Bowling With Christ – Pin #1

Bowling With Christ - Pin #1

Hello Friends,

Can you believe that just a little over a week ago we gathered at Parklanes in Newton, IL and went bowling? From the looks on all your faces and your fancy dance moves and the sounds of all those bowling pins crashing against the back wall and your sliding skills across the wood floor, I bet you all had a wonderful time. I certainly did! And I am beyond thankful for those bumpers, because without them, my bowling ball would have ended up in the gutter on several occasions.

After spending some time reflecting on our bowling extravaganza, and with the help of Angela G.–the author of the blog “No Longer Lukewarm”–I thought it would be fun to figure out ways to relate bowling to our Christian ways, to being a good disciple of Christ. I thought about the weight of the ball, the straight and narrow alley, the ten pins, the fault line, the bumpers and gutters, the ball return machine, and several other items as well. And I thought, what does bowling teach us about being a disciple? The more I thought about these things, the more I wanted to share them with you. Now, my idea could be a gutter ball or it could be a strike; however, I cannot let this idea slip away.

Over the next several weeks, we are going to look at the following topics: The Straight and Narrow, Bumpers Are Boundaries, The Weight of the Ball, Where Do the Balls Go?, What are the Pins?, The Foul Line, and Final Thought about Judgment. From each of these topics we are going to learn about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ, and we are going to do our best to remind ourselves of what Paul told the people in Philippi. Paul stated, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). I don’t know about you, but I certainly need strength every day, especially when the weight of the bowling ball gets overwhelming. There are some days when I feel weak; but by believing in Jesus Christ, I receive the strength that I need to keep going.

So I hope you are able to join me every week as I share with you all my thoughts about how bowling can help us follow Jesus. And who knows, maybe after learning about bowling and Jesus, we just might have to go bowling again! In the words of one of my favorite childhood games, Silly Six Pins, “Let’s Get the Ball Rolling!”

Your Friend, Holy Spirit!

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