The Gospel According to the Change Room

There is something sacred about getting ready to play hockey. Those moments in the dressing room with your teammates with whom you’ve struggled and sweated and bled are holy. There is something in the air, and I’m not talking about the smell of the equipment. The anticipation builds as you hear the Zamboni in the distance and you systematically clothe yourself for battle on the ice: shin guards, socks, pants, skates, shoulder and elbow pads, jersey, helmet, mouthpiece, gloves and stick. The routine is important: it is not mere superstition, it is preparation. You and your equipment become one, and you trust in your equipment to keep you safe and help you perform well for the good of the team.

Our churches aren’t that much different, except hopefully they smell better. Those moments that we gather for worship are holy as we gather, sing, listen, speak, pray, eat and bless, along with our teammates, the body of Christ. God clothes us with truth, righteousness, proclamation of the gospel, peace, faith, salvation, God’s Spirit and the Word of God. We become one with Christ, trusting that God will keep us safe and help us perform well for the good of our team and the world.

Thank you, God, for being at work in my life and making me part of the team. Help us to persevere always. Amen. — ANS