
It's no secret the god of sports reigns over many realms of our culture, including youth culture. In fact, pastors identified it as a key cause in declining church attendance. In a region of the country that has many Christian schools, it makes me wonder: what makes them Christian? Their beliefs? Their practices?
If the sports schedules of Christian schools demand just as much (maybe more!) time, energy, and effort from high school students on down, then what's the difference between them and our broader sports-obsessed culture? In our words, we may proclaim the priority of God's kingdom, but if the actual practice and liturgy of sports places sports on a higher pedestal than our commitment to the practice and liturgy of the church, it's pretty clear what our Christian schools are teaching. And it's not Christianity.
If the sports schedules of Christian schools demand just as much (maybe more!) time, energy, and effort from high school students on down, then what's the difference between them and our broader sports-obsessed culture? In our words, we may proclaim the priority of God's kingdom, but if the actual practice and liturgy of sports places sports on a higher pedestal than our commitment to the practice and liturgy of the church, it's pretty clear what our Christian schools are teaching. And it's not Christianity.