E3 Parents

Basketball and Community Part 3

I remember the celebration that took place after the Levelland girls basketball team beat Seminole to make it to the regional tournament. The players on the court were jumping up and down, smiling, and hugging each other. The coaches were congratulating each other and the players. Proud moms and dads, grandparents, and siblings were all smiles and cheers in the stands. Fans from the community applauded with excitement. In basketball everybody celebrates together.

I also remember the feeling of disappointment after the hard fought overtime loss in game one of the regional tournament. The players fought back tears. The fans were silent. Everybody mourns the loss together.

Sometimes I think we miss the mark in Christian community. How often does the entire community celebrate when one Christian has a victory over sin in his life? And how often does the community share in the disappointment of a Christian who gives in to temptation? Might be something we all (including me) need to work on a little bit.

March 22, 2010 at 3:28 pm Leave a comment

Basketball and Community Part 2

In basketball there is a common goal…win the game. And it doesn’t matter if you are a starter on the team, the coach, a proud parent of a player, or a fan with no relational connection with any of the team members. When the clock starts we all sit in the gym with one common goal in mind. It’s a goal that unites us all in heart and mind for the duration of the game. Two people who don’t have a thing in common…even if they have never met…can have an instant bond during the game as they cheer hand in hand for the team to win.

In Christian community their is a common goal…to know Christ and to make Christ known. There’s no game clock (though some people think that clock starts at 11:00 Sunday morning and ends at noon). There’s not just one location (again, some people will confine their participation in community to the church sanctuary). By design community takes place every day and everywhere. And all believers participate fully in the community. Just take a look at Acts 2:46…the community of believers met together every day.

Just like there’s a strategy to achieve the goal in basketball, there’s a strategy to achieve the goal in Christian community. Again in Acts 2 some of the specific things they did to know Christ included: listening to the apostle’s teaching (side note: how cool would it have been to sit under the teaching of an apostle?), they were committed to fellowship…not cake and punch after Sunday night church, but true koinonia–sharing every part of their lives together, they shared communion and prayed together, they ate together and worshipped together. Some of the things they did to make Christ know included: they sold their possessions to give to those in need, they got along well with all people (I’m pretty sure they did this through kindness and love and not through being judgmental and stuck-up), and again they were completely devoted to the teaching of the apostles.

Now look at the results. Acts 2:44 says “they were together and had all things in common.” Acts 2:43 says “everyone was filled with awe” (I know in my own experience the times I am filled with awe at who God is and what He is doing are the times I am growing closer to Him). And Acts 2:47 says “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Sounds like the mission was being accomplished.

I love the model of community we experience during the basketball season. I wonder what would happen if we lived out Christian community with as much passion and commitment as we live out basketball community?

March 3, 2010 at 10:18 am Leave a comment