?!