Bowling With Christ Pin #9: The Famous Bowling Jersey

by Pastor Daniel

Hello Friends,

How are you doing today? When you read this, Summer Vacation has commenced! Public pools are opened, schools out for the Summer, backpacks have been thrown into the dark abyss of the closet, sleeping in has become routine, and spending a lot of time outside is the preferred method for passing the time. Life is pretty good at the moment! After nine months of doing homework, going to bed early, waking up early, and not having much time to do fun things, the time has come to kick-back and relax. Happy Summer Vacation to each of you!

To kick off Summer Vacation, I thought we could continue talking about bowling with Christ, since we have more time on our hands, bowling this Summer might become a fun adventure. However, knowing how bowling relates to our walk with Christ makes bowling a lot more fun! So far we have talked about the foul line, the ball-return machine, the bumpers, the alley, the bowling pins, the bowling ball, and the bowling shoes. We have certainly found the teachings of Christ in bowling! But, there is still more!! Let’s remind ourselves of what we talked about a few weeks ago.

Bowling shoes. God has given us shoes–something to cover our feet. Those coverings may simply be socks, or shoes with laces, or shoes without laces, or shoes with straps, or shoes with velcro, or shoes that you just slip on. Sometimes our feet are merely covered by the dirt and filth of the earth. Either way, God has given us something to cover our feet–bowling shoes. The Apostle Paul, when describing the armor of God, specifically mentions that we must put shoes or sandals on. Paul says in Ephesians 6:15 “lace up your sandals in preparation for the gospel of peace.” The bowling shoes that we put on to knock down those pins represent the gospel of peace: they prepare us for what God needs us to do. Just like the bowling shoes prepare us to knock down the pins, the shoes of the gospel prepare us to share the good news and bring peace to every person we meet. We all have got shoes because we all have Jesus and God in our heart. The next time you lace up those old bowling shoes, remember what you are doing: you are getting prepared for the mission ahead. The bowling shoes help you knock down those pins. The shoes of God prepare you to do His work today and every day. So, when you put on bowling shoes or even your own shoes, tell yourself you are preparing to do God’s work, to knock down those pins, and to share the gospel of peace with everyone.

Who would have ever thought that a pair of bowling shoes could teach us so much about being prepared for Christ? There is still more! Sometimes, when you go to the bowling alley or watch bowling tournaments on TV, you may notice that people are wearing matching shirts. Those matching shirts are called jerseys, specifically bowling jerseys. Bowling is not the only sport or club that wears jerseys. Baseball teams wear jerseys, soccer teams wear jerseys, certain clubs wear jerseys or matching shirts. Jerseys are everywhere. But did you know that bowling jerseys can teach us something about Christ?

Paul wrote in his letter to the people of Ephesus, “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place…” (Ephesians 6:14). This breastplate of righteousness is our jersey. It teaches us two things. First, by wearing the breastplate of righteousness, the jersey of Christ, we are part of a unified team: we are part of God’s team. God has given us a jersey of righteousness so that we will be distinguished or recognized in this world as being one who has Jesus in their heart. Second, by wearing the breastplate of righteousness, we are protected and prepared to build God’s bowling team. From this jersey of righteousness we are cloaked with God’s love and forgiveness and protection and clothed with the garment of doing what is right in the sight of God. God wants you to wear this jersey wherever you go because not only will He be able to find you when you are in trouble, but others will see you and want the same jersey that you have.

So, when Paul says that we have “the breastplate of righteousness, ” he means that we have been given a bowling jersey that makes us part of God’s bowling team: the best team ever. The next time you go bowling, find a shirt that you think represents the jersey of God. You are part of God’s team and God will protect you wherever you go. See you next week as we knock down the last bowling pin: Pin #10!

Your Friend, Holy Spirit!

Pastor Daniel