Jo Bower's Blog

Matthew 6:1-4

(Actually, the whole chapter would be useful.)

 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.

      Our church has three services. The contemporary service and a second traditional service meet at the same time in different places.

      Occasionally, the contemporary and the second traditional service combine for various reasons. Recently, in one of those services a nice woman sat down beside me and we started chatting. I had seen her around the church but had not spoken to her.

      We were getting a new associate pastor who was to be in charge of the contemporary service. I was telling her I thought the contemporary service was going to like their new pastor as I had met and talked to him. She looked over at me and asked if I attended the contemporary service. I responded that I played organ for the second traditional service.

      She looked surprised, then laughed. “ No wonder I didn’t know. I can never see who is playing the organ. But you do a good job. I enjoy it.” (paraphrased)

      Okay, I am short, and the organ is rather large.

      I told her people in my Sunday School class say we don’t need an orchestra pit when I play the organ. The music just magically floats out. We had a chuckle together, and it didn’t bother me that she enjoyed the music without knowing it was me who was making it.

      A day or two later, I am still thinking about that conversation and applying it to my life. What if my prayer became, “God, show me where to apply your grace. Help me recognize when ministry needs to take place. Help me change someone’s life because of my reflection of your love. Help me share the writing and music you have given me. And help me be willing to  remain anonymous as I serve and share your love. Help me walk away from people, leaving them uplifted or at least smiling.”

      In the end, giving everything I can without being recognized does more for me than it does people on the receiving end. The promise in these verses is God will bless/reward what is done in secret… and the spirit that leads us to do good in secret most likely will not drive us to serve just to get the reward.

      I know, in music, and as a writer, a certain amount of name recognition is needed for opportunities to share. But even if our name is well known, there is much we can do for Christ without insisting on our name being attached to the activities.

      Sing in a choir … you have to blend in.

      Work in a food pantry. Hungry people don’t need to worry about your name.

      Help in the upkeep of your church or community. Make sure the doors get unlocked on time.   Show up when the church floods and extra hands are needed.

      Help people you encounter in public who are struggling in some way.

      See people…. Especially people who feel they are members of society’s unseen. People of color, handicapped, elderly, homeless and children. Make sure you acknowledge them.

      I once read something a handicapped person wrote that talked about people who are afraid to meet their eyes and say, ‘good morning.’  The writer said they knew people don’t always know what to say, but they felt diminished in public.

      Be very kind to the people who serve you. Try even if they don’t seem to want you to.

      I knew a wonderfully whimsical man who used to ask clerks if they took out of state cash. He was a wonderful example of how to leave people smiling. He is now making Jesus smile. My husband has caught the habit of trying to make those who help us smile.

      If you have been blessed financially, use it without expecting statues. If someone names a building after you, try to make it because of your love and faithfulness rather than the amount you gave.

      Become a sound technician (You can chuckle.) or usher.

      I was blessed by watching an older couple picking up the registration notebooks from the pews of our church so other people can check on people and follow up on prayer requests. They seemed to be enjoying it.

      God has used strangers to change the way I look at things. And you know how it feels when someone gives you a kind word. God has used someone you don’t know to bless you. In awe we tell each other those stories.

      Why then, would we not expect God to use us in the same way to bless someone else? 

      There are times that it is okay to be the unknown Christian.