A church that believes together, plays together.
Pokémon Go and Nerf nights are not just outreach gimmicks.
I play a lot of games at church.
Whenever I arrived at the office, I would turn on my Pokémon Go and sync up my Pokémon Go Plus device. Then, during my breaks, I would hit up a raid, maybe a Team Go battle, and sort out my gifts from friends. If I am lucky, I might even be able to join in on a higher-level raid battle with the church secretaries. It helps that the church is also a Pokémon Go gym, so I don't have to get out of my chair most of the time.
Besides swiping Poké Balls at monsters, our church also hosts Nerf nights in our chapel for our youth fellowship and our adult life groups. It's one of the many games we play here at church, and yes, our worship team continues to find Nerf Rival balls and foam darts for weeks afterward. Yet, it's one of the fun activities we love here at the church; to play and play well as a community.
Maybe this is not something you expect to hear from a pastor. I mean, pastors have fun, but not usually at church. That is unless you are the children or youth pastor, then you might have a reason to play at church. Or maybe you have seen games and fun activities are often used to 'attract' newcomers, and so play is seen as a means to an end, a bait-and-switch tactic.
I have always wondered what does Jesus means when he said in John 10:10b, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." What does an abundant life look like? Is it a life only filled with seriousness and somber reflection? Is it a life of productivity and no play? Does God bless our playing?
In Zechariah 8:4-5, it says, (MSG)
A Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies:
"Old men and old women will come back to Jerusalem, sit on benches on the streets and spin tales, move around safely with their canes—a good city to grow old in. And boys and girls will fill the public parks, laughing and playing—a good city to grow up in."
As God paints a picture of what the city of Jerusalem will look like when He brings back the exile. He describes this city with elders moving about and sitting in the city square, talking about the day's happenings. And not only that, there will be children playing on the streets. These are not 'productive' activities, and yet, God sees them as good and something He wants His people to look forward to. Laughter, joy, fun, and games are all part of an abundant life.
This means our work and play are all part of the Christian life.
As God's people, all aspects of our lives are designed by and submitted to our LORD Jesus. There is no part of our lives that should be outside of our faith; that is separated from our Christian living. This is why as the church, we also want to reflect this abundant life authentically. This means play should not be a gimmick to get people to come to church, but rather, it is part of the church; It is part of being in a community of faith.
We believe, we serve, we give, we worship, we work, and we play. We do all these to the glory of God. It is to His glory because we can't and didn't earn this fullness of life. Instead, it is given to us through faith in Jesus. As such, our joy overflows and can be expressed in leisure and play.
Do you play well with your brothers and sisters in Christ? Or better yet, have you played a game, a sport, or a hobby, with your fellow Christ-followers? If not, maybe it is time to bring play back into your relationships with your church community. Maybe it is time to testify to the abundant joy and hope that God has painstakingly painted for us through His Word.
See you on Nerf night!
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