Would Jesus Go To The Game?
Last week it announced that the Maryville-Alcoa football game this year will be shown on ESPN2 on August 26 at noon. For those of you who aren’t from East Tennessee, this football game is among the biggest high school rivalries in the area. Both teams are basically cross-town rivals, with Maryville and Alcoa joining each other. Each team has won numerous state titles over the last decade.
If you didn’t catch the date, this game will be held on Sunday. At noon. On national TV.
During the press conference, the coaches mentioned that churches were adjusting their times to accommodate the game. I think there are probably two reactions to this. One is that the churches want to support the kids, parents and community by making adjustments to the worship schedule so that people can worship and attend the game.
The other is that some churches will say that they aren’t going to make any adjustments because that would indicate that the game is more important than Jesus.
The question I want answered, that none of can, is what Jesus would do?
The reality is that we don’t know.
I think Jesus would want to be where people were. I think He would for the Kingdom to be put first. I believe that Jesus would rail against those who were so religious and inflexible that they couldn’t move a church service from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. I’m pretty sure He would want His Father to get the glory in all of it.
That doesn’t really answer the question for us, though, does it.
Some people will be vilified by other churches and church leaders for adjusting church times or skipping church to go to the game.
Other churches will receive the same treatment for driving a stake in the ground and making a stand.
In both cases, some will be right and some will be wrong.
Would Jesus go to the game?
Yes. In his time there were no churches, only Jewish temples, and the Sabbath was on Saturday.
There wasn’t football either.
Seems like a “darned if you darned if you don’t” scenario. As you have stated, there is no way to know what Jesus would do. This reminds of the hoopla that came when so many churches cancelled Christmas Sunday morning services. I think each church leadership needs to decide what works best for them and let them go. If ESPN is true to form though, one can catch the whole game at the start at 1:00.
And you could DVR the game. One thing is that in two small towns that have about 35 to 40,000 population, about 10,000 go to this game every year. Also, much of the parking is in two church parking lots.
If I was the pastor I would partner with the teams and hold a mini service before the game. I would also ask my church to volunteere their time to help out in any way possible. This way you still have church and you lead your people to be Jesus in the public.
Rob, that sounds like a wonderfully flexible loving thing t do.
Yes, I think so, Jesus would go to where the people were. He’d probably buy them each a hotdog …or take one and make 5000! I’m not sure he would use body and face paint though like the other football fanatics…maybe.
i don’t think some will be right or wrong…i think they are both right…
I know for a fact that my church would NEVER in a million years change a church service time for anything…especially a football game.
Me?…i don’t care…i can guarentee you that those most involved in the game will NOT go to church that morning even if it’s moved. they will skip…
For this reason…i stand with not changing the service…because i honestly believe that people planning to go will just skip church that sunday…
Arny,
What I mean is that some will not change just to be stubborn. Some will not change out of sincerity. Some will change for reasons Rob outlines and others will just so they can go to the game.
yeah…and like I said, I really don’t think any of them are wrong…
i really don’t think Jesus will turn tables for this…as long as his name is still being Praised! and it’s not done ever single service.
I would totally agree if I didn’t know of one person slamming it b/c 30 years ago parents and churches wouldn’t have stood for it and let it happen. It was all about tradition and legalism, etc. Jesus might need to turn his table over.