Duck Face

I would say it is safe to say that in today’s society with plastic surgery and Botox readily available to anyone who wants it, what looks like a duck may not be a duck. Personally I am terrible at making the duck face but with a little editing software or the right filter who would ever know? We are definitely a generation that prides itself on life hacks that help us cover up our eye sores and make our lives look better. We use fake rocks in our yards to cover up water pipes, drawers and garages to hide all of our junk and decorative wraps to go around our garbage cans so even our trash looks pretty.

What happens when that mentality starts creeping into the church? When we turn the lights down low to create an emotional response and it provides a mask to every tear shed. When we put professional signs up all over directing people to each ministry we have to offer. When Easter Sunday rolls around and we clean up our church buildings, make sure the grounds are freshly mulched and remind our volunteers to be on their best greeting behavior. When we have a woman’s conference and we try to hide our ordinary garbage cans by wrapping them in pink flowery paper. When we meet in a theater, elementary school or warehouse and we try to make it look more like a church building by hiding everything behind tall black curtains. I mean what would happen if the people saw the popcorn or graffiti as they came through the doors. I bet they would never come back. And I know they would be way too distracted to ever meet God in there. Unless…

Unless we as a church really took a look at what God is calling us to. He came to pull us out of hiding and into a marvelous light. To uncover our trash cans and reveal how truly messed up we are. So what if we become so captivated by what He is doing in our lives, how He is restoring us as we let Him tear down our curtains that we shout all the more? We hear His call to invite those around us in. We stop needing sign boards to direct newcomers because the people of God are in rhythm with the beat of His heart. We take others by the hand and show them the way. If we as a church were so beautiful in our display of His love and reconciliation that when we open wide the doors no one even noticed the building. They had no idea they even entered one because inside and outside the church was the same. What if we stopped our pretending and engaged the people around us and showed them even our trash isn't pretty? What if we took off the filters and masks and displayed what God is doing in our lives despite all of the garbage?  Let us not be like the fake rocks in our yards. Let's be the people that invite God to hack into our lives and reveal the inward workings of our hearts and not be surprised when what looks like a duck ends up not being a duck.