Basketball is a way of life.
I am not the biggest basketball fan, but every now and then I will really get into it. When I was in high school, our team went all the way to the Minnesota State Championship. School was cancelled so that any student who wanted could go. I remember getting ON THE BUS and riding up to the game in Minneapolis. I remember the excitement and anticipation from the time we got on the bus until the final moments before tipoff. I remember dressing in our school colors and screaming and yelling throughout the entire game. The pep band played, the cheerleaders cheered and the guys on the team gave their all.
Years later it became a common expression for a star player, during a post-game interview, to say something like, “I just tried to leave everything on the court.” It meant that they gave their all. They summoned every bit of their desire, hunger, concentration and energy and harnessed it, channeling it all into one pursuit–victory. Leaving it all on the court renders a player completely exhausted, unable to go on, spent… but basking in the glory of a championship won.
As Carman has already illustrated for us, Jesus already won the championship. He is the Champion. We weren’t there to see Him win it all, but we are invited to the Homecoming party!
Every time we get together to worship with other believers we have the chance to press in, draw near, pursue God with all of our desire, hunger, concentration and energy. In Mark 12:30 Jesus said, ”Love the Lord your God with all your heart (desire) and with all your soul (hunger) and with all your mind (concentration) and with all your strength (energy).” No, he wasn’t merely talking about the corporate worship setting. But I believe it does apply to that setting as well. I know far too many people who complain about church, saying it’s “boring.” Perhaps they’ve gone to church expecting to receive without giving, to be served without serving. Perhaps they weren’t hungry for God, aching to know Him, focusing every ounce of their energy on meeting with Him. Perhaps they never got ON THE BUS.
Worship is a way of life. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.
Leave it all on the court.
Scott Jasmin
