Tom Terrific?

Last night I watched one of the most exciting Superbowls I've ever seen. And yes, I actually was able to watch it. We always have a youth group party, and its usually at a house with a huge yard, huge driveway, additional garage upstairs-room. Translation=the kids don't watch the game. 

This year a different family graciously hosted it. With a different venue, less room, and plenty of couch space, we actually watched the game. Honestly it was a little freaky, kind of twi-light zone-esque; the youth were actually watching the game too. Weird.

Regardless I witnessed the 'best quarterback ever' (according to some) look like he could have played for the Bucs. He really looked average. Not so much because he was bad, or because he was hurt, but because the defensive line put pressure on him. His incredibly protective offensive line gave up 5 sacks and left him getting hit all game. It was beautiful.

Brady is good, but part of his goodness depends on the strength of his offensive line. It really does. 

It reminded me of the body of Christ. The church is described as a body in I Corinthians. The letter begins with divisions among the body, where different factions claim allegiance to a certain apostle or church planter-(Peter, Paul, Apollos). But Paul points out that each part of the body needs the other parts to survive. The hand can't say to the eye, "I could do without you bro." And vice versa. 

 

Both football and the church are 'team sports.' If the pastor is the quarterback, then much of the rest of the body comprise the offensive line. As we saw with the Patriots, the offensive line is really the key to the game. So is the congregation. A congregation using their gifts, serving, reaching out, ministering mercy and the like is a congregation firing on all cylinders. Throw in the preaching of the word and other pastorly duties, and you got one heck of a team. 

The main difference is that our enemy is not the Patriots, Baptists, Methodists, but the world, flesh, and the devil. That's who we compete against.