Service Times and Sporting Events

Many churches in Minnesota (and Louisiana) are facing a dilemma: what should we do with our Sunday evening service when the NFC Championship Game’s kickoff is set for 5:40 p.m.? I realize that many people do not have any interest in such things as sporting events. For them this whole discussion is an exercise in futility or, worse, an evidence of spiritual immaturity. “How could any good Christian be distracted from the ministry of the Word by something as insignificant as a football game?” they might ask.

For the uninitiated I cannot begin to explain what has become for some an ungodly obsession, and for people like these some real heart work is needed as concern for the outcome of a game has replaced their sincere love for Christ. They would rather talk about their team than about Christ; they would rather be late to a service or choir practice than miss the last 3 minutes of a game; their whole emotional and spiritual demeanor is directly affected by whether or not their team is victorious. In regard to this group of people (and there are probably a few in every church), a decision about changing service times will have no effect in regard to their sinful obsession. Consistent preaching of the Word and the convicting work of the Spirit will likely be the only things that can redirect the heart’s affections to what is really important.

But there is another group of people in every church, people for whom the outcome of certain sporting events prompts interest. These folks follow their favorite teams just like anyone might find enjoyment in their particular hobby or pastime. The difference, though, between entertainment found in sporting events and that found in knitting or reading or hiking is that sporting events take place during pre-arranged periods of time. Part of the enjoyment for this type of entertainment is experienced in the actual unfolding of the event itself. This is why recording these events and watching them later or reading about the outcome after it has taken place takes away somewhat from the enjoyment factor. This situation is analogous to going on a hike without the proper footwear or riding a bike that has underinflated tires. In both cases people are enjoying their hobby, but in neither case are they enjoying it as much as they could if the conditions were optimal.

Now should we try to accommodate this second group of people (and there are probably many in this group) in our churches? The leaders in a church must decide between three options whenever a “big game” is scheduled: 1) cancel the service; 2) change the service time; 3) have the service at its regular time. In my opinion #1 is not an option due to the fact that the church would be sending a clear message, e.g., “We think that a sporting event is more important than our worship.” The difficulty lies in the messages one might send in choosing between #2 and #3. Option #2 might indicate a concession to the fleshly, entertainment-oriented culture of our day, one that says, “Church is fine as long as it does not interfere with my more important entertainment interests.” Additionally, option #2 could be construed as indicating that a church’s heart for worship on the Lord’s day (Sunday) has been supplanted by a concession to worldly pursuits. Option #3 may seem at first glance to have no difficulties attached, but could an attender see this as an indication of a lack of love toward those who, try as they might, are distracted by their interest in a big game?

I believe that the leadership in the church needs to be alert to the hearts of the people. Has love for God been supplanted by obsession with the home team? If it has, keeping the service time as normal may well be the wisest decision, providing an opportunity to indicate heart issues in the congregation. On the other hand, since we are talking about what is typically going to be a once-in-a-decade situation (make that once-in-a-century if you are a Chicago Cubs fan), it might be important to consider the reality of distraction that some in the congregation cannot avoid. While this might be evidence of weakness on the part of some, it is still a reality and in some contexts one which could be avoided. I am reminded of a church I attended in Wisconsin during Green Bay’s 1997 trip to the Super Bowl. Rather than deal with the distraction of the game that was scheduled during the regular evening service time, the leadership decided to have a potluck meal after the morning service followed by an afternoon service. Was this a concession to the entertainment culture of Packerland? Perhaps. But there was certainly far greater attention given to the worship of Christ at that service than there would have been had the service been conducted at its normal time.

Excursus on the provision of conducive environment for obedience. Consider the following statement: “It is easier to obey God when one feels good.” The sentence at first glance appears patently true. Yet, we should think through its ramifications, including potential excuse-making and blame-shifting to cover sinful choices. One must eliminate wrong delineations of this truth. The statement is not saying, “One has to obey God only when one feels good.” Nor is it saying, “We should always make ourselves feel good before we obey.” The statement, however, is giving an obvious truth which encourages this suggestion: I need to do my best to give attention in its appropriate priority to how I feel, because this directly impacts my sanctification. My feelings then take on a spiritual connotation. Thus, it is wisdom lived out to get enough sleep, to get enough exercise, to spend the right amount of time in fellowship with others (or in solitude with God) so that I can feel good in order to best be able to obey God. (I think this has huge application to parents in their treatment of their children. Do we make it ‘conducive’ –in the right sense—for them to obey? We should. But that’s another point for another blog.) Hence, if we can make it easier (in an appropriate sense with no immoral or worldly concessions) for our church members to attend a Sunday evening service by moving the time away from the distraction of the event, why shouldn’t we? It is easier to focus my interest, time and attention on the service if the game is not going on at the same time. In this one rarely occurring scenario, why not make it easier for people to worship?

Am I advocating a change in service times for the “big game”? I lean toward answering in the affirmative. As a pastor, do I try to make a theological point about where people’s hearts ought to be oriented by keeping service times inviolable? Or do I seek to provide the most conducive environment for sincere worship of Christ and attention to the Word by altering the service time? Perhaps there is more to my decision than this; perhaps this decision about service times is part of a bigger message that I will be sending to my church about our philosophy of ministry and our awareness of cultural influence. Or perhaps the choice to create an alternative option speaks to a desire to worship God with a sincere and undivided heart. May God help us to decide wisely, even in matters of seemingly insignificant import.