Life on the Pasture

As you probably have heard, the NBA is hoping to resume its season on July 31 with 22 teams playing at Disney World. Details have begun to come out of a large list of rules covering the NBA's attempt to make sure the environment is safe and COVID-19 does not spread. One detail pertains to who can or cannot be in the complex. I am curious to know if team chaplains will be able to be there.

An article posted on The Undefeated on Good Friday included interviews with four NBA team chaplains discussing how they were helping their teams before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. A final question was, "When the NBA returns, what do you envision your first chapel message being?" Golden State Warriors chaplain Rev. Earl Smith responded: "I will probably go to 2 Chronicles 7:14. It’s something that has really been on my mind. I’ve studied it over and over. People called by my name will humble themselves, pray and seek my faith. This virus has caused the world to focus on one thing. Never have I heard in my 64 years that church was canceled. Where you couldn’t go to a place of worship. It all goes back to this virus and what is going on. It’s taken the world."

The verse Rev. Smith refers to are words of the Lord to Solomon in a vision at night after temple was completed: "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among My people, if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:13–14, NIV) 

Elite athletes who have made it to the NBA are not the only ones tempted to think the world revolves around them. We all are. It's called sin. Which is why we need our chaplains to bring us back to the voice of our Lord as it comes to us through His Word, calling us to humble ourselves before Him. After all, it's His world. And in His amazing love, through faith in His Son, He has made us His people. This is a wonderful opportunity for us as God's people to "take back the world" through prayer and care.

Come, my soul, with ev’ry care, Jesus loves to answer prayer;
He Himself has bid thee pray, Therefore will not turn away. (Lutheran Service Book #779, verse 1)

– Pastor Schmidt