I hate wearing a mask to church. From the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, people attending church are required to wear a mask and keep socially distant. There were a few weeks that we thought the pandemic was getting better, and we rolled back the second service requirement on the masks only to return it after virus rates in our area began to climb. Thank you to those who have worn their masks at church. For now, the requirement of face-masks for those attending in person church services remain. But I hate wearing a mask. There are several reasons that I dislike wearing one. Wearing a mask makes it hard to breathe, it fogs up my glasses, it irritates my skin, and it causes me to smell my breath (yuck). The primary reason though, is that wearing a mask hides people. When I preach on Sunday mornings and look out into the congregation, all that I see are eyes staring back at me. I did not realize how important facial expressions are in communicating until this time of mask-wearing. I miss the smiles, the smirks, and even the sometimes grimaces. I miss the loud singing and hearty laughter. I miss seeing people. I miss seeing the Gospel’s work lighting up people’s faces.
I think God hates masks even more. Not the cloth masks that we wear because of the Covid-19 virus, but the masks people put on pretending to be something that they are not. The more common masks that people wear are often called things like, “the façade of being happy,” or “putting on a show,” or “putting on my happy face,” or “I am fine,” or the many other ways that people (we) place a veil over what is happening in our hearts. A veil that we hope hides our fears, hides our discomfort, hides our sins or shortcomings, hides our insecurities, or hides our anger. People did not just start wearing masks to church with the arrival of Covid19; masks have always been worn to church. These are the masks that God hates.
In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul makes a connection between the wearing of a veil (mask) and the hardening of people’s hearts to the Gospel. The spiritual truth that Paul is speaking about is that when we hide ourselves from God, we do not hear God speak, nor do we see his work. “But (Paul says) when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed (2 Corinthians 3:16).” We are to approach the Lord with unveiled faces. Why? Paul says that when we turn to God without hiding our true selves behind our masks, we behold the glory of the Lord and by doing so are transformed by His glory
Are you wearing a mask to hide from God? Are you pretending to be something that you are not, fearful that people will see the real you? God hates masks, which means that for us, we have freedom in approaching the Lord. In Christ, we can approach Him without religious pretense, fully confessing any form of sin or brokenness, without any fear of losing his love or his embrace. In Christ, what we seek to hide in ourselves becomes transformed by His glory when we approach him without wearing our masks. “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3: 18).” Take off your mask of your fake self and worship the Lord in freedom!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Trent Eastman
Concerning the Word of Life 