Did you enjoy all of the college football in the last few weeks? My alma mater N.C. State was victorious against… Central Florida (a team one step above Division II)!
While that may not have been much of a game, I truly loved watching the Rose Bowl pitting Texas against USC for the National Championship. Even a few of my Texas A & M friends enjoyed watching the University of Texas win what may be arguably the greatest college football game ever played and likely the greatest “big game” performance ever by Horns’ Quarterback Vince Young.
What does football have to do with religion you may ask? Dr. Baxter Kruger tells the story of ten year old Billy. Billy loved to play baseball. It didn’t matter if it was a game or simply practice, Billy loved it. The team practiced on Wednesday afternoons and toward the end of practice, Billy’s mom arrived to pick him up for evening church service. One day Billy felt bad that he had to go early and he told the coach (Dr. Kruger) that he was sorry he had to go to church. Dr. Kruger responded by telling Billy that he had already been in church and it was okay to continue to do so. Puzzled, Billy asked what Coach Kruger was talking about. “Do you think that your love of playing baseball comes from within you or do you think God loves baseball too? God not only loves baseball, but even your love, your joy, of the game comes from God. So in a way, this baseball field has been like being in church.”
In the first chapter of the gospel of John, the writer makes it clear that all things were created by God. This means that the Triune God as the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit created everything… including us. Further, we would do well to realize God created joy. That’s right even the joy that we feel when we play baseball, hold a baby, kiss a loved one, or see our team win comes not from within ourselves, but is a gift from God. Such joy is placed within us as a result of the communal relationship between the Father and Son and given to us by the Holy Spirit. Perichoresis is a theological term used to describe the shared love of mutual delight between Father, Son, and Spirit. As the Father, God is for us; as the Son, God is with us; as the Spirit, God is in us. By God’s grace, we have a significant relationship with each person of the Trinity. God is with us and we are with God. Isn’t that wonderful to know! The next time you do anything and experience emotion, shopping at the mall, talking with friends, watching your team win or lose, holding a baby, or even walking alone, you are, whether you think about it or not... like little Billy, “in church.” God is with us in all places at all times.
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