Another Play

I went to an elementary school basketball game the other night. As the game began I realized, very quickly, that the students on our team had been taught a couple of specific plays. When the coach would yell out the play names the team members would take their positions on the court and would run that exact play.

Throughout the game the coach continued to yell out one of the two plays, and each time the team members would run that specific play. 

You see, our team had been trained very well on these plays. The issue was that our team would run the play - by the book - without deviating from it - even if the opposing team's defense had adapted - even if the opposing team had stolen the ball on the other end of the court. 

As the game progressed I realized that our team had not learned the fundamentals of basketball; passing, dribbling, guarding, and shooting. What they had learned was plays - how to set them up and  how to execute them. Yet, because they lacked the basics, these plays were worthless. 

As the game concluded it occurred to me that many churches are operating under the same premise.

We have learned several "plays" - several programs - as The Church and we run these programs week after week while seeing very little outcome. We lack the conversions, life transformation, and spiritual growth and we wonder why. Then, in response, we learn new "plays" - new programs - for The Church and we begin to implement them. 

We run these programs in our churches week after week and all the while our opposition - the evil one - has adapted to the "plays" and stolen "the ball" at the other end. 

Maybe it's time we returned to the fundamentals; Scripture, true prayer, Christian fellowship, and spiritual discipleship. Only through these "basic fundamentals" will we begin to turn the tide in our culture and see growth in The Church. 

Let us not learn more "plays" and more programs. Let us learn Jesus.