I can still remember the sensation, having just finished a play in which I had a major role. I was in high school at the time and I was Frank Butler in the musical “Annie Get Your Gun.” It was the night of the first performance. The last line was delivered, and the final note was sung. All of us actors in the production were moving to the front of the stage and taking a bow. Along with the bow there was applause and people cheering. That was kind of nice! It felt great to be receiving that kind of recognition. The next night I enjoyed the applause even more.
I can also remember how it felt to do something great in sports. In my unspectacular basketball career, there was one time at the end of a game that we were behind by one point. Our best shooter put up what could have been the winning shot. It bounced off the rim of the basket and right into my hands. There were a couple seconds remaining on the clock. I threw the ball up toward the basket…and it went in. We won the game!! The crowd stood cheering. My teammates slapped me on the back. Even the coach gave me a good word. Yes, in those kinds of moments, and in so many others, the cheering, the adulation, the applause really feels good. In fact, sometimes people actually crave it and seek after it throughout their lives.
Well, what is true for the theater and the sports arena can also be true in other areas of our lives, even in the area of spirituality. Jesus is very intentional about stating this. Remember the story of Jesus sitting in the temple complex and he sees a widow put two small coins into the “trumpets,” which were the metal tubes people put their offering in. The wealthy were known to bring lots of coins to drop in those metal tubes, because it made a lot of noise. They often did it for the recognition, applause, and attention the noise was making. But the widow’s offering barely made a sound. Jesus pointed out the value of her gift because she was giving her all and she wasn’t doing it for the attention.
In the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5-7, Jesus addresses this issue of practicing one’s faith to get attention or recognition…and Lent is a great time to remember this teaching. In Matthew 6:1-18, Jesus identified three spiritual practices that are often associated with Lent, 1. Giving to the poor, 2. Prayer, and 3. Fasting. In Jesus comments on each of these practices, Jesus tells his followers that these are great practices, but they are not to be done for public attention. Give without making your giving known, pray in private and not using big words that might sound impressive to others. And when fasting, don’t try to draw the attention of others or seek sympathy for denying yourself, but instead these practices are to be done in secret because they are about strengthening one’s connection with God.
One of the temptations for pastors is to slip into the mode of performing (leading worship) or seeking applause (preaching). But the truth is, we can all slip into this “performance” mode in the practicing or living out our faith. Yes, all of our spiritual practices are to be intentional but they are not to be performances in which we seek the applause or attention of those around us. Our spirituality is to be lived out in a way that helps us connect with God, which then helps us love God, love Neighbor, and also loving Ourselves.
May we each be intentional in our faith journey during this season of Lent. But may our faith never simply be a performance seeking the attention of others. What a great reminder from Jesus for me, this Lent…and maybe for all of us too.
Pastor Keith