Let's Talk About Sports

Scripture: Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air, but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Observation: Writing to a church in a Greek city (Corinth), Paul discusses how he positions the gospel. He has just outlined with them how he will adopt his lifestyle to align to the lives of others - that he "becomes all things to all people" (v22) - so that whom he is does not interfere with the gospel message. At this, he immediately uses the analogy of an athlete as a way of encouraging the Corinthians to no longer sin, but rather to train their bodies, leveraging self-control to instill healthy habits, so they can 'win' the race of salvation.

Application: Throughout the entirety of scripture, there is no evidence I can think of regarding the Jews engaging in any kind of athletic competition. We know that much of what we consider to be practice of athletic competition for entertainment originated with the Greeks, and by ~50 A.D. the Olympics games included various forms of racing, fighting, and field/skill competitions.

And it is after telling the church how he adopts his personal practices to best relate to his audience that Paul immediately does so; a Jew using Olympic competition analogies to tell Greeks how to behave. They are to win the race ... they are pursuing a prize that is greater than a perishable wreath ... they are not just air boxing but truly in event ... they must exercise intentionally and with self-control ... it is not aimless work ... and proceed by the rules so you are not disqualified. This is a masterclass of speaking to the audience using the metaphor they can culturally understand.

I am SO tired of church people judging my church for the way we reach the unchurched of our community. We hold family food truck nights, show a Christmas light show, work a city parade ... and Christians think we are being only secular in our activities, question or practices if not our motives, and actively declare that, if we aren't delivering some traditional message we are dishonoring God.

I am proud to belong to a congregation courageous enough to try to be all things to all people, in order to try to save some. As our world becomes less and less familiar with the basics of Christianity, may I and others lean into this teaching from Paul.

Prayer: Lord, while even I sometimes have mixed feelings about evangelism and how we do it, may your word work within me more and more. I know we must balance how we are 'in but not of' the world, but the lost and hurting need a bridge to meet you. May we be better, and more relatable, bridges. Amen.