Raising A Ruckus
When Saturday Night Live comedian Dana Carvey decided to create a character who parodied uptight religiosity, he called her the Church Lady.
The Church Lady was a grumpy, dowdy-looking woman who excelled at being holier-than-thou and confronted some of the guests on her fictional Church Chat show with comments such as: “Who do you think made you do that, maybe S-A-T-A-N?”
In an interview, Carvey said he based the character on a real woman he remembered from the Lutheran church in San Mateo, California, he attended as a child.
“Even the most pious person, even the most straightforward Christian, has been a victim of hearsay and gossiping by condescending people,” he said. “They’re rampant everywhere, and not just in church.”
Carvey’s family attended church regularly, but not as often as some in the church thought they should. “I imagined people thinking, ‘Well, apparently some of us care a little more about Christ than others!’1,1
Even potluck dinners provided an opportunity for competition and judgmentalism.
Carvey’s memories inspired a Saturday Night Live episode in which the Church Lady, who had labored over an elaborate casserole, chided a fellow believer who brought lowly Jell-O.
Religious people sometimes confuse their own ideas with God’s commands, and when they do, they place needless emphasis on external behavior and judging others.
David wasn’t that kind of person, as anyone can tell you who has read his heartfelt prayers found in the Book of Psalms.
In the passage from 2 Samuel, David was so overcome with love for God that he praised him with an impromptu dance.
Churches didn’t exist in those days, but apparently, his wife disliked David’s exhibition and “despised” him for it.
David didn’t let the episode bother him. In later passages, he remained a deeply emotional person, both in his relationships with other people and his worship of God.
Worship is a highly individualistic activity. But the single most important thing about worship isn’t the particular form you follow, it is the attitude of your heart and soul.
David praised God as his heart deemed appropriate. If people around him judged him for his devotion, he wasn’t worried.
He knew God would honor his worship and understand the feelings that kindled his expression.
God, help me love you with all my heart and not worry about what people think.