From Hiding to Leading

• “I felt ashamed.""But of what? Psyche, they hadn't stripped you naked or anything?""No, no, Maia. Ashamed of looking like a mortal -- of being a mortal.""But how could you help that?""Don't you think the things people are most ashamed of are things they can't help?” ― C.S. Lewis, Till We Have Faces

Shame is…

• Deep sense that you are unacceptable because of something you did, something done to you or something associated with you. You feel exposed and humiliated.

• Disgrace because you acted less than human, you were treated as if you were less than human, or you were associated with something less than human, and there are witnesses.

Shame is…• Faces turned away• Ignoring/ Hiding• Staring with contempt• Feeling of worthlessness• Exposed failure or fear of it• “You are not acceptable. You

are a mistake.”• Public “sin”• Last one picked/ incompetence• Sexual or verbal boundaries

violated

Shame’s Themes

•   You are toYou are to distinguish distinguish between the holy and between the holy and the common, and the common, and between the unclean between the unclean and the clean, - and the clean, - Leviticus 10:10Leviticus 10:10

• Unclean are sent Unclean are sent typically sent outside typically sent outside the camp. There was a the camp. There was a process (going to the process (going to the tabernacle and offering tabernacle and offering sacrifices) for being sacrifices) for being made clean.made clean.

DeathDeathIdol WorshipIdol WorshipUnhealthyUnhealthyNational IdentityNational Identity

• “[W]hen people are ashamed they hold aloof, above all from those nearest to them, and are unreserved with strangers” ― Anton Chekhov, The Portable Chekhov

Clean

• EdibleEdible• AdmiredAdmired• Right RaceRight Race• SmartSmart• RichRich• ThinThin• BeautifulBeautiful• Law ObeyerLaw Obeyer

Unclean

• UnedibleUnedible• DisgustingDisgusting• Wrong RaceWrong Race• DumbDumb• PoorPoor• FatFat• UglyUgly• Law BreakerLaw Breaker

• Clean is good, normal Clean is good, normal clean.clean.

• Clean is fellowship – a Clean is fellowship – a good meal with friends good meal with friends lacking self-lacking self-consciousness.consciousness.

• Clean is shalom, the Clean is shalom, the Hebrew word meaning Hebrew word meaning peace and order.peace and order.

Which way does this go?

Shame’s Themes

Luke 8

• The demon-possessed man• The unclean woman

• 1. Connect – • 2. Redirect – • 3. Repurpose –

• It will take pursuing people.

• It will take directing their attention to God away from themselves.

• This happens through your acceptance and fellowship.

• Clothes• Membership• Roles