SUPER SUNDAY

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." Exodus 20:8 (ESV © 2001)

Next Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday and people without a single pigskin gene will watch to see what all the hype is about. Some just want to catch the creative ads for products they don’t buy. Others want to make sure they have seen—and hopefully understood—enough of the game to be able to hold their own in an office or coffee shop conversation.

As for me, I have my own football Sunday routine. Two bowl games ago, I separated all the yarn to a beautiful cross-stitch I had bought the year before, arranging them by their bright colors. Last year, I pulled the yarn into usable, two thread strings. This year, my plan is to thread a crochet needle with one of the double strands, then pick up one of the many unread books I have on my shelf and read until I hear everyone cheer. There will be an instant replay for the benefit of others like me who are "in the room" but not "of the room," as well as for those who didn’t believe what they had seen the first time the play was run.

Some of you have planned your menu, invited friends, purchased soda drinks at a reasonable price, and rented the rug scrubber from the hardware store just to impress your friends. A few of you are wise enough to place a hold on the same unit for the evening after the bowl party once the other fans are gone and the mess has to be cleaned up.

No, this is not a rigid piece about doing nothing on Sunday except Church. It is a reminder about keeping it holy. To be holy and to do holy is to remember whose we are, every day, including Super Bowl Sunday. Enjoy the game with holiness of mind and words. Laugh, yell, jump and scream, but do not hit anyone if the play fails to score. Do not scold a small child for wanting your attention. And, do not drink to the point of losing your ability to be holy. You are a masterpiece of creation. Do not soil the image of God that others see when they watch you, even on Super Bowl Sunday. Let us pray:

"Father God, you are holy and full of grace. Your name is above all names. May my home be within your kingdom, Lord, and may my words and actions there honor you. Forgive me when I allow myself to get out of control and slip into an image that would make it hard or impossible for others to see or recognize you in me. Next Sunday we will celebrate good friends, plenty of food, and the only time we will think we know more than those who are in the game. How silly we are, Father. If we are mean, or rude, or take your name in vain, there is no winning score that will ever be able to erase our out-of-control behaviors. We pray that next Sunday we will present the fun side of Jesus Christ, who also laughed and enjoyed his friends. May next Sunday be a Super Sunday because you will be in our midst again, just as you are every other day. We pray for love to fill us and shine through our expressions and words. In the name of Jesus, your son, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2013 Doris Gaines Rapp
To have a glimpse at what our country may be like if our love of political correctness continues to the extreme, read "Length of Days—the Age of Silence" - available as an ebook at www.amazon.com  and www.bn.com

To realize more clearly the blessings American have, Read "Holding on to Sand—From the Interactive Journal of James Rapp" - available as an ebook at www.bn.com and www.amazon.com