Featured Christian Pro Athletes & Sunday Church Attendance

How about full-time evangelists who are hardly ever (if ever) in their home church on Sundays?

 

Paul says we don't need to keep the Christian Holy Days.

“One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.” Romans 14:5–6 (KJV 1900)

 

Paul seemed to enjoy sports, and AFAIK, he never wrote anything negative about participating in sports. Granted, we don’t know if they had sporting events on the sabbath back then or not. In the early 1900’s they didn’t play baseball on Sunday.

 

This passage is not about church attendance per se. It concerns something more fundamental - leaving the faith altogether. Verse 26 speaks of it as sinning willfully, a sin that has no sacrifice left for it. The "assembling together" is the same as that of 2 Thess. 2:1, the gathering in of saints to make up the Kingdom. I cringe whenever I read this passage in Hebrews used merely as a goad to church attendance. Clearly, reading the context, it is about something greater.

 

First, not all churches meet on Sunday, and many have services at other times.

Second, I don't think attending the Sunday am service is the only way to be involved in the life of the Church. I was a paramedic for many years and, while I missed the Sunday am service, it was always my understanding that there are other ways to be fed and to serve and that the important thing, really, is that you're under the instruction and submission to the a local church body.

Third, NFL games, typically, are played at 1 pm, 4 pm, and 8 pm. The 1pm start gives a player plenty of time to make the pm church service and the 8pm start gives him plenty of time to make the am service.

Fourth, unless you're Bo Jackson, you're not playing sports every week. Most sports would only require you to miss a couple of Sundays a year.

 

I agree. I was a firefighter for many years and my job often required me to work Sundays. While I missed being in church, I never felt guilty about it because there's a difference between somebody who desires fellowship, but can't, and somebody who can fellowship, but won't.