Why I hate rules.

Okay... so our basketball team had our first game last Saturday. I had my team primed and ready.

The first play that we were on defense we totally psyched the other team out. During my previous two practices I had my team practice "Breakdown" on defense. Bascially it was a drill to get them into their defensive stance quickly. So I yell "Defense, Breakdown" and I've trained my team to breakdown and yell "HUH!".

Well, the poor kids who we played against this week had never experienced this in their lives. The little guy (it's 2nd and 3rd grade) brought the ball down, I called our team's attention and they responded with a loud stomping and "HUH!".

The other team all looked so shocked.... They froze... It was so funny.

Anyway, after the shock and awe we rattled off an astounding 6 points and had the lead at 6-2 for a long time. Ultimately though the rules killed our team.

Well, apparently in this league the kids cannot go outside of the 'paint' to play defense. I knew this... but what I didn't realize was how easy the opposing coaches would use this rule. My team was great on the boards... they were good with passing the ball and taking shots... they were great if a kid came in the paint to play offense but they were helpless against their kids shooting from 2 feet outside of the paint. The coach was able to set their entire team up, get the ball to their kid who can shoot and then my team had to wait and watch for their kids to take the shot.

I'M GOING SOMEWHERE WITH THIS.

I hate rules that have nothing to do with the sport. I hated having my kids learn great defense and learn how to play the game (which is how we were coaching) only to lose because the other team can never be pressed and can always give the ball to their best shooters. Basically it's not coaching the game of basketball. It's coaching the game of "lets set our team up and take a bank shot from 4 feet away.

How often in our churches do we distribute rules that aren't in God's priority list... they aren't the nature of our faith?

I've seen to much of it myself. I'm over rules based church. I want the life that God blesses... I want the abundant life... the 'Wild at Heart' type of life... the life where it's okay for me to get my feelings hurt if I do something wrong... I can handle getting the ball stolen... it helps me learn.

I've had a saying for a number of years about my reflections on most churches.

"Pastors put walls where Jesus made paths."

We feel so obligated to see that our people do right by Christ that we make up extrabiblical rules to keep them in line. Then when our people do not follow these rules we abandon them and say "you don't love God." No... I think many of these people love God just fine... it's the church they can't stand.

I'm looking for the day when Christ's church preach a Christ of love, humility, passion and compassion... when we destroy legalism in all its forms and do great work to replace it with Kingdom mindedness and 'freedom in Christ'. I'm looking for the day when we dont' force new belivers to get two bibles when they check in... 1. the Holy one and 2. a copy of the rule manual of their local church breakfast club....

Okay I'm tired... need sleepy, must get rest.... zzzzzzzzzzz