The Hockey Church Saga

Recently my good friend Sterling invited me to help him with the provincial pee wee “C” tournament that he was organizing here in Coaldale. He asked me to do some announcing for the games – you know –
« Le premier étoile se soir
Da furst e-starr
Steve Shutt”
(my first exposure to public address announcers was the one who announced at the Montreal Canadians hockey games – the first team I cheered for…)
So I was jacked to do it.
He asked me if it would be okay if I announced a 9:30 am game on Sunday morning. Well I said yes (in addition to half a dozen other games that weekend). I loved it. I got to put on my booming voiced and mispronounce a bunch of weird names. It was fun and it seemed like it was well received.
So I show up at the rink at 9 am to get ready for the game and I must run into about three or four people from church.
“Aren’t you supposed to be somewhere else this morning?” – they all ask with a widening grin.
“Nope! But shouldn’t I be asking that of you?” I said smiling back at them. Nudge Nudge Wink Wink…
I guess some of the people in community noticed that ‘the pastor’ was at the game as well. And apparently some good conversations were started as a result. Funny thing isn’t!
Of course as many of you know – there would be a strong negative reaction from the leadership in my church if I were to make hockey a regular part of my Sunday experience.
I think I kinda know what Jesus was talking about when he broke Sabbath conventions and social parameters by healing people and eating at ‘sinners’ homes. It’s the sick who need a doctor… the funny thing is that when I look at my friend Sterling I see anything but a ‘sick’ person. Here is a man who I think understands his own pastoral role better than many people…
So there you go. I hope more than just some media stunt maybe calling the goals and penalties this weekend helped a few people see legitimacy in their faith expression. And I hope they perhaps were challenged in a small way to ‘take it up a notch.”