i went golfing today with a group from clemmons presbyterian church. we have a regular golf outing scheduled for the first saturday of every month, where any number of members and friends join to play a round of golf and enjoy some fellowship, amidst a bit of friendly competition. of course, the biggest competition is always between pastor bill and roger.
i’ve played golf for about 20 years. well, let me back up. i first played golf about twenty years ago. i’ve been playing on an inconsistent basis ever since. i’ve always enjoyed playing, even though i am terrible. but there is something about the game that keeps my interest. could it be the fellowship with the rest of my foursome? could it be the thrill of driving the golf cart? or, could it be that i enjoy being outside? i would say a little of each of those things.
at union-psce, i took a course on educational theory. our final project was to construct a theory and write a paper to defend it. the opening excerpt, which stated my question and rationale, read:
Can the church offer spiritual guidance that encourages young people to seek God during the “quiet times” of one’s day? Can the church find ways to encourage a disciplined, committed, and inspiring spirituality in the busy lives of young people? I believe the answer is, “Yes.”
The purpose of Christian Education is to enrich the lives of people with the love of God. A more specific purpose of Christian Education is to offer young people a practical way of introducing or re-introducing God to one’s life as one walks along one’s faith journey, as well as making spiritual practices and prayer accessible. The challenge that churches face is encouraging young people to look into one’s busy life and finding quiet time. Practical spiritual practices can be introduced into this time, so that one will in turn weave God and God’s love into the larger fabric of one’s spiritual journey. The thought behind the simplistic and perhaps un-prioritized way of praying that I will introduce in my practices is not meant to simplify one’s prayer life or reduce one’s commitment to God. Rather, the underlying purpose is to lay a foundation for spiritual growth. The truly theoretical part of this idea is that as young people begin to bring God along on one’s journey in those “quiet times” that currently exist in one’s busy life, a greater thirst will develop that will allow these simple prayers to develop into a more disciplined, committed, and inspiring spirituality.
I bolded the sentence that i would say is my thesis. Although the paper was written with youth and young adults in mind, the practical portion of the essay presented options that other folks could try. so why do i bring this up when i’m talking about golf? well, golf was one of the main inspirations for the theory and the paper. the short version is, i realized one day that i found myself talking to God when i was showering, brushing my teeth, driving, walking across campus, and a host of other things. i am part of a multi-tasking generation. it didn’t surprise me that i found myself talking to God – better known as praying – while i was doing other tasks. when i thought about the activities and things i’ve done in my life, i realized there were other times that i found myself praying without necessarily knowing it. one was when i used to mow the lawn; another, when i played golf. it was these two things that allowed me to expand my theory to include adult men – a group of people not necessarily known for their spiritual practices. this is what i said about golf:
Outdoor sports and activities offer a deeper level of relationship with God. Talking with God in the midst of the wonders of creation can heighten one’s appreciation, reverence, and praise for God. Golf, for example, presents many options for prayer. When driving or walking out onto the course, one can breathe a deep breath and take in the surroundings – the trees, wildlife, water, grass, sky, sun – and offer a prayer of thanks to God for these things. Thanking God for the gift of play, the gift of God’s creation, and the gift of fellowship – both with fellow Christians and with creation – is a good practice of the discipline of thanksgiving. Golf is a wonderful example of God and humanity working together. God provided the materials, and people moved them around so that a game could be played and enjoyed, without ruining the integrity of God’s creation. At each hole, one should really take a moment to look at the nature between each tee box and green. If this is not one’s first time to a particular course, look for things that may not have been noticed before. One could talk to God like a caddy and get advice on what club to hit, what angle to approach, or whether to “go for it” or “lay up.” Let golf, as well as other outdoor activities, be a way to explore God’s creation and experience humanity’s presence in it.
thinking about golf in this manner opens new possibilities to one’s game. today, i played on a course that i have never played. 10 men and 2 women from cpc met at oak hollow golf course, in high point, nc. http://www.oakhollowgc.com/index.cfm it is a unique course, in that it is situated on a peninsula stretching out into ocala lake. it offered challenges and scenery i haven’t enjoyed on a golf course. the setting of some of the holes along the banks of the lake made for beautiful scenery, as well and challenging play. let’s just say that i got to experience a number of the aspects of creation found in the golf course – trees, sand, water, tall grass, wind. but i do have to say, we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day…the sun was bright, the wind was blowing (nice to feel, but not so good for the game), the leaves have filled the branches of the trees, birds and other water fowl dotted the fairways, flowers were in bloom…a beautiful day and a beautiful course. a great way to experience God’s creation with friends.
