Tailgating for Jesus...

This past Saturday, I attended the annual football clash between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines. In the interest of full disclosure: I am an ardent Buckeye fan, and thoroughly enjoyed the butt-kicking our guys handed to the boys from that state up north. Oh, what fun.

On a more theological note, however: I was struck by the religious nature of the experience...not because of the frequent invocation of the name of Jesus by the guy two rows behind me (who apparently knows more about refereeing a football game than the officials on the field)...but because of several other very familiar factors. There was form...a liturgy, if you will. And it was so well rehearsed that we knew instinctively what to do. When the OSUMB drum line comes down the ramp, you stand up and scream. When the bell tolls for an opponent's third down, you stand up and scream. When Beanie Wells breaks through the line and runs for a 50 yard touchdown, you stand up and scream. (I said it was form; I didn't say it was elegant.)

Likewise, there was devotion to a shared, precious value...in this case, pounding the snot out of your neighbor. There was celebration and thanksgiving...a kind of hot-dog-and-Budweiser eucharist which began for some of the most ardent about Wednesday prior to the game and is probably just now getting finished. And lots of folks gladly pay the price to be a part of a mission so wonderful...from $8 for a program to $150 for a ticket to the groggy realization that eight beers is too many.

It was a great time. I yelled and cheered and hooted with all the rest of the worshipers. No...I didn't have eight beers.

Today, back in the serenity of my study, I'm wondering how we in the Church can capture even a bit of that enthusiasm for our own cause. $8 for a bulletin doesn't seem quite right...nor are we likely to replace the coffee maker with a beer tap. But it occurs to me that we're not as joyful as we could be when we consider the magnitude of what Christ has done for us...and what Christ has promised to do through us.

As Christians we are called to celebrate the greatest victory the cosmos has ever seen....the triumph over sin, death and the devil which is dared on Calvary's cross and vindicated by an empty tomb. More: we who are sinful, broken and absolutely incapable of saving our sorry selves have been made new and whole in the process. And it's all a gift...grace magnificent and unimaginable. At times, we may well stand speechless and in awe. But, dear friends, this is also an occasion to dance and sing and celebrate. Evil is caught in third and long. The bell is tolling. Maybe it's time for us to stand up and yell.

By the way...good tailgating spots are still available on the lawn near the main doors here at Grace. First come, first serve on those. See you Sunday...early.