The other day Kevin Lowe, President of the Edmonton Oilers, unleashed a maelstrom of protest when he suggested that he really likes paying fans a bit more than the ones who cheer from home.

Truth is, everyone pays for hockey somehow when cities make way and pay the bills for arenas to be built.  But, as noted, we don’t seem to mind when our team is winning.

What about church?

Church: Its about every follower of Jesus being a participating part of the the body of Christ.

Hockey:  Well for most of us, it really does come down to being one of two kinds of fans:  the kind that watches from home or the kind that pays the bills by showing up at the arena.  And here’s the thing:  both are just watching.

Church isn’t a spectator event.

Its a life together; people assembled as the Body of Christ.  People connected to each other.  People with a new perspective of ownership with the others.

4Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.  Romans 12:4-5 (NLT)

Sometimes I feel like a Canuck.

Sometimes I think like a member of Jesus’ church.

I see the others I’m gathered with and I think,

“We’ve been gathered by Jesus.  We belong to each other and what we are doing together matters.”

Note to church leaders:  We’ve got to help our churches out here by helping them see and celebrate the win!