A couple years ago, Beren Academy from Houston, Texas had a great basketball season. Their high school team won the regional championship and qualified to play in the state semifinals. Despite all the success, the team forfeited the game. Robert M. Beren Academy is an Orthodox Jewish day school and the semifinals were scheduled for a Friday night at 9pm. Jews worship God from sundown Friday night through sundown Saturday night, thus creating a conflict. Though the team had a shot at moving to the state championship, they prioritized their worship. A Rabbi from the school described their decision in saying this: “The sacred mission will trump excellence in the secular world.”
Obviously, as Christians, our belief allows for the occasional basketball game on our day of worship (Sunday). But as I read about Beren Academy’s decision, I wondered what we sacrifice for our mission to worship Jesus. When we look out our lives, where does our sacred mission trump excellence in the secular world?
Some might look at Beren Academy’s decision and call it legalism. But I don’t know if our culture’s problem is legalism (especially when it comes to observing the Sabbath). I admire the team’s decision. In a world where work, sport, vacation, family obligations, and even the Sunday paper tempt us to miss worship regularly, a group of high school kids prioritized their sacred mission to honor God.
This morning, let me encourage you let the
sacred mission of worshiping Jesus Christ trump the many distractions our world
has to offer. We don’t do this to
earn our salvation, but we worship because our salvation is earned in
Christ. In the end, the value of
Him and His work on the cross trumps anything this world has to offer. Praise the Lord!
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