Church Life is Like Playing Catch

There is something very enjoyable about playing catch. I love simply throwing a baseball or football back-and-forth with somebody else. They throw, and I catch. Then I throw, and they catch. It's fairly basic. We've all done it with various different items on multiple occasions. Some folks even play catch with stuffed animals. Regardless, the key is the back-and-forth aspect of it.

Church life is a lot like playing catch.

The best picture we get in the bible of church life is the one anothers. I'm referring to the multiple commands we read throughout the New Testament that instruct us in how to relate to one another. These commands are almost always in the plural. For example:

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35

"Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." Romans 12:10

"I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another." Romans 15:14

"So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another." I Corinthians 11:33

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:32

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." Colossians 3:16

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works." Hebrews 10:24

This is just a small sample of the one anothers that we see in the New Testament. The directional aspect of this is critical. It is not one way. Rather, it is back-and-forth, sort of like playing a game of catch.

When you play catch, some throws are right on target. They are easy to catch. However, once in a while throws are not so good. This forces us out of our comfort zones. We might have to run hard to make the catch, or run far behind us to retrieve the ball. This part of playing catch is more challenging. So it should be in church life. As we strive to stir one another up to love and good works, some of the time is more comfortable than others. Once is a while we need to challenge others or be challenged ourselves. However, this is probably not the norm. Generally, we ought to simply enjoy one another's company, sharing life together.

I hope you have brothers and sisters in Christ who like to play catch.