The Super Bowl can give rise to any number of experiences and emotions: joy, loneliness, jealousy, fun, the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat. As we look forward to big game, let’s consider making these simple practices a part of our day.
Preparing for the game:
1. Spend a few minutes thinking about your plans for Sunday. In light of our worship experience on 1/29, is there a way you may be tempted to question your sense of belovedness? Maybe because of the commercials, the game itself, the people you’ll be interacting with, the people you won’t be? Spend a few moments praying the breath prayer, “God of Love, I belong to you.”
2. When we are grounded in our identity as God’s beloved children, we are free to reach out and help others experience their belovedness. Is there a person you can intentionally treat as a beloved child of God on Sunday? How can you tangibly share God’s love?
During the game:
1. Pay attention to your emotions, especially during the moments you anticipated being challenged. If you begin to notice your belovedness being called into question, recite the breath prayer, “God of Love, I belong to you.” The beauty of this is you can do it anytime, anywhere, even while the game goes on!
2. Look for an opportunity to intentionally treat another person as God’s beloved child. This might be what you thought of as you prepared for the game or some way the Holy Spirit leads you in the moment.