Sermon 1: You Are the Light of the World (Matthew 5 Verses 14 to 16)
Read Matthew 5 Verses 14-16.
In this chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, the Lord Jesus Christ teaches about the obligation of not only Christians but human beings in general towards fellow men and women and towards God. These particular teachings recorded in verse 5 are of special importance in guiding our day-to-day interactions with others and the need for love, compassion, and meekness in our dealings. Verses 14 to 16, which will be our reading today, talks about the responsibility to the world that individuals to whom God has extended the favor to be top amongst others have to the world. Such top individuals include you, young sportsmen, whom the rest of the school looks up to.
You Are Elevated Out of Favor: Verses 14-15
In verse 14, the word of God asserts that you are the light of the world. At the outset, this seems to imply two things;
- there is darkness in the world, as light can only be perceived amid darkness, and
- You are illuminated amongst others.
The second part of verse 14 is very clear in its pronunciation: “a town built on a hill cannot be hidden.” Even in the practical sense of these words, it is impossible to hide objects at elevated heights, as much as it would be counterproductive in the first place. My younger brothers, you are that town that has been elevated through your capabilities in sports.
In verse 15, the Lord says that people do not light a lamp. Only for them to hide it under a bowl. When God created you, he predetermined who you are, including your talent in sports. Therefore, it is imperative that you use your talent by working hard in practice for your betterment and that of humanity. It is akin to lighting a lamp and hiding it under a bowl if you do not do so. In the second part of Verse 15, the Lord instructs that the lit lamp be mounted on a stand to illuminate the whole house. In the Biblical context, this act of mounting a lamp refers to spreading the good news of our Lord rather than hoarding it when someone receives it by grace. However, this should not be construed to limit it in the context of spreading the Gospel. In our day-to-day lives, good deeds and the values that define us as people must be elevated. They must be communicated and appreciated.
Applying: Matthew 5 Verses 14-16
Young men, the Bible says you are the light of the world. As we know, light illuminates through the darkness, and light ultimately wins. Therefore, as elevated young men, by the grace of God, it is prerogative upon us that we set an excellent example to the rest of the students. How shall we do this then, you may ask? First, we shall achieve this by entirely using our God-given talents and abilities. Attend practice on time, work hard, and give your all to the team. Win matches so that your fellow students can see the light in you. Secondly, we shall achieve this by being men of value and setting the highest moral standards. We must epitomize the best behavior amongst our fellow students by working hard in academics and respecting everyone around us. May our Good Lord be your guide always. Amen!
Sermon 2: Losing and Winning as Part and Parcel of Life (Luke 5 verses 1 to 11)
Read Luke 5 verses 1-11
In this text, Luke gives his account of the call of the early disciples by the Lord Jesus Christ. While the highlighted incident may not be inexplicably linked to sports, it abounds with relevant themes of the disappointment of losing, success, and winning.
We Are Faced with Failure Every Once in A While, And It Is Frustrating: Luke 5 Verses 1-5
When Jesus was preaching on the shores of Lake of Gennesaret, he encountered fishermen washing their nets in resignation by their two boats. Jesus gets into Simon’s boat, from where he preaches to the crowd. After he had finished preaching, he instructed Simon to recast their nets deep into the water for a catch. Simon sees the whole operation as futile and only obliges because Jesus said so. Remember, the fishermen had worked the entire night with little success. The predicament the fishermen led by Peter face in this scenario is quite common in the game and life in general. Sometimes we might work hard in practice and the game but still register dismal results.
We might practice harder than our opponents or even outplay them on the field, yet at the end of the day still lose. Just like Simon, it is pretty normal to feel frustrated. Our frustration arises from our innate desire to win, which is in itself a good thing. However, we must understand that failure is part of the trajectory toward success. Even the greatest of men failed in one way or another before they became successful. The most important thing is to pick up lessons from that failure and use them to improve yourself. It is in not allowing that failure to define us or sway us off our intended part. As we see in verse 5, our persistence and belief ultimately realize success.
We Shall Achieve Success, But It Is Not Everything: Luke 5 Verses 5-11
In verse 5, despite his reservations, Simon accepts Jesus’ request and casts the net into the water. To the surprise of the fishermen and the crowds, they catch voluminous amounts of fish, something that was initially improbable, given that it was daytime, and fish was conventionally caught at night. So huge is the catch that it fills two boats to the extent that they nearly sink. Then, in an unexpected twist of events, two things happen: first, Simon, in the face of this miracle, realizes and confesses his sinful nature. Secondly, after catching unprecedented amounts of fish, and when we would expect Simon to anticipate profits from the fish’s sale enthusiastically, he abandons his catch and follows Jesus. Simon Peter instead accepts a new vocation as a follower of Jesus, whose job description involves “fishing men” into the kingdom of God, as Jesus puts it.
