Wednesday, June 02, 2010

PRIORITIES!

Okay, in the latest newsletter I challenged the congregation to be careful of vacationing from church this summer. Not to avoid a vacation from work, but from taking time away from gathering together as brothers and sisters in worship. So often people see summer as a time to worship when it is convenient for them as opposed to making it a priority to set time aside to "bend the knee" before the Creator of the universe. A priority is understood as anything that takes precendence over something else because it is deemed as more important (my definition). Unfortunately, worship often takes a back seat to the many activities that take place during the summer - sports, going to the lake, camping, yard work, or just plain sleeping in.


Now, before you get upset with what I am about to say, hear me out. I love sports. My boys played in sports in junior high, high school, and college. But in the same breath, I hate sports because of what its done to our kids. It has gone from a once in a blue moon game on Sundays to an every weekend affair - basketball, football, baseball, soccer, you name it. And the age of the kids playing are younger and younger each year. Sadly, the church has quietly watched as the once "sacred Sunday morning" has given way to the "I've got a game this Sunday" mindset. And because the church has failed to say that worshiping the Lord together is a priority, the children come under the belief that going to church is "what we do when there is nothing else going on". And then we wonder why the youth have no concept of God's love, his mercy, his justice, his grace, his forgiveness, his call to obedience. It's because our priorities are skewed.


I am not naive enough to believe that a ball game on a Sunday will cost a person his/her salvation. What I am talking about is placing God first in our lives and taking a stand, even if "all the other kids do it". I just know that my oldest son was on a Legion team and other teams in high school and after high school. But the coaches knew that Sunday mornings he would be in worship and then would join them later. (Yes, there were some times he was gone). The coaches knew up front that church was important and they honored that decision. I realize that not every coach or manager would be as gracious, but priorities are priorities, no matter how others perceive them.


Like I said before, I love sports, I love fishing, camping, things like that. But I love the Lord more than all of these. I know that one day I will stand before the Lord and be held accountable. I also know that the only thing that will matter will be my relationship with him through faith in Jesus. I yearn for him to say "well done, good and faithful servant" which would reflect my priority of making Jesus Lord of my life. It won't be my batting average, how big a fish I caught, how well I water ski, or how well I can kick a ball. It will be about relationship with Christ and whether I responded in obedience to his call to "worship him in spirit and in truth".


Ah yes, priorities. What say you?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

AMEN AMEN AMEN
As grandparents we struggle with this. We love watching the grandkids play. I would like to see a group of young parents band together, make a pact and say. Sorry coaches, our kids will no be playing on Sunday morning. Support each other so not just their own kid will be odd man out an ridiculed.... or punished by sitting on the bench.
Preach it brother. Maybe just someone will listen.

Anonymous said...

I second that AMEN! We didn't let our son play ball on Sunday mornings - CHURCH was the priority of the morning! That was instilled early, and it "stuck" to him when he wanted a job - he would not work anyplace that would schedule him to work on Sunday morning. He was busy with God on Sunday mornings (other times too, but especially on Sunday a.m.) I think this does need to be preached!

Gerri said...

So true! Christians have let the society of sports take over. When our girls were in sports, Saturday morning was the day for basketball and then evenings and Saturdays for softball. I have really been surprised at the parents in our current appointment that seem to go along with the Sunday schedule and don't even question it. Keep on preaching it!