Unite My Heart to Fear Your Name

The sports chaplain is expected to provide, “ongoing pastoral and spiritual care, by permission, to those of faith or no faith, for the holistic well-being of all involved in the community of sport.”

The role of the sports chaplain will vary greatly depending on the role defined by the club, as it is very much a permission led activity.  Regular visits to training, the stadium, attendance at sporting events, etc helps develop relationships -with the chaplain endeavouring to act with discernment and sensitivity. Many chaplains also undertake “traditional” functions for their sporting organisations such as funerals, weddings and scattering of ashes ceremonies. In doing this they can provide clubs with an important link to engagement with the local community.

For the last several years I have been encouraging coaches and competitors, sports ministry professionals and volunteers, to live their lives in sport in an integrated, holistic fashion over a compartmentalized, dualistic manner. This is the Lord’s way and it is the best, most satisfying, fulfilling way to experience Christ’s presence and pleasure in the experience of sport. One excellent scripture that speaks to this approach is below. I hope it encourages your heart toward a rich, full, and Christ-filled life in sport.

Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Your name forever. - Psalms 86:11-12

"Unite my heart..." - To unite one's heart is to take the presently divided, compartmentalized, duplicitous heart, and to restore it to integrated, complete wholeness. Far too often, our sporting friends live in the pernicious dichotomy of sport vs. faith, rather than the graceful life of sport and faith.

Purpose - The aim of this uniting of heart, the restoration to integrity of heart, is to properly honor the name (the essence and nature) of God our Father. We who live in the sporting world are privileged to bring honor to our Lord by the way we compete, the way we serve each other, the way we love coaches, teammates, opponents, and the officials.

Process - Receiving the continual teaching of His way (selfless integrity) and the daily dwelling in His truth (God-breathed wisdom) are the pathways to a united heart. We must receive training in the Lord’s way as we train and prepare for sport. We must also dwell in the Word of God for our minds and hearts to be informed by truth.

Results - With a united, integrated heart we daily and forever express thankfulness and glorify God's name with wholehearted devotion. Our worship-work reveals the nature of the One we serve. Such a life is glorious to behold and it inspires gratitude in the soul of the worshipful servant of Christ Jesus. My prayer is that our lives in sport are channels for expressions of thankfulness to God for all that we experience. I also pray that our daily training, teamwork, and competition reveal the nature of the Lord Jesus. The end result is that God is glorified and our souls are filled with thankfulness.