I just laughed out loud from the question. “Have you had acting experience?” It was a sincere question but it made me laugh because I had always hated doing any type of acting. Anytime some type of acting was required I hated it. In seminary we were often called on to do small group stuff. In my mind the only thing worse than acting was role playing. I remember sales training in business and we would be required to do role playing. How can I say this—I hated it! On the top of my list of things to avoid were role playing and acting.
So here we were on a retreat and we had done several skits. Then this young man asks me this question about acting. It made me laugh for several reasons, one is it surprised me, but another thought ran through my mind. Why would someone think I had acting experience? Then a thought ran through my mind—as a pastor there is nothing worse I could become than an actor. In my Greek classes I learned we get the word hypocrite from the Greek word for actor. Hypocrisy is insincerity by virtue of pretending to have qualities or beliefs that you do not really have.
We had a seminary professor come to our church this weekend. His sermon was a simple one. “What is being a Christian all about?” His conclusion was this—being a Christian means being conformed to the likeness of Christ. That is, becoming like Christ. Later Sunday evening he continued the talk about becoming like Christ. In his talk he spoke about the false-self and the real-self. In many ways the talk was painful, but then it got worse. He began to speak about the false-religious-self. That is, the worse false-self is the one that takes up religion as a tool to manipulate our own surroundings.
I think that Saturday night live captured the false-religious-self with the “The Church Lady”, played by Dana Carvey. The Church Lady is an elderly woman named “Enid Strict”, who is the uptight, smug, and pious host of her own talk show, Church Chat. Enid is a spoof of “holier-than-thou” Christian churchgoers. Two of the catch phrases that are used in the sketches are; “Well, isn't that special,” and my favorite, “How convenient.” We all chuckle but the serious point of this language is that it says, “I am better than you.” In my religion I am better than others.
For me this is the very same attitude of “keeping up with the Jones,” all-be-it covered in church language. In fact in the church it is even worse. This attitude becomes something ugly. It is sin with a veneer. The veneer covers up a dead and dying soul. Jesus speaks to the religious leaders of his day and calls them “hypocrites and whitewashed tombs.” That is they look good on the outside but on the inside full of death and decay. So now, I am a religious leader and I must ask myself what would Jesus say to me?
I now must answer my friend’s question, “Do I have any acting experience?” Yes I do. I have had years of acting experience. Years of acting like a Christian but not allowing God to conform me into Christ’s likeness. I must answer “yes, I have had too much acting experience, too much of the wrong kind.” I have been acting like a Christian but not being a Christian. Yet I finally did let go. I finally let God have his way in my life. I finally quit acting as a Christian and let God transform me into a Christian. That process is never ending.
What is interesting is that in becoming Christ like I now do not mind being in a skit. Role playing no longer bothers me as much either. Strange isn’t it? God is setting me free from my false-self. I am now able to be myself. I think that is what prompted my friend’s question. My friend saw in me a freedom. A freedom purchased by Christ.
Rev. Patrick Evans
