Supper Bowl Sunday!

Many of us are planning to stay home and ready to scream for their team in front of the Television sets. Over 90 millions people are going to view the Supper Bowl XVII this coming Sunday after noon. This is a must see TV event for the culture of United States. If you are not interested in this Supper Bowl game, you will find yourself as if, you are primitive and a little bit off from society. You will notice yourself more often, especially when people at office places, markets or schools, start talking about their favorite teams and games; you are like “no idea” guy among them.

About Supper Bowl; should we, as Christians, have supper bowl party at the church? Some says it would be opportunity to bring people to church. Other says that it is idolatry thing for Christian to endorse such game at church. What is your intake?

I heard this topic was debated on the radio talk show recently. Some Pastors are doing supper bowl Sunday worship. Meanwhile, others are criticizing them as people who make the place of worship as a den of thief.
There are many ways of justification that they make themselves for whatever position they take. Either you are for the supper bowl or the so called “conservative” You have your reasons why you choose this or that way.

If you are for the Supper Bowl party at church, your reasons may be like these;
1. Supper Bowl is an opportunity to reaching out the outsiders.
2. It will be alright for a Christian to enjoy the game at church.
3. It is a part of American culture that everyone participates.

If you are against the Supper Bowl party at church, your reasons may be like these;
1. House of God, the church should be separated from secular world’s affairs.
2. Christians should not be over emphasis on games; anything more is idolatry.
3. It is bad testimony to others if we endorse supper bowl in the church.

Well, both sides are able to support from the Scripture point of view. For the Supper Bowl party people, they said, Paul the apostle encourages us to be able to identify with the people “to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men that I might by all means save some.” (1Cor.9:22). On the other hand, Christians are to be distinguishable themselves from the world, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John.2:15); “Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” (2Cor.6:17). How can we understand in this situation?

My final thought on this matter is this; first of all, we are to be well balance in our judgment. Either way we choose, we are to give account to God (Rom.14:12; Heb.4:13). We are to glorify God in all that we do “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1Cor.10:31).

There are three ways that Church must face the cultures.
1. By ignoring the cultures: which mean Christian barricade themselves from the world. (Wrong thing is that we are totally relinquish the teaching of Jesus, to be salt and light to the world. We can not do that by staying away or ignoring people.)
2. By duplicating the cultures: This means becoming oneness with the world. (Wrong thing is that compromising Christian values and instead of influencing the world but rather influenced by them.)
3. By redeeming the cultures: which means bring cultures into the truth of God. (This is right thing to do; let the Bible speaks into the cultures and let the cultures be confirmed into God’s Word.)