Football season has arrived! Honestly, I love football, both soccer style and American style. Yet, as much as I love the soccer stuff (and I do enjoy it very much), I grew up watching the old AFL San Diego Chargers and I remain a fan of the “Bolts” to this very day.
When I was a kid, I remember how I wanted to grow up to be Lance “Bambi” Alworth and play for my favorite team, the Chargers. I would dream of going out on a pass route and having Tobin Rote, John Hadl or the amazing Dan Fouts send me long for 6. I loved the Chargers and watched them whenever they were on TV.
I remember many awesome games like the “Epic in Miami,” when the then blue and gold were so good that no one thought they would be stopped short of the Super Bowl. What a game that was! Both teams should have won, neither should have lost. But my Chargers prevailed…my Chargers!
Football is like that. We take a team as our team based by birth, location or many other criteria, but we take them as OUR team, win or lose! We watch them play, we discuss their trades, we criticize the coaches and players, we love them and hate them, but we never give up on them. We the fans may call ourselves “Number One” while our team is winning or the “Ain’ts” when they are not, but we never leave them. We are faithful.
Unfortunately, church is not like this. We get saved, see personal growth and align with a body of believers where God has placed us to serve, grow and help others do the same, yet we shuck church when we feel like we “aren’t fed” or “aren’t growing” or “aren’t appreciated” or “aren’t happy” or “aren’t blessed” or “aren’t the center of attention” or THEY “aren’t doing it the way we think it ought to be done.”
We ditch church (by the way, the Bible calls it the “Body of Christ”) when we get our feelings hurt, when someone talks to us, when someone doesn’t talk to us, when it gets too convicting, when it doesn’t convict, when it is too impersonal, and when it gets too personal. We leave the fold when it seems to us that the church is full of hypocrites, losers, old people, young people, or “those kind of people” (you know what I mean).
I have come to the realization that football enjoys a more faithful following than the “Body of Christ.” Football followers will even wear their team’s jersey WHEREVER! I don’t know what to make of this.
May the God of all grace, love and mercy grant to us the wisdom of knowing that no local church expression is perfect, TO THE GLORY OF GOD! And may those of us who know the King of the Universe be gracious and kind to one another as we live the truth of the church, as fragile as it may seem.
And, Go Chargers!
And the good thing is for those who are committed to the church but also football, you can DVR your games and make sure you go listen to the Lord speak through his WORD, worship, and get fellowship. Of course if you work nights like me it can be harder….
What I'm saying is, passionate as I am about football, it is sad that men swear allegiance to sports over God. I struggle with balance but I work at it and make sure my family goes to church.