If Play is a Sinning, I am a horrific Sinner
Written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. ”
It was the first weekend of my call to my second congregation. The church was in Merrillville, Indiana, a suburb of Gary. After a day of packing and moving, I took a few minutes to exercise and put in a few miles on my rollerblades. I recognized a church member riding past with his teenage son in his truck. He stopped on the road, so I rolled up to the passenger window to say “hi.” Instead of a greeting, this man sneered at me and said, “I never thought I would see a minister act so childish. My minister should not be playing on rollerblades.” Then, he drove off without saying another word or allowing me a reply. It was a sad moment in my ministry.
Where do some Christians get their ideas? If we are called to live our entire lives in union with God, then the minister must model reading Scripture, prayer, and mission and time for renewal, fun, and play. Taking time for exercise nurtures the body, and God wants us to be strong in body, mind, and spirit. Unfortunately, narcissism and unfaithful manipulation are not far behind when ministers are expected to act as superhuman or better humans.
A church is the center of one’s life. We bring all of life to our church. We bring our faith, our learning, and our commitment. But, we also offer our play. In his book, The Rest of Life, Dr. Ben Witherington III decries, “Too many adults for some reason sometimes think it is childish if they also engage in play.” Witherington addresses the issue when he states, “When Christians lose their ability to play, their desire to play, their interest in playing, they are moving away from, rather than toward, ‘turning and becoming as a child’ so they may inherit the kingdom of God.”
Play is a pivotal part of our commitment to our faith in God. God desires us to enjoy the life God has given us. Play is not frivolous but is fundamental to a healthy, meaningful life. Every part of our life is to be offered with the divine One. Our rest, study, worship, love, work, and play are presented to and blessed by God. Twenty-nine years ago, I refused to pretend to be someone I was not. I refused to pretend play was not worthy of a follower of Christ. Instead, I kept on rollerblading, biking, and other activities that made friends, bonded our church closer, and made us laugh together and with God. God loves us in our play.