This is an essential lesson to all of us that we might gain unprecedented levels of success, whether in our sport or life in general, but it is superficial. You might win a match, but then there would still be the next match to consider, win a championship, but still, the next season would be beckoning. At times, success is rather superficial, and winning alone cannot assure an individual of fulfillment. The most outstanding achievement in life is to find lasting Joy, personal purpose, and inner joy. Those are life’s most significant imperatives. May God guide your paths to finding Joy.
Sermon 3: Pain and Tribulations Are Ephemeral (Psalms 23 Verses 4 To 6)
Read Psalms 23 verses 4-6
In this Psalm of David, we encounter an expression of absolute faith in God. David asserts that although he may face trials and tribulations, his faith shall remain steadfast as God would never abandon him.
Pain and Suffering Are Inherent to The Human Experience: Psalms 23 Verse 4
The first part of Verse 4 begins with a declaration that even though “I walk through the darkest valley.” This line is of particular importance, and especially to you, us young athletes. It is an acceptance that you will go through the pain and other challenges in life. This pain may be psychological, from issues arising from home or here at school, or it might be physical pain. The second line begins by declaring, “I will fear no evil.”
David says he would not fear any evil despite the afflictions. As it should be for any player, fear emanating from our afflictions could negatively impact our well-being. The following lines declare that he shall fear no evil because God is with him—God’s rod and staff comfort him. Here we are faced with an essential conscious decision. That we fully trust in God to comfort us from pain seated in our hearts or pain from that surgery we need to undergo. At the end of it all, God always takes care of those who call upon him. Pain and suffering are part of the human experience, but God will always offer reprieve when he calls upon him as his children.
Despite The Pain, There Will Be a Victory: Psalms 23 Verse 5
It is vital to hold onto the assurance that we are children of God and that God will never abandon us despite the pain. At the end of the day, the victory will be ours. Verse five assures us of this by forwarding that God prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies. For you young sportsmen, this calls for your need to believe in yourselves as you go out to face your rivals. To you, God has given victory. Despite the pain and brokenness, God still chooses you. The last part of verse 5 says, “You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” God has looked at you and found you worthy, and to you, he shall give in abundance; love, joy, and victory. May the love of God guide you through pain, and may you feel worthy and find success. Amen.
Applying: Psalms 23 verses 4 to 6
Adolescence is a challenging stage of life, and as such, you, as high school sportsmen, may be going through a lot. Whether it is a pain arising from familial issues, maybe your parents are going through a divorce, or you are facing a toxic environment in some other way. Whether you are having relationship problems or general problems here at school. Whether your grades are not good or you are not performing as expected on the team, it is important to always remember that God loves you. God has your back, and He will not leave you to yourself. Therefore, do not despair. Instead, bring your burdens to him in prayer, and He shall give you rest. In addition, whenever your heart is burdened with a problem, it is of utmost importance that you share it with someone. It may be me, or coach, a teacher, or your colleague, but do not suffer in silence. We are all one another’s keepers.
Self-Reflection
The role of sports chaplaincy is well-established in the literature, with Parker et al. (2016) contextualizing it as a decisive responsibility in helping sportsmen and women to achieve a greater sense of meaning in life in light of both physical and moral challenges. High school students participating in sports are holistic human beings with various physical, social, spiritual, and psychological needs. As such, I felt it was instrumental that a sermon tries to incorporate common challenges that these players face to meet these needs.
In addition, the chaplain’s role is clearly delineated in the sermons. While a chaplain subscribes to a particular religion, they must accommodate all players. As evidenced in the sermons, the chaplain’s role is to focus on providing spiritual guidance, offering hope, and helping them confront challenges. From this activity, I have learned the importance of the sports chaplain in providing care to sportsmen and women and how chaplains can use their position to influence them into men and women of virtue.
References
Parker, A., Watson, N. J., & White, J. B. (2016). Beyond praying for players: An exploration of the responsibilities and practices of sports chaplains Anthony Mj Maranise. In Sports Chaplaincy (pp. 155-165). Routledge.
Watson, N. J. (2016). Doing sports chaplaincy in a fatherless age. In Sports chaplaincy (pp. 91-103). Routledge.