Tag: football

“The Lord Giveth…”

We are approaching Thanksgiving in America. Too often, Thanksgiving is lost amidst the shuffle between Halloween and Christmas. No one dresses up for Thanksgiving; no one passes out treats. There aren’t the same long-standing cultural traditions that we have with Christmas– no trees to decorate, no “Thanksgiving” cookies to make, no “Thanksgiving” elves or Santa Claus. There are turkeys, and sometimes stories about Pilgrims and Natives sharing a peaceful feast, but even that has become a sore topic. In fact, for many people, Thanksgiving is about three things– eating, watching parades on TV, and watching Football (trying to stay awake after all that food!). Some families give a nod to the spirit of Thanksgiving by going around the table and reciting the things for which they are thankful. But we rarely take the opportunity to draw attention to the Giver of all good things. We are more likely to be thankful for things we have as a result (we think) of our own hard work, wise decisions, and “good luck.” Families may travel long distances to be together, but even that is going out of fashion, as young adults often opt to spend the day with their friends or even on their own, and older adults are often “celebrating” without any family present.

I love Thanksgiving. It is one of my favorite holidays. But I think we have lost much of the spirit of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is not just about one day with lots of food spent with family or friends. Thanksgiving is really a lifestyle. The Bible is rich with thanksgiving and praise:

 “I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.” Psalm 7:17
“I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” Psalm 100:4
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6
 “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15
 “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” Hebrews 13:15

We have much to be thankful for, but when we look at the Bible verses, Thanksgiving is NOT about WHAT but about WHO. We can be thankful for good health, but we should “give thanks” to the One who gives LIFE– even when we aren’t enjoying perfect health. We can be thankful for our family, but we should really be thankful for the One who created and designed families– including our imperfect, slightly dysfunctional family.

Job learned this lesson well. He was extremely blessed– one of the richest men in all the land. He owned cattle and land, had a large family, and was highly respected. But when he lost it all, he still took time to thank God– not just for the good things He had given Job, but for who He was and is. Job acknowledged that the same God who gives is also the God who takes away– yet He is just, Holy, and awesome. He is sovereign and merciful. And, in the end, Job was restored to health, prosperity, honor, and given a new family.

Jesus was always thanking God– and not for the things we might expect! Jesus arrived in Bethany to find His friend Lazarus dead. Yet He thanked the Father. He did not thank God for “letting” Lazarus die, but He thanked Him for always hearing His prayers, including His prayer to restore Lazarus to life. Jesus thanked God for food– even though He proved that He could turn water into wine and small amounts of food into feasts! Jesus even thanked the Father for hiding His message from those who think they are wise, while revealing it to the lowly and meek. Imagine how much easier His ministry would have been if God had simply opened everyone’s heart and mind to accept that Jesus was the Messiah! But it pleased God to make Jesus’ ministry “fail” on many levels and lead to the Crucifixion. In spite of this, Jesus praised the Father for His wisdom and sovereignty.

We can be thankful to God, not just when things are going well, and we are feeling blessed, but when things are dark and chaotic, or we feel as though we have failed. We don’t ignore the grief of loss, the pain and struggles we face– but we look beyond to the God who sees, hears, heals, and makes all things new in His time. We can thank God in all circumstances, because He is GREATER than all circumstances!

This season, may we take time to contemplate– not just all the good things we have–but to dive deep into who God IS. May we say with Job, “The LORD giveth, and the LORD taketh away; Blessed be the Name of the LORD!”

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Reflections on the “Big Game”

I missed this year’s Super Bowl. For anyone who is unfamiliar with this tradition, the Super Bowl is the name given (and trade-marked– that’s why this post’s title is the “Big Game”) to the national championship game for American Football each year. The tradition is as old as I am– 57 years–and each year, it gets nearly as much hype as the World Cup (Football in most of the rest of the world!)

Photo by Joe Calomeni on Pexels.com

Though I missed watching the game, I have some reflections to share about it:

  • While it is an important sporting event for anyone interested in American Football, it is not (for most of us) a life-changing, “Super” anything. I have not watched a Super Bowl game in many years, and my life is every bit as rich and full as it was in years when I did watch. The teams come and go, the players change, and the even the most exciting plays will be largely forgotten in the coming years (except for what gets re-played on “highlights”). It is a Big game. But it is not real life, and it is not THE Big event of anyone’s life– even the players will have other events (marriage, the birth of a child, the death of a parent, etc.) that will compete with the three hours spent one Sunday in February on a football field.
  • Football is divided into two halves (four quarters, to be exact). In between the two halves is a period known as “Half Time.” This is a curious ritual. The two teams get about a half hour to rest, reflect, strategize, and regroup before the second half of the game. Meanwhile, the fans get treated to an entertainment. In high school and college football, this is usually a chance for the marching band to show off. It has a military flavor, with drums, flags, formations, and cheerleaders all getting the crowd enthused for the “home team.” But there is no “Home” team for a Super Bowl. The teams play in a neutral location. So the “halftime” entertainment is like a condensed rock concert. The entertainment has nothing to do with the game at hand, and has no clear purpose.
  • The Super Bowl is televised, and corporations, public service groups, and other interests spend millions of dollars to buy advertising rites, and millions more dollars creating what they hope will be memorable ads to be shown during this window of high visibility. Tickets for the live event are expensive, but millions of people are watching on TV from their homes, or at sports bars or special “Super Bowl” parties.
  • Super Bowl Parties are a huge “thing.” Fans spend hundreds and even thousands of dollars on special food, decorations, venues, team-related clothing and other “gear.”

I am not a big football fan, so I don’t understand a lot of the hype. I don’t begrudge anyone the fun of watching and enjoying sporting events, but I wonder about some of the emphasis placed on this event. What would happen if:

  • People spent the same kind of energy, time, or money on strengthening their family, or building up their community, or spreading the gospel?..There are “Real life” events that are far more important and urgent than a football game– especially one in which we are mere spectators–that should cause us to clear our schedule, make preparations, and keep us riveted. How many people can recall cheering on a new bride and groom, or a high school graduate or a recovering addict or a new Christian with even a tenth of the excitement they give to a groups of players they’ve never met or spoken to, for a game that has no lasting impact on their own life, their family or community?
  • Only those people who were actual football fans attended the Super Bowl or Super Bowl Parties? How many people are spending money, time, and energy on something they don’t even really care about, because of the “shiny” extras on the periphery– the snacks, the Halftime Show, being the “first” to see the newest ads, being part of “the fun”, going along with the “in” crowd?”
  • Churches, schools, charities, etc., could garner similar commitment and excitement from their members and communities? What if we could generate the same kind of money and enthusiasm to fill food banks or send relief to those impacted by hurricanes or earthquakes? What if prayer meetings and tent revivals broke attendance records? What if graduation parties and anniversary parties were as elaborate as Super Bowl Parties?
Photo by August de Richelieu on Pexels.com

Just some thoughts. As I said above, I missed the Super Bowl this year…I don’t know what I might have enjoyed, or what memories I might have had. I much prefer the memories I have of spending time with grandkids, or celebrating special birthdays with friends and family, or helping plan a graduation party for my niece and nephew, or sharing the joy of a baptism. To me, that is Super way to spend a day.

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