I got up to monsoon-like rain at 5:30 a.m. to head to Bellevue for my son’s 7:30 a.m. soccer game. How are we supposed to go to church? We’re not. That’s not happening this weekend because after the 7:30 game there’s a 10 a.m. game … They say that churches started providing Saturday night church as an option for busy people who couldn’t make it on Sundays … that, and because the church was making an effort to serve more people. While my husband’s out of town with our 10-year-old at a tournament in Louisville, I’m flying solo with our other three. So there’s not even an available parent around to take our other two … So here I go to slog it out in my rain gear and folding chair to watch soccer in a monsoon. Don’t get me wrong: I love watching my boy play soccer … only I like it in the sun and I like it on Saturdays or Sunday afternoon after church. The only choice you have if you want to go to church of any kind on a regular basis is to give up select soccer. Select soccer tournaments take place on a variety of weekends in the spring covering Friday, Saturdays and Sundays — organizers do not take into account the day of rest so to speak … if a tournament game is happening … well, THAT’s church. In fact, if you choose to attend church with your family rather than a Sunday morning game for a tournment you’re a part of your child will be penalized! Not “officially,” but in playing time on the field the next time he’s put in. So you go. You go to soccer over church. And there’s the miniscule, albeit authentic chipping away of religion in America that news magazines are giddy to be yammering about. In order to serve more people and in order to accommodate busy lives, Wednesday night church started up years ago … But no! Many folks can’t get to that service … because of BASEBALL!
