A Team Sport

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

--Colossians 3:12-14

It’s Bowl Season! This weekend the major college football bowl games will be played, and I am happy to say that “my” team is still in the hunt for a national championship.  While I was never much of an athlete (OK, I was never an athlete at all), I have always been a fan.  Baseball and football are my favorite sports to follow.  As a loyal fan, I have watched “my” teams go through championship seasons and years when wins were hard to come by.  I have watched star players come and go, and coaches get hired and fired.  But the best seasons are the ones when the team is playing as a team, where each player is playing his or her role to the best of their ability, and when everyone seems to “click”.

I have always believed that Christianity is a team sport.  OK, it’s not a “sport.”  It is a way of life.  But, stick with me for a minute.  Christian faith is a way of life that is meant to be lived together in community. The church is a team tasked with sharing Christ’s love and grace with the world in word and deed.  But, sadly (in my opinion), for many people today, doing the Christian faith in community seems optional.  That approach to the faith has never made sense to me.  It’s like trying to play football by yourself.  You can do it, but it is not nearly as much fun (trust me, I’ve tried).  

I understand that the church can be a tough place.  We have alienated and hurt many.  I have been an eyewitness to some pretty awful behavior in congregations! Sometimes the “team” is clearly not clicking.  I pray that God’s healing, forgiveness, mercy and reconciliation pour down on those places. I pray that God would send them whatever they need to become the caring communities of love and hope God intends them to be.

This week’s passage from Colossians is one of my favorite descriptions of what it means to be a community of faith, what it means to be Christ’s Church.  The whole passage turns on love: our love for one another shown in compassion and forgiveness, and God’s love for us, experienced through word and worship and thanksgiving.  The whole passage turns on Jesus, whose way of life should be our way of life, guiding and informing all that we say and all that we do.   It is the summary of the playbook for the Christian “team.”

If we lived up to the picture painted of the Church painted by Colossians, we would definitely be in the hunt for the championship every season!  Of course, as fallible, imperfect human beings, we rarely live up to the “perfect harmony” Colossians describes.  But, ultimately, we know that every season will be a winning season. Why?  Because we have the life of Jesus, the power of the Holy Spirit and the never failing love of God on our side.  And, for that, we can truly give thanks.

Peace,

Bishop Mike.

Thank-you for reading! May God bless you in this new year!