Performance is just that…performance

20 May Performance is just that…performance

20^th May 2026

I’ve been introduced to an historian/philosopher named Mark Atwood. I know nothing about him other than what he’s written…much of which is far too intellectually deep for me to understand. BUT…what I do understand is awesome. For instance…He writes about the pre-Reformation church of the 12-1300s. “European Christianity was always mostly a social performance.” Note the last two words, “social performance.” He’s right. Much of our Christian history has been marked by people going through the motions of faith without any real indication that they believed anything at all except that it was necessary to “perform” the proper religious rituals because that was “standard mandatory social performance.” That was how you fit into your community…by performing like everyone else. Atwood writes…

“You went to Mass. You observed the liturgical calendar. You baptized your children, married in the church, got buried with last rites.” The church was not a voluntary association of people with sincere convictions in Christ, it was the social institution. The priests and bishops didn’t care what you thought about the Trinity, the resurrection, or transubstantiation; only that you came to the church building at the appointed times and carried out the appropriate behaviours.

That isn’t unique to a particular era or portion of the Christian faith. We’ve all known folks like that. The church was where you paid your religious dues and then got on with the rest of your life. It was comfortable, predictable, and whether you believed anything or not…it’s what everyone did, so you did too. In fact, we see it even before there was a church. Jesus blasted the Jewish leaders of his day for exactly the same thing. In Matthew 23 we read, “Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,‘The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. Everything they do is for show…’”

Earlier after the religious hierarchy had criticized the disciples for failing to observe a proper handwashing ritual, Jesus replied, “These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.” – Matthew 15:8-9 Again, the behaviour of the most religious people around is empty because it is void of true faith in God.

That’s why Paul’s caution in 1 Corinthians 4:20 is so powerful: For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power. The message of the Bible never wavers: Our lives are meant to visibly display what our hearts hold dear. Our words are to give witness to Him who has made us his own. Our attitudes, choices, decisions, and behaviour are not for the admiring approval of the crowd, OR for our own comfort & convenience, but are to reflect the face of Christ to the not-yet-believing people in our circle of acquaintance. If you go back and re-read Ephesians 4 & 5, Paul spells out in clear detail what that looks like…thoughts, attitudes, and most of all actions that are obedient to our call as followers of Jesus.

So…let’s keep learning how to do that…

• Sunday May 24^th – Pentecost Sunday! – two things… ¹ Wear Red and ² New Worship/Teaching Series: What if God really could… Have you ever asked, “What if…?”  What if I won the lottery? What if I had superpowers? What if life looked completely different?  They’re fun questions to imagine. But what happens when we begin asking something deeper: What if God really could…? What if God really could make you brave when fear takes over? What if he really could make you strong when life feels overwhelming? What if he really could forgive your past, set you free, and use your life for something greater? These aren’t just hopeful ideas or hypothetical questions. They’re questions that sit at the very heart of the Christian faith. Join us as we explore what God can do in and through ordinary people—and discover that with God, “what if” can become reality. This week…What if God really could…make you brave? 

• Tuesday May 26^th – We’ve been asked to provide a meal for the Campus Christian Fellowship again. The sign-up sheet is filling up! Thank you in advance! We’ll spell out the logistics Sunday!
• Saturday June 20^th – We’re hosting a Regional Gathering for our gospel co-workers in the CrossLink Christian Network. From about 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. we’ll have about 20 people from around NSW gathered to pray, worship, learn & catch God’s vision for his church moving into the next years of life together as a Network. Some of our guests will be staying over & worshipping with us on Sunday the 21^st…our 13^th birthday! I still marvel at how God continues to bless us!

Looking forward to seeing you all Sunday!John