Excellence

 February 11, 2023

It’s 10:30 pm as I write. I had something else in mind until this evening when Linda and I went to the Lucille Ball Little Theater for a presentation of “The Play that Goes Wrong,” a wacky and hilarious play about a play about a murder mystery in which anything that could go wrong on stage does go wrong, from props that fail to lines forgotten. No, this is not a theater critic’s column; it’s merely a member of the audience who appreciated two hours of lighthearted diversion from all the negativity and downright evil we see playing out before us in the daily news.

As a retired pastor, I can remember fussing over attendance statistics, trying to figure out how to attract people to church, and fretting whenever attendance took a dive. It took me a few years to figure out that you never have trouble attracting people to excellence. Tomorrow evening, millions will watch this year’s two best football teams face off. Even people who aren’t avid football fans will tune in just to see the excellence. Tonight, Linda and I experienced excellence as the actors captured and exaggerated nuances that you would see in a performance of amateurs who keep forgetting their lines and entrances. 

I remember years ago attending a seminar hosted by the Willow Creek church in Barrington, Illinois. Willow Creek at that time was a leader in the church growth movement. On this particular Sunday, there was a single announcement for this congregation of thousands. But it wasn’t just any announcement. As Lee Strobel was talking, a boy walked across the stage and tugged at his trousers. As Lee bent down to talk with him, the boy said they needed relief Sunday School teachers for the summer so their regular teachers could get a break. He had a signup clipboard that he gave to Strobel, who signed up for the task. As the boy left, he looked at the clipboard that Strobel had just signed and exclaimed, Wait a minute! You’re not Bill Hybels!” I thought then that this church put more effort into an announcement than most churches put into their entire worship service. Excellence matters.

Tonight, we experienced excellence. The theater was full and the audience appreciative. If I didn’t have an afternoon commitment tomorrow, I would pay the admission to see it again. Tomorrow, I will gather with other Christians for a performance where we in the seats are not the audience; we are the actors, playing for the Lord God Almighty. May we all play our parts with all the excellence we can muster, offering the best of ourselves in praise and worship to the One who alone deserves the best we can give (1 Corinthians 10:31). May he be as pleased with the excellence of our hearts and lives as we were with those on stage this evening.