Imagine this: Your fantasy lineup rides on your star quarterback who plays tonight, and you’re up against that really obnoxious guy from your office, so winning is non-negotiable. The wings are hot, the beer is cold, people are glued to those worn out man cave couches, and you tune in.
Tensions are high. The teams huddle.
And they run out the clock.
Can you imagine this absurd scenario? What football players, hyped on adrenaline and mentally prepared to storm the field, are going to be content wrapped in a group hug for sixty minutes simply talking about the plan?
“You’re the best, Marshall. You take the lead this time.”
“No, you’re the best, Jeffery! Let’s get the ball to you.”
“Aw shucks, brother, I handled the ball so much last game. I want you to have your fair share.”
What a load of garbage. I wouldn’t be caught dead in your man cave in this scenario–there would probably be bottles flung at the TV. Why?
If the players don’t leave the huddle, they don’t fulfill their purpose. Their job is to play the game–the huddle is just a means to that end.
Isn’t that just like the church?
We come together to worship in the midst of this game of life and death. We encourage each other, we refocus and work on our strategy, we spend time listening to the coach…and then we go home. We never play the game. We don’t put our adrenaline and strategy to work.
The huddle is not an end in itself, warm and safe though it may be. You haven’t been bulking up in the gym so you could partake in a cuddlefest–get out there and knock some heads! Play the game, Bears!
Jesus compared us to salt. He said we are the salt of the earth.
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. (Matthew 5:13)
How does salt fulfill its purpose? If it sits on the table in a trendy artisan wooden grinder, is it doing any good? Of course not. It has to actually come into contact with your chicken to be effective. It has to leave the shaker and penetrate the food.
Are you cuddling – or actually playing?
