Oh, I love football, don't get me wrong, but I love to spend my time with the Lord more. He has given me one day in seven simply to think about Him, worship Him, sing to Him, pray to Him, and (most of all) enjoy Him.
I remember a time in college when I came back to my dorm room after our evening service. There were my buddies huddled around the tube watching the "big game." I remember the slow motion replay of the player sprinting down the field. But I also remember thinking how frivolous it seemed in comparison to the worship I just finished.
I would encourage all my friends to hear again the joyous command,
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days thou shalt labor and do all thy work. But the seventh day is the sabbath unto the Lord your God. In it you shalt not do any work, neither you, nor your son, nor your manservant nor your maidservant, not thy cattle, nor the stranger within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is. But seventh day he rested. Therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
The insightful men who framed the Westminster Catechism help us to meditate on this blessed command. They wrote,
How is the sabbath (or the Lord's day) to be sanctified?
The sabbath (or Lord's day) is to be sanctified by an holy resting all the day, not only from such works as are at all times sinful, but even from such worldy employments and recreations as are on other days lawful; and making it our delight to spend the whole time (except so much of it as is to be taken up in works of necessity and mercy) in the public and private exercises of God's worship.
I know there will be churches offering super bowl parties. I know there will be pastors wearing their sports jersey's into the pulpit that morning. But I encourage you to...
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
look full in his wonderful face.
And the things of this world will grow strangely dim,
in the light of his glory and grace.
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