Sunday Morning Athletics

"Pagan Tennis Players;"  That was the reference my dad made as passed them on the way to church on Sunday mornings.  They were there every week as we passed by the recreation center that was two blocks from our church.  While we were on our way to worship, they were getting their exercise.  My dad did not approve.  Sunday morning was time for worship and not sports.

I thought of my dad yesterday.  The church we attend meets at a high school.  The last few weeks there have been parking issues because soccer teams have started using the field adjacent to where we worship.  Two groups are competing for the same parking spaces.  While we worshipped I could see them running up and down the field through the window.

There was a time when Sunday mornings were sacred.  I recall when I coached little league.  It was rule: No games before 1:00 PM on Sundays.  I recall one coach who was reprimanded because he scheduled a pre-game practice for 11:00 AM.  Times have changed, especially for amateur sports.  I have heard the complaints from parents who have to make the decision: letting their kids participate in a baseball tournament or requiring them to attend church? 

Sunday morning sports do create a dilemma, but they also provide an opportunity.  The meer presence of a person in church does not mean they are engaged in worship.  If they are sitting in the pew and focused on something else, like the soccer game they are missing, are they truly worshipping.  In the same way, should we label someone a "pagan" just because they participate in athletic competition on Sunday? 

I think we need to view this issue as an opportunity to talk about the heart of worship.  True worship requires a relationship with God.  That relationship should not be limited to within the walls of a church.  We can talk about that with our kid and grand kids, but ultimately it is the example that we set in our lives that speaks the loudest.  One of the reasons so many young people have been turned off by the church is because of what they see as hypocritical attitude: Talking about love and forgiveness in church, but not living it in the real world.