For those who grew up in the church culture, the expression “wear your Sunday best” is quite familiar.
It means, of course, dressing your very best, specifically as you would for church. Nice clothes, clean face and smiles all around.
As the culture changes, I am sure this expression will lose traction, but for many of us, it reminds us of the value that, when we gather together to worship God, we show Him (and each other) honor by putting our best foot forward.
There is, however, a darker side to the idea of “wearing our Sunday best.”
All too often, as we gather together with other believers, we work very hard to put forward this image of having it all together. “Look at us! Clearly we have no money problems. Our jobs are stable. Our marriage is strong. Our kids are respectful.”
Often, however, the external image we present is far from an accurate reflection of the truth it covers up. The clothing is not really the problem, but they often serve as a means to make something that is not true appear as though it is. This is pretense.
Sadly, the community of faith is to be a place where such pretense is not only unnecessary but also where it is confessed and abandoned.
The church is to be a community where the nature of our brokenness is fundamentally assumed and acknowledged and where our mutual need of daily forgiveness and grace (from God and each other) is central. Yet all too often, the church is the last place where such vulnerability is invited, welcomed or even safe.
What makes matters worse is often such pretense is not even recognized.
There are, of course, times when all of us are guilty of blatant and/or intentional pretense. However, there are many more who have adopted pretense as a genuine pattern for living out their faith.
That is, they work very hard to maintain the external expressions of faithfulness despite the reality of their lives and hearts. While there is merit in this insofar as developing discipline, when it is accompanied by an intention denial of and/or unawareness to ones own brokenness, it is deadly. Many are not aware it is at all pretense and it is not right, true or, even sometimes, true faithfulness at all.
The most damaging dynamic of pretense, however, comes from its implications to our participation in the mission of God.
