• You Are Here:
• home »
• rhythms »
• Play

The Rhythm of Playing

We play in light of our gospel identity, learning to enjoy and create out of our freedom in Jesus.

God’s Word —His story—and our lives are filled with playing. Beginning at the earliest levels of childhood and continuing on, all of us play. Every culture, regardless of their possessions or economic standing or industrial development—every culture plays. Our playing includes our recreating—all kinds of activities we do “away from the office.” God’s story begins with Him providing a place in the garden where everything was “pleasing to look at” and enjoy. He commanded His people Israel to party and celebrate Him and His work. Jesus welcomes playful children into His ministry. Apart from the gospel, we often use play as a means of escaping for the purpose of self-centered entertainment and satisfaction.

Playing in Light of Our Gospel Identities

Playing as a worshipper changes everything. My playing is a declaration that all of this is NOT dependent upon me. God’s story and plan won’t come to a screeching halt if I play and enjoy what His good hand has provided. The gospel frees us to create and appreciate art as an act of worship. Our creative playful creations (art, music, writing, cooking, photographing, hobbies) can be God-glorifying worship statements back to our God who is the original player, artist, craftsman, sculptor, musician, author, and storyteller. Playing sports or enjoying games doesn’t become our self-focused entertainment meant to replace God, but in the gospel is brought under His rule, giving glory back to Him. Playing as a learner changes everything. How did Jesus connect playing and recreating back to the Father? How does Jesus come to restore playing and creating from self-directed to God-glorifying? How does our playing honor our Father? How do we enjoy the gift of playing and recreating without becoming lazy or irresponsible? Playing as a missionary changes everything. Imagine what it would like to invite others who we are lovingly trying to reach with the gospel to join us as we play. What if game nights, super bowl parties, little league baseball games, movie nights, painting classes, photography groups, book-reading groups, and your bowling team all become opportunities to go on mission instead of escaping mission? What would it look to adopt your kid’s swim team as your mission, bringing the best food to meets, organizing swim team parties, swim team game nights, and teaming up with another family from Fellowship on the same swim team and teaching your families to begin praying for the salvation of swim team kids and their families? Playing as a family changes everything. Because we’re already fully accepted and adopted into God’s family in the gospel, we don’t use our playing to give us value or a place to belong. Now we are free to play with our family and invite others to join us. Imagine having the best family—caring brothers and sisters who know how to have a blast together as they enjoy God. How fun would would it be having game nights with them, taking road trips to the football games, sharing a new song you were working on with them, or playing Rock Band with them? Now imagine being able to invite others who do not have that kind of family to come experience that with you—to take the blessing of the family of God that has blessed you with and see it become a blessing for someone else.