All too often we draw artificial lines around God’s sphere of influence in our lives (going to church, praying, etc.), the “sacred” areas – and the things which are of seemingly no spiritual benefit (work, hobbies, etc.), the “secular” areas. The result is we know God cares about Sunday, but what about the rest of the week? Does it have any purpose in God’s plans?
This book is a welcome tonic against that “sacred-secular” divide. Daniels and Reid allow sports fans to breathe a collective sigh of relief as they deftly explain that Jesus’ Lordship infuses all of life with a profound sense of meaning and purpose: sport matters more, not less, because Jesus is Lord. To offer ourselves as living sacrifices includes how we work, spend our leisure time and, yes, how we play and interact with sport.
Much of the wisdom in this book is drawn from principles that have made Christians in Sport (of which Graham Daniels serves as Director) so influential in helping people connect Jesus with their passion for sport. The “pray, play, say” slogan (covered in chapter 6) is a simple and effective mantra to keep us focused on a bigger narrative than winning or losing. Grounded and practical, this book speaks not just to players but coaches, fans and parents – with latter chapters on navigating Sunday sport and being Christ-like on the sidelines and the car journey home being of huge spiritual benefit.
