One brick can’t do much, but a bunch of them together, can build a fortress.
Seems like everywhere I look these days, there’s some new controversy about sports and prayer. In September of 2014, the ACLU told a Tennessee high school that they were no longer allowed to have a prayer over the PA system before the game. They were allowed a moment of silence.
The two cheer captains from each team, decided to stand up on their own, and lead their teammates in the Lord’s Prayer. When they were obedient to God’s call, the Holy Spirit stepped in. The entire crowd in the stands joined in. They were amazed. It was completely unexpected. But, that’s what happens when we step out in faith.
There wasn’t much the ACLU could do about it.
The latest prayer war is happening in the state of Washington. At Bremerton High School, a football coach named Joseph Kennedy, has been walking to the fifty yard line to kneel in prayer, after each game, since 2008, when he saw the film, “Facing the Giants.”
He always says some form of the following prayer: “Lord I thank you for these kids and the blessing you have given me with them. We believe in the game; we believe in competition and we can come into it as rivals and leave as brothers.”
It’s pretty shocking, I know. Apparently the big issue for the school district was that he used the word, “Lord,” in it.
Well, last Friday night was their homecoming game. The coach was told he could no longer pray in the locker room or on the field after the game, because he was still on the clock for the school. He was told by the school district if he prayed, he would lose his job. He agreed not to pray in the locker room because he did in fact, have a captive audience.
Did I mention that Coach Kennedy was a Marine for twenty years? He served in Dessert Shield and Dessert Storm. Kennedy said, “He spent twenty years defending the Constitution and the freedoms that everybody has.”
After the game was over, as usual, he went to the fifty yard line and took a knee and prayed. He always has players who voluntarily follow him, but last week, the team on the opposing side and their coaches joined him.
Not only that, the word had gotten out about his situation and fellow prayer warriors showed up. One man had never been to a Bremerton football game, but came because he was tired of, “ACLU bullies.” Another man hadn’t been to a high school game in forty years, but came to pray with the coach. A State Representative came and stood by the coach through the entire game.
Who knows how the story will end? Coach Kennedy has kept his eyes focused on the, “things of God, not the things of man.”
But one thing is for sure; this is how revival starts. Christians don’t have to ram our faith down anyone’s throat. We don’t need violence. We don’t need protest signs. We don’t need hate speech or to try to put someone out of business because they don’t believe like we do.
All we have to do is remember that the God we serve called the universe into being. He is all-powerful and in control. Then, we need to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our fellow prayer warriors in Christ.
The Holy Spirit will do the rest. The only question for us, is are we willing to stand up or in this case, take a knee? Perhaps it’s time to get off of the sidelines and into the game.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