Theology, General: The Gospel and Football, Part 1

Reader Bill Perkins wrote this comment:

Football is better than religion for many, and here is why:

1.  No one is late for the game, as a matter of fact they show up hours early for fellowship with fellow fans.

2.  People are content to sit for 3-4 hours packed in shoulder to shoulder on metal bleachers with no backs and never complain that it’s too crowded or uncomfortable.

3.  No one complains that we sing that same old outdated fight song every week.

4.  People attend the game in scorching heat of late August and the blustery cold of November, rain, sleet or snow the show must go on.

5.  Who in their right mind pays hundreds of dollars for ticket, pays to park, $5 for a soft drink, and $6 for hot dog and then complains that all the church wants is “my money”.

6.  A football coach is worth $4 million a year and a preacher is worth….well, significantly less than that.

7.  People talk about football as church, not sure how much they talk about church at football games.

Just saying….

Preachers who visit a major college football game, especially an SEC game, routinely react by questioning why the church doesn’t respond to their preaching with just as much gusto. Church members often wonder why the preacher isn’t as entertaining as football.

So here some snappy answers to the age-old question: Why don’t people cheer at church like they do at football games?

* Cheering at church might lead to clapping.

* If church were as exciting as football, we might have to have a band.

* Well, if we had the Alabama cheerleaders on stage with the preacher …

* Cheering is sin. It’s not listed in the Five Acts.

* Well, if we had a $5 million salary budget to hire the best preacher …

* If you’ll let me eat popcorn and hot dogs, I’ll cheer for anything.

* Even the pros don’t play on Sunday morning. Let me sleep in and then ask me to cheer.

* Can I bring my RV and tailgate during class?

* We sing the school fight song with more gusto because it’s not led in tortoise time with no beat.

* Have you ever noticed that they don’t make you wear a tie to football games?

* I’ll cheer the week the preacher takes on Auburn.

* There are no national championships in church.

But seriously, folks …

[to be continued]

About Jay F Guin

My name is Jay Guin, and I’m a retired elder. I wrote The Holy Spirit and Revolutionary Grace about 18 years ago. I’ve spoken at the Pepperdine, Lipscomb, ACU, Harding, and Tulsa lectureships and at ElderLink. My wife’s name is Denise, and I have four sons, Chris, Jonathan, Tyler, and Philip. I have two grandchildren. And I practice law.
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10 Responses to Theology, General: The Gospel and Football, Part 1

  1. Laymond says:

    If church was just as exciting as the “republican debates” they might get a few cheers- maybe if they threw in a few racial quips, yeah that should do it especially in “gamecock” country.

  2. Bob Brandon says:

    Life is not meant to be exciting; it’s meant to be a journey. If Bunyan were alive today to rewrite “Pilgrim’s Progress,” it still wouldn’t end at Vanity Fair.

  3. Act 2:40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
    Act 2:41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
    Act 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
    Act 2:43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
    Act 2:44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.
    Act 2:45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
    Act 2:46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
    Act 2:47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

    Rev 2:1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands:
    Rev 2:2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.
    Rev 2:3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
    Rev 2:4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.
    Rev 2:5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
    Rev 2:6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
    Rev 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

    Just thinking…

  4. Price says:

    Bob…would agree that life is a journey…would suggest that whether its exciting or not is up to the attitude of the individual… glass half empty or half full… Some people seem to find everything or perhaps anything to complain about and make everybody around them miserable as they “enjoy” their miserable life… Others seem to have a sparkle in their eye no matter what..always optimistic, always expecting God to do good things…
    living life to the fullest.. My guess is that how one feels about the journey is a choice….

    Jay, I’m guessing that King David would have been a football fan…

  5. Doug says:

    Yeah but King David might have been a Drum Major too.

  6. Price says:

    Doug…I was thinking that Timothy might have been in the band…weak constitution and all…:)

  7. Bob Brandon says:

    The real beauty of the “church of football” is that you can hate your opponents all your want even though they may love the game – and even know more about the game – than you do. But all that matters in the “church of football” is your particular team, and all of the rest are just reprobates and sinners because they aren’t fans of your team.

    Sad thing is that we already play at the “church of football” in many of our congregations. And if we had a “Church of Christ” team jersey, a lot of us would wear it. Same with the “church of politics,” too. All that matters is the hate; hate is the coin of the realm in any “church of competition”. And all of their adherents get their reward in the regular season of the here and now.

  8. eric says:

    It brings tears to my eyes every time I think of the celebration the apostles had after being imprisoned and beaten for the gospel. There is a balance I’m sure between putting on a show and putting on a funeral during worship. I have been in Easter plays where people stood and clapped and even yelled with tears in their eyes when Jesus came out of the tomb. I think the difference is sometimes we forget who we are worshiping when we put on a worship service. The same God that went in the tomb, came out of the tomb. The one that wants us to prosper. The one that wants to give life to the fullest, full of joy. The God that made the stars and the comets, and everything else for that matter. That’s the God we forget to tell people about. That’s the God we forget to worship. Instead we many times focus on the thing people want to do but shouldn’t in our opinion, or even the thing people are doing that God said not to. Maybe worship should focus on God more often.

  9. James says:

    I would laugh all through that list, Jay, but a couple are reasons I’ve actually heard given. Like the clapping one. I heard an elder and preacher recently discussing their ban on clapping at baptisms (yeah, I know), and how they don’t want people thinking such an important moment is like a party or something (It’s not?!). Someone actually brought up the football game comparison and asked why clapping was OK for a Christian there, but not at a baptism. Their response was, “Because we’re not bringing in a worldly tradition to our worship.”

    No word yet on whether or not they’ve ditched the announcements and lame joke at the beginning of the sermons…

  10. Jay Guin says:

    James,

    Thanks for laughing. 🙂

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