So I get to church this morning, I’m nervous because I have to preach, and one of the first things that happens is that Chris Kuntz makes fun of the fact that I’m not wearing sneakers. Then Dave Ward comes down the center aisle just before music practice and asks if I have my camera, because he wanted to take a picture as proof that I can wear something other than sneakers to church. Okay, Chris and Dave, that’s just what my frazzled nerves needed.

You see, I always wear sneakers to church. But today, since I was preaching, I donned some casual non-sneakers, not to mention some of my nicer Dockers pants (which didn’t strike Dave as photo-worthy). In retrospect, I feel I sold out to “what will people think” paranoia. Why didn’t I wear my sneakers, as usual? Did I think I needed to impress people because I was preaching? Did that role demand that I dress up and be not me, but not-me? A phony?

I should have worn sneakers. Instead, I sold out to false expectations. I’m a fraud. A mere pleaser-of-people.

I preached about the story in Luke 7 of Jesus and the “sinful woman” at the home of Simon the snobbish Pharisee. As part of the message, I told the congregation we needed to go on a field trip, so I had them all come to the front of the church and gather around a makeshift table, and we sort of acted out the story.

Just before that, though, Pastor Tim Hallman took one of his kids out of the sanctuary to the bathroom. When he returned, he was surprised to see everyone up front. He thought, “Wow, did Steve just have an altar call and the whole church is getting saved?” Alas, that was not the case. But I got a good laugh when he told me about it. Even now, I’m typing this with a big smile on my face.