WHO'S KEEPING SCORE?

“Who’s Keeping Score?”

Psalm 130

This is the 10th in a Lenten series that I have written for our own congregation. It deals with our fascination with our "score" in life, and our overwhelming need to know how we're doing and where we stand in comparison to others. We seek to "know the score," but as the Psalmist noted, if God kept a record- if we had a score- none of us could "stand." Scores make it difficult for us to enjoy simply "being," and by their nature, they throw us into competition with our brother and sisters. Besides, and more seriously, scores are the antithesis of grace. Lent is a path to freedom, and it leads to a place where there is no score.

Scripture (Please read Psalm 130)

Refection

Would you enjoy watching football… if there was no score? If the teams were simply trying their best, would you be entertained… or do you need a score? Would you play golf… if there was no score… or would not having a score defeat its purpose? Someone should write an ode to the score… because it means so much to us. Of course, some scores are more important than others. One’s “quality of life” is scored by the luxuries available, or is it leisure time? Success is scored by the amount of wealth you have, or perhaps by the amount of money you earn. Sometimes, it is scored by the amount of people or things you control… but there has to be a score! Otherwise, how would we ever know if we, or someone else, had become “successful?”

As parents, sometimes our children are our tallies. If we have children who attend the right colleges, claim the right occupations, and earn the right amount of money… then we receive a good score ourselves. Some men keep score of their manliness by the number of woman they’ve known, and some women keep score by the number of shoes or purses they have in their closets. Different people… given different points… to different things... but there is always a score! Otherwise, we would never really know how well we are doing as a man, woman, mother, father, son, or daughter, would we? And some people thing that the same thing applies to our relationship with God. In ancient times, almost everyone thought that you could tell if God loved your neighbor by how many blessings your neighbor had… and you could tell if your neighbor loved God by how many religious things your neighbor did. IF your neighbor belongs to a church… which he attends regularly… and is deeply involved with… and to which he (or she) tithes, and if your neighbor doesn’t swear, smoke, drink, run around, or otherwise sin… his or her religiosity score is very high!

No one is perfect, but the greater the commitment and the lesser the sin, the higher the score. Correct? No, this is not right… because God does NOT keep score! Yes, it’s true. God doesn’t keep score. There are no scorecards in the kingdom. People behave, no doubt, because they love God with all of their hearts… but there is no score! People treat one another as if they were saints… because they love their neighbors as themselves… but there is no score! For those of us who try so very hard to be good, this can be a little frustrating. People who color outside the lines should not receive an “A.” For those of us who worship decency and order, it doesn’t seem “fair” to throw the scorecards away. And it’s not! It’s NOT fair. Not at all… but it is Amazing Grace! Like the Psalmist said so centuries ago, “If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?” (Ps. 130:3)

Questions to Ponder

Who is the most successful person you know?  How did you reach this conclusion?

The most loving person you know?  The best Christian you know?

How do you score "love" or Christian faith, either one?

Does the picture of "not having a score" give you an image of freedom... or chaos?

How can Christ say, "Well done, good and faithful servant," if He doesn't keep score?