All-Stars Baseball vs. Church

This weekend begins a 4-week season of All-Stars Baseball for our 8 year-old son. Brock was actually selected to play on an All-Star team last year, but this year we have had more time to prepare and discuss all of the issues of being on a traveling all-star baseball team. The first and most obvious issue for a Christian family is the dilemma of every tournament being played on weekends. Typically the way an all-star tournament goes is like this: on Saturday all the teams play one another in a "round robin," and according to their records from those games they are seeded in a tournament, which is played on Sunday. The reason this can be a dilemma for Christian families is because tournament games are often played out of town, or could even be scheduled during the morning hours, the same time as most church worship gatherings.

I have chosen to title this article "All-Stars Baseball vs. Church" because it states the tension that so many Christian families have faced over the years of playing sports, taking vacations, going to band or cheer competitions, or any number of different community activities family members have been involved in. Traditionally, whenever anything caused us to consider missing a worship gathering or church meeting many families have been made to feel as though the event they were considering and the church meeting were two things that were against one another. Thus the title "All-Stars Baseball vs. Church." This brings up a very interesting conversation. One that I have been having for several weeks as this year's all-stars season has approached. There are a few other Christian families on Brock's team this year, and together we have been discussing this "dilemma," which has caused us to come up with some very creative ideas for how to help alleviate the felt tension among families who desire their children to be able to participate in other community activities while also honoring Christ and glorifying God in all they do. Here are some thoughts to consider.

Probably the most common answer to this dilemma is to simply state a hard line of right and wrong when it comes to church attendance. For instance, in my youth this question seemed to be a no-brainer: where a person was on Sunday morning was the ultimate test of their loyalty to Christ. Everyone who was truly committed to Christ was expected to be at church regardless, and would be considered a hero of the faith for making the choice to miss a baseball game in order to attend the church meeting.

The problem with that line of thinking is that it puts "being at the church meeting" at such an elevated proof or evidence of faith in Christ, when in fact there are many who attend church meetings faithfully yet have no faith. Therefore we must be careful of saying there is only one right answer to this so-called dilemma. To do so would be dangerously close to a legalistic view of church attendance, and could possibly lead someone down a similar path of the Pharisees, who praised such acts over true and living faith. As you have heard me say many times over the past 4 years, we are called to BE the church, and to live out our faith and glorify God wherever we happen to be, and in whatever we happen to be doing. I would rather see a person of active, living, daily faith in Christ miss a church meeting than see a person come to every meeting of the church but show no evidence of faith any other day of the week.

On the other side of this discussion is the fact that while it is important to live and be part of the world as believers in Christ, it is vitally important that we regularly gather with other believers in a community of faith for our strengthening, encouragement, and spiritual nourishment. To habitually neglect this at the expense of community activities or personal vacations is just as wrong.

As those of you who know me know, I am not interested in old legalism. I have missed church meetings here and there in order to attend games I am coaching or to be with my kids who are playing. But there is also something about the discipline of church attendance (actual participation in a family of faith—the kind of thing that gives Hebrews 10:24ff life!) that is vital. We believe that we’re forming a certain kind of person through such disciplines as this. And it is our hope that our children see our regular attendance at church meetings as not a ritual we keep, but a healthy part of the formation of our lives as believers in Christ.

Someone once attempted to quote me a couple years back and said they heard me say: “God doesn’t care whether or not you attend church.” I never recall saying exactly that, and I hope none of you have ever processed anything I have said in that way. The fact is, I do believe God is very interested in our commitment to be with other believers in a community of faith. What I do not believe is that He is keeping a record of church attendance, from which we will be rewarded as heroes of the faith.

I understand the frustration we have all experienced with old legalism. But we must also be just as careful to not say that this spiritual discipline, this matter of community, this place of being intentional about regularly worshiping and fellowshipping with our brothers and sisters in the faith, does not matter. It most certainly does.

