Friday; August 17

Up until a few years ago I looked forward to this time of year.  I have been a fan of football most of my life.  I was never a good player, but I was a world-class watcher!  It was exciting to see my teams coming out of summer practices and thinking about the potential for the year, but beyond that, it was just fun to watch the games.  I have to admit that during the last few years I have lost much of my excitement in football.  Whether it is at the college level or in the NFL I have become disenfranchised – not as much with the game itself as with those producing it.  Things like politics; the accusations of cheating; the “me, me, me” attitudes and conflicts over the safety of the game have made it harder to enjoy.  I just don’t know if it is worth the effort.
As I thought about football, my thoughts drifted off to the church and our worship.  Shouldn’t being a part of a church (and worshipping with a bunch of like minded believers) be an incredibly uplifting experience?  Shouldn’t our times of fellowship or worship be filled with peace, love, forgiveness and encouragement?  Yet, for some, it can be difficult to spend time with each other because of disagreements, caustic comments, feelings of loneliness and disunity.  In too many cases, the thing that was created as a harbor of hope and respite from the world has become a time of angst, conflict and discouragement.
I can’t do much about the state of football in America, but it is the responsibility of each Christian to create a welcoming loving environment in the church.  If we can’t all say in unison, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” (Psalm 122:1) we’d better get it worked out in our lives and in our churches. 
Think About It!

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