i hereby officially request that we stand together as the body of christ and ban church softball teams once and for all.
it’s not like there’s not already teams out there. we don’t really need to form our own teams, do we? and PLEASE don’t try to tell me that we have church softball teams to represent jesus in the community. i dare you to find someone who has ever umpired in a recreational softball league where church teams were involved, and ask him/her which teams were the most profane and most aggressive and most impolite. i’ve spoken with them and they all say that the church teams are the worst. by far.
i once played in a league that hosted a team from the local maximum security prison. the convicts were nicer than the christians. and it wasn’t even close.
for those that argue “we are trying to be salt and light,” i would suggest that assimilating into an existing team (rather than forming a church team) is a far more effective way of sharing your faith (if you have a minute, check my commentary in yesterday’s post on this subject). however, if you feel strongly about using your church softball team to witness to your community, i have a couple of simple suggestions:
1. stop cursing.
2. stop fighting among yourselves (you’re supposed to love each other).
3. stop disrespecting the umpire (it’s just a game).
4. stop being so competitive (it’s just a game).
5. stop pouting when you lose.
6. stop preening when you win.
7. make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy. (hebrews 12:14)
8. live a life worthy of the calling you have received. (ephesians 4:1)
9. in humility consider others better than yourselves. (philippians 2:4)
10. be imitators of god. (ephesians 5:1)
i’m just saying that if it’s the church softball team that’s making you act like…well, like a pagan, then we need to abolish the practice. on the other hand, if it’s your competitive nature or the heat of the moment or your need to win that makes you act like that, then you need to get saved. you put on a shirt that speaks of jesus and you act like a demon.
it’s unbecoming.
your best life later 
great post, randy. i found these verses in matthew 5:
“if your softball team causes your church to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. it is better for you to lose one of your church’s many, many programs than for your whole team to make the softball field into a living hell. and if your competitive nature causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. it is better for you to lose what was already an ungodly characteristic than for you to make your church softball team look like a bunch of militaristic hotheads.”
Ha.. this is so awesome. I was asked by a friend to play on a church softball team in the fall. I plan on playing not because it is a ‘christian’ team but because I haven’t played in years and it will be fun to spend some time with the guys. Of course, that is if the team comes together… I haven’t heard from my friend in a few weeks concerning this team so it might not come together.
I see a theme forming in your last couple of posts. Maybe you are going to hit on church golf leagues next? 🙂
It is interesting that we try to create so many ‘safe zones’ by which to ‘attract’ the lost to rub elbows with the found.
I love the idea and reality of church community but I detest the plastic culture we have created to represent it.