Worship 22 Where is the World Really?

[HKHaugan]

“Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it (Haggai 1:5-6).”
If worship is the investment of our time, talent and energy (our physical equipment), our belief, trust and faith (our spiritual abilities), then its practical definition---practicing worth---means we have centered all we are in what we consider to be what we value the most. That can be a trophy, a degree, a relationship, a profession, a project, a hobby or whatever you believe will deliver some final accomplishment involving your whole being.

When I was teaching in prep school the father of one of my students, an accomplished twenty year executive with a national corporation, invited me to spend a Spring weekend trout fishing with his friends in northern New Hampshire. It was a great time and we caught some really nice fish. A few days after returning to school his son informed me that when his father got to his office that week he found his office emptied, his name erased from the door and that he had been replaced by a younger 'head hunted' genius with newer ideas. Knowing the unjustifiable nature of the incident I could only offer a consoling ear. So much for fidelity, loyalty and devotion in the secular world. When you look more deeply into the whole prep school idea and the colleges to which its graduates will apply it is about another form of worship and that is social and class marketability and success.

It's no different in the sports world. You can see the joy on the face of a recruit accepted into a major league team as he proudly dons the cap carrying its identity. He's just become what he has worked hard for. Three years later the same team dumps him for someone they deem better. Remember the days when a player joined a team and he was with that team all of his athletically able life? No wonder that now it's all about agents, contracts, money and getting all you can while you can. No wonder we gasp when a player gets a hundred million dollar contract. But it's understandable. He could be washed up at 29 or 30 due to injury or wear-out. The systems have made it all about money and whatever it takes to be “Number 1.” The bottom line phrase describes it all, “It's just business.”

This brings something else to mind. The goal of sports executives is winning because winning means money and money means survival. It's not only advertising on TV but having and building a fan base that attends and buys their apparel and other trinkets. It's expanding franchises and fan base which means that athletes are our modern gladiators whose adoring fans become involved in 'fanship,' which is another form of worship. Think of a full stadium as a kind of 'church' where fans come wearing their worship clothes and spend hours involved sharing 'prayers (cheers)' to win. Their 'communion meal' is beer and hot dogs or some similar fare accompanied by 'high fives' when there is on-field success. The 'gladiators' are adored, their autographs sought and team apparel with their names worn.

If all that isn't enough think about this. We have actually made a worship experience out of fantasy. It's called fantasy football (why use capital letters to glorify it?). Fantasizing about that which is not real. Fantasizing being executives, coaches and team builders. Hours upon hours spent in groups and competition and it has even drawn TV network involvement all of which is a practice in absurdity. When the absurd becomes worship we are in trouble. And we haven’t even gotten into other fields like art and drama not to mention the political shenanigans that drain so much emotional energy.

Back to the illustrations. All that went into what both the executives and the players worked for was worship. That's right, worship. It was what they considered had ultimate worth and for which they willingly gave their entire humanity. The stories of depression, broken lives and suicide have been recorded in the media as well as in books, plays and movies.

Now let me say first of all that neither business nor sports are evil. Nor are the secular structures that form society. The problem is in the hearts of the people who occupy them. Their legitimacy is not the issue. All structures are the natural outgrowth of the mind of God as part of the creative ability He has put in the minds of His images. Used within a consciousness of His presence they can produce incredible things for society in general and individuals in particular. But directed by self centered hearts they can be deceptive and destructive. When the Lord God is in charge of the heart time, talent and energy are handled in an eternal context and seen as contributing beyond the self to better the condition of others and the society in which they live. And even if their best efforts are not accepted and greedy higher ups cause a backfire the God-conscious heart reads it as opportunity. Something better is in God's plan. Everything in life is about who and what you worship, who and what you consider contain ultimate value and are worth the investment of your mind, heart and spirit.

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments (Deut.7:9).” The point of this quote is the enduring truth of worship, God. He is the worth that puts everything in balance. The eternal God is the same in every generation, in every circumstance, in every aspect of mind, heart and spirit. In Jesus we see the balance God desires for His images. Whether it's sports, business or any other field, if the hearts in their participation are motivated by the Spirit of the Lord then they are opportunities in which He and His images are glorified not just at the moment of society's recognition but forever. As the Father has said, “This is my Son whom I love, listen to Him.”