When I was young, Sunday afternoons were spent at my grandmother’s house. The church we went to was just up the road. So, after worship, my family would show up there for lunch, and we would sit for hours. We would eat, talk, laugh, occasionally fight, watch TV, even stare into space when there wasn’t much else to do. We always went. And if you didn’t show up to grandma’s house, you’d hear about it.
“Where did you go after church today, Katie?” she’d ask, her tone already denoting disapproval. As you might suspect, my teenage responses weren’t convincing: “Well, grandma, I really, really, really wanted to.. [insert here: go to the mall, hang out with friends, drive to the beach, get ready for school, etc.]” Regardless of my answer, her challenge to me was always the same: “It is the sabbath day. A time for rest, not for work or play.” The acts of working, driving, preparing, shopping, or general busyness were simply not appropriate sabbath activities for my beloved, strong-willed grandmother. And so, as you also might suspect, I rarely skipped Sunday lunch.
My grandma is one of the best, but I’m not sure her sentiments on Sabbath ever made sense to me. I understood the “no work” part – but why wasn’t playing with my friends or participating in my favorite activities considered restful? Why would God find it unacceptable for me to have fun on the Sabbath day, or any other day?
Most of us have received some version of this message in our lives — the message that play isn’t acceptable, even on days when there is nothing to do. We have internalized the idea that play is unproductive, a waste of time, the activity of immature children, inappropriate in challenging moments or when there is just too much work to be done.
Thanks to our Protestant work ethic, we have learned that our highest religious values should be that of productivity and success – and that one’s ability to weather any challenge firmly depends upon how hard you are willing to work to overcome it. John Wesley himself prohibited play at the Kingswood School on the basis that “playing as a child would result in playing as an adult.” Instead, he believed that to become holy, one must prioritize work, employ structured schedules, and waste no time.
Yet in seasons of incredible anxiety, disorienting change, and division – upholding these values as primary – has created a kind of pressure cooker environment for pastors and churches. Most of us have learned by now that simply working harder, adding more to the schedule, and counting our successes, does very little to propel the mission forward.
In this season of the Church, we need to discover or (re)discover a different kind of value that is as evident in the story of scripture as the values of faithful work, service, and sacrifice: play.
In the opening verse of the Bible, in Genesis 2:2-3, once God made humans and finished the work of creation, on the seventh day, the very first invitation God issued to us was to rest [shâbath] with God. Generally, when we think about “rest,” we think about “ceasing,” “putting down,” or “being still” – and we should.
But in these verses, to rest also means “to celebrate,” or “to delight.” The very first activity God invites us into is one of delight. Abraham Heschel, in his book The Sabbath wrote, “The Sabbath is no time… for any activity that might dampen the spirit of joy… it is a day for praise, not petition.” Before anything else, we were made to delight – and how does one do that except through play?
Brian Edgar, author of The God Who Plays, also reminds us that when scripture speaks of the “end,” “the kin(g)dom of God,” or “eternal rest,” we do not find images of sacrifice, hard work, or productivity, but rather of laughter, dancing, singing, celebration, feasting, and joy. He states that for Christ-followers who are called to live into kin(g)dom values, it is imperative we play. “While ministry, service and sacrifice are part and parcel of life in the present… the truest expression of life in the kingdom is not found in successful work, or achievements in ministry as much as in the grace-filled expressions of joy, love, laughter, and play that break into the present world and that ought to permeate Christian lives. These moments are not merely moments of relief – they are anticipations of eternal life. They are the kingdom present.”
From the unprecedented number of pastors experiencing burnout, depression and anxiety, to the enormous pressure churches feel to come up with any idea that might keep their doors open, to the overwhelming conflicts facing the world that put stress on our own lives, We can no longer afford to relegate play to the sidelines. Leading experts over the last 30 years in education, medicine, business, leadership, and the Church agree and have found that play makes everything from healthy relationships and meaningful community to creativity, new opportunities, and even success possible. Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play, wrote: “A life without play is psychologically disastrous… If anyone goes without play for too long, grinding out the work that is expected of them, they will at some point look at their lives and ask, “Is this all there is? Is this what I can expect for the rest of my life?”
Perhaps the most important question we could ask in seasons of great challenge and uncertainty is “What is the delight of my heart?”
What would change if as individuals we took time to examine our own lives and asked: “What is it that really brings me joy? And how much time can I give to it, in my work and rest?”
What new possibility might appear if we began each Sunday, each time we gather with something utterly delightful – as if we were being issued a fresh invitation by God to play in the miracle of creation, just as it was on that first full day?
What could emerge if we created ministries – not out of desperation and fear – but because they excited us and we loved doing them? Nearly every pastor or church I know that is living with a clear sense of purpose, passion, and vision is taking time to play and leaning into the delights that God has uniquely given them.
The reality is this: We can’t shine God’s light in us if we allow ourselves to burn out. And no one living in darkness is ever going to be inspired by a burnt-out bulb. We were made to connect with God through the joy, delight, and play. Our willingness to make time for these will direct affect whether people find the light in us, and how successful we are going to be in inspiring them to find the light in themselves.