What’s Up With Football?
Matthew 6:21 will probably sound familiar to you. “What’s up with football?”
OK, that’s not really what it says. Let’s try it again:
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
The writer of Hebrews also seemed to be thinking of Sundays in the fall when he wrote:
“Let us not give up meeting together… but encourage one another.” (Hebrews 10:25 — and sure, that’s not what Hebrews was referencing. But it works for Texas churches come fall.)
When football season rolls around, as a Pastor I know that every Sunday morning I need to know who won, and who lost. I also need to understand that an early kickoff affects church attendance. And should the Cowboys ever get back to the Super Bowl, we are going to have church on Saturday night. (That’s a promise, church.)
Yesterday there were a lot of happy fans, as we saw the amazing UT win over Ohio State. Baylor, A&M, Tech, and TCU were all victorious on Saturday. It makes us all more cheerful. Including me, yes, I admit it. Even though I don’t have a strong college allegiance to any team within 1500 miles of our home in Central Texas, I still root for all the “local” players. Well… almost all of them.
What if we could all be as excited about our faith walk as we are about our football teams? I love a good game as much as anyone, but I don’t want my heart to be shaped more by kickoff times than by the things of God. Football is fun — but faith is foundational. If we can cheer for our teams with passion, maybe we can bring that same energy to learning Scripture, praying for our families, and showing up for worship.
I wonder what we would accomplish if we knew more Bible stories than rushing statistics? What if we spent as much time in prayer, study, and worship as we do watching football games on Friday night (go Eagles), Saturday (go everybody not playing Washington State University), Sunday (go Cowboys, Texans & Seahawks), Monday (go whoever is playing), and Thursday night (whoever is forced into playing the NFL Thursday night game).
It’s a pretty big “what if.” But I think we have to admit, some of us spend way too much time watching football.
When we relocated to Texas 14 years ago, we were told the biggest religious denominations in Texas apparently are Methodist, Baptist, and Football. Frankly, I wonder some days — even in our house — which one is number one.
Don’t get me wrong, I think having a favorite team is fun and harmless in perspective. But can we all make a pledge this season to remember Sunday mornings are made for church — and not tailgating? Can we teach our kids and grandkids Bible verses and then talk about the West Coast Offense?
Take a breath once in a while. Do something other than football this week. The football you do watch will be a lot more meaningful if you’ve mowed the lawn, talked to your grandchildren, and prayed for our state, our nation, and our world.
What times is kickoff?