I know that April and I want to be sure that the message we are sending to our children is that God is a priority in ALL of our lives, whether Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or etc. Church meetings are obviously a priority because we have created a regular habit of attending. But more importantly, they know that God is a priority because we have created regular habits of honoring God in a variety of ways: at meal times, at bed times, while driving in the car, while going to school, while on the gymnastic floor, while on the baseball field, etc. and etc.

We are most certainly thinking about priorities, and we are also thinking about the larger understanding of spiritual formation. Our deepest hopes for our son and daughter have nothing to do with playing baseball, cheerleading, or even going to church. Our greatest hopes for our children is that they will develop genuine, living faith in Jesus Christ.

Just 15 years ago, the decision to “miss church” for a ballgame would have been a no-no for me. As I have continued growth in age and in the Lord, I have grown to see church through the lens of relationship—being a way of life, a people—rather than a meeting that happens once a week at a particular place or building. BEING the church means that we are the church—and not a time slot on Sunday morning—which means being the church could happen at the baseball game just as well.

IMPORTANT: do not hear me saying, “Everything is church,” because I am a firm believer in attending regular assemblies with a common Christ-community for worship, Bible teaching, and communion. But these kinds of activities in our lives that we often deem as “in conflict” with church, I believe actually provide us opportunities to teach a deeper lesson about the essence of “church.”

This Sunday morning before I come down to our Oasis worship gathering I will be hosting an All-Star team worship gathering/Bible-study/prayer meeting at the shelter house in the park in Athens at 7:45am. Then, the team will play a game at 9:00am, which I will attend for the first hour. Then I will leave the rest of the game to my assistant coaches and drive down to be with my Oasis family and preach from James chapter 1. After that gathering I will go back to Athens and be with the team for the remainder of the tournament.

Choosing to be involved with the All-Star team the way we are (as a coach and having our son play) has provided us with some wonderful conversations with other brothers and sisters in Christ (who also have kids on the team) regarding church and faith in Christ, and it has even given me the opportunity to answer questions from some who are not yet believers in Christ. I am looking forward to how the next 4 weeks may in fact provide our family with an opportunity to be a witness for Jesus.

I pray that this article will be helpful as you process these kinds of things in your own family. I know that there are a number of varying opinions on these issues, and I respect others who may stand in a different place. Not everyone faces these kinds of issues. But if your family is one that is involved in sports or any kind of community, school activity or group in the world there is a good chance you will be faced with the same "dilemma" at some time or another. Just fill in the blank: "__________________ vs. Church." My hope is to convince you that it does not have to be a hard line one way or the other. Remove the "vs." from the title of this article, and replace it with an "AND." And... "whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Comments

[Jared]

Good stuff bro! We'll remember this article when Gavin gets older and involved in sports and other activities.
By the way, let us know when Brock's tournament in Baltimore is.

[Misi N]

Good thoughts....this is something we've talked about, as well. In the end, it was my 12yo son who decided that he wanted to be at church with his church family, learning about God, more than he wanted to be at Sunday morning soccer games.

Occasionally, I think it's okay, but to habitually miss is the problem. Here, the select soccer teams travel almost every weekend for three months. For us, sadly, it wouldn't work as well as it seems it will for you.

Hope you have a great season!

[Chris]

Thanks Misi. Wow, every weekend for three months would be tough to commit to. That's too bad. One of the aspects that has made it easier for us is that ever since the first year I began leading Bible study, prayer and communion with the team if they have to play on Sunday mornings. Appreciate your comments.

[Jeannie Kimbrough]

I cannot tell you how many times my husband and I have discussed this same issue. We have not 1 but 2 boys that play All Stars and it has been a struggle on what is "right or wrong". I SO appreciate your article helping me to look at the situation in a whole new way. I don't want to hurt my children's view of church being "legalist" because I think in a lot of ways that can be more harmful than showing them how we can be the Church outside the walls of the actual building yet still showing them the importance of regular church attendance. Thanks again!