Secret Worship

Read: Matthew 6: 1-2 and 16-21

“But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees you in secret will reward you.”

Here again, as in yesterday’s reading, is this word “secret.” In Psalm 51, we read of a secret heart. Today, we hear Jesus speak of a secret place, a secret place where we might worship God authentically. Without showmanship. Without concern for how others might see us. Without a desire to prove our deep faith. A secret place where we might be ourselves before God and know it is enough.

When the expressions of our faith have an audience, how do they change? Do we worry in church how we appear or if we are doing the right things or using the right words? I know I do and I worried about it long before I ever took on the role of worship leader. It’s why I found it hard to pray spontaneously out loud, or even read scripture, or lift my voice, or acolyte. But Jesus’ words, I think, go beyond just worship. When we obsess over how others perceive us, that worry comes between our true selves and God. And everything Jesus did and spoke for us sought to tear down the divide between us and our Holy One.

Reflection

How is being in church for you? Are you more yourself? Less yourself?

What does authentic worship feel like for you?

What does it mean that God sees us in secret?

Prayer

Gracious God, guide us in our worship that we may love and consider our neighbor while standing before you as our true selves. Amen