That’s Entertainment! is the best way to describe sports anymore. This
time of year we have football, baseball, basketball, hockey, and soccer, all
going on at once. Where once we had baseball or football season, and the
beginning of spring or fall, now it is 24/7 sports. I mean entertainment.
Somehow the game has gotten lost or forgotten as we feel the need to be
entertained. Monday night was a good example, watch the Jets get destroyed by
New England on Monday Night Football, or the Astros lead, then fall behind, then
win it on a walk off homer in the last of the ninth. Lots of channel surfing in
between....both got boring. But after listening to the announcers on MNF, take
a sleeping bill and wake me after the game, wait they are the sleeping pill, I
started listening to all the stupid things they said. And drew my own
conclusions...
Only in baseball is the field different at each stadium. The bases are
still 90 feet apart, the pitcher stands on a mound 10 inches high and 60 feet, 6
inches away, but all else is different. Yankee Stadium has the porch in right
field, Fenway Park “the wall,” in left, and a homerun to center in one park may
be a long out in another. Some years back when homeruns fell off, the call to
shorten the fences went out, with a few parks moving the field ahead, leaving
the fences alone. Shrewd planning. Another thing unique to baseball is defense
doesn’t win games, scoring more runs does. In football and basketball, defense
can steal, intercept, or recover a fumble and score, a great catch in baseball
only prevents the other team from scoring. Just a thought. Baseball has no
clock, and can go on for hours, it has defined rules as opposed to football,
please define pass interference and just what is a catch. Basketball rules
allow walking, double dribbling with a great latitude, just how far is two
steps? In baseball there is no penalty for a foul, only arguing with an umpire
will get you excused, 6 fouls in basketball, too rough in football. Too rough
in a game based on hitting? But baseball does have its foibles, aka the strike
zone. Pete Rose once turned to an umpire after a strike call, the umpire
explaining he did miss the pitch, but it sounded like a strike. Why can an
outfield catch a fly ball under the infield fly rule? Why do baseball managers
manage, but not in football, where they coach? When you are replaced in
baseball, you are out of the game, you are out for good, can we try that in
football? Add in TV time outs, reviews by the refs, and you wonder why we
channel surf....
Religion like sports has rules of its own. Dress this way, its own
language, rote prayers, certain beliefs differentiating them, and the ability to
not get along with other religions. Some have strict rules, some are lax on
rules. Some preach grace, some preach works. But all claim to represent God,
but maybe not the same God. Definitely not the same Jesus in many cases. In
some churches Jesus never made it off the cross, in others he is not Lord, his
mother is. Some only preach from the New Testament, denying his presence in the
Old. Some deny healing, claim you must be baptized to go to heaven, and don’t
allow instruments. Some baptize by immersion, some a sprinkling. Some when a
youth joining the church, others when saved and a choice we make. Some preach
all day, some multiple services, some short and to the point, others you leave
wondering what was just said. Some have Bible studies, but advise you against
reading it in church. And in every case, only one question should be asked,
where’s Jesus?
Ball parks may differ, Jesus stays the same. Rules to worship may change,
who we worship shouldn’t. Getting together with like minded people should not
be confused by unity in the spirit. The pulpit is not a place to sell your
book, or promote political views, we need to be about God’s business instead of
our own. So many times we talk of how the first church was and envy it, but how
many of us give our goods to the Lord when a need comes up? Gather in the
spirit instead of a denomination? How many are excited to give, or pay a tithe
grudgingly? When going from religion to Jesus at first I was a stranger in a
strange land. He was a friend, savior, and Lord. We prayed openly, read not
studied our Bibles, were excited to meet other Christians, and showed the gospel
by our actions. We had a freedom not found in religion, not mentioned in
denominations, and forbidden by some pastors. We had a joy that was beyond a
happiness, we wanted to give before we were asked, and repented when we fell.
We grew in grace, not in religion, we wanted to be more like Jesus, and left it
all up to him. We looked forward to the end, but were able to enjoy the right
now because we knew what was coming. With no TV time outs....or blown calls
from God.
So if you relationship with God is like sports, games on but nothing to
watch, if you channel surf churches, if once you enjoyed the game but left and
want to come back, Jesus is waiting. He offers you love, joy, peace, and
patience. He won’t trade you after a bad year. No judgment calls on sin, he
puts it out there, or on being saved either. We know the size of his ballpark,
our records are not stored for future use, aka our sin is washed away, and he
never changes. A foul ball will always be a foul ball...
And hitting a home run will never be a long out in his park. No “oh I
didn’t know that was a rule here” from him, and the rules don’t change for
love. He is the love of the game we all search for but seldom find. And when
we do, we win, big. You may be losing with minutes to play, behind with two
seconds to play, or down to your last strike, and walk away a winner in Jesus.
Religion won’t make you a winner, only point out your faults, which rules do.
Try Jesus today and start enjoying the game of life he trained you for. Love
and live, forgive and forget, give and then receive, all because Jesus cares for
you. Live by the size of your God not the size of your park. And if you happen
to have fun doing it, now that’s entertainment!
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com