Come Sunday, the players will take their positions and the great rematch will begin. Just in case you don't have thousands to spend on tickets to the Super Bowl, you're in luck. This contest takes place in church, where even the best seats are free. (No charge for choir robes, either.)
Just don't forget to bring canned soup.
While the Patriots and the Giants battle for the Vince Lombardi trophy on Sunday, another contest will be taking place in houses of worship. Youth groups across the nation will participate in the annual Souper Bowl of Caring, an interfaith effort started by Presbyterians in 1990. Last year, over 652 groups raised more than $3.2 million dollars in cash and food for local charities.
This Sunday, Americans will eat 30 million pounds of snacks, according to the Calorie Control Council. That includes: 11.2 million pounds of potato chips, 8.2 million pounds of tortilla chips, and millions more in popcorn, nuts, and pretzels. I'm glad I stick to hot dogs.
While we're consuming a gut-busting 1,200 calories in fatty foods, many youth will be gathering canned food items and donations of cash for local food pantries. The idea began when a youth minister at Spring Valley Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC led his group in a simple prayer: "Lord, even as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us be mindful of those who are without a bowl of soup to eat." The idea stuck and quickly grew, generating millions of dollars and food for local hunger programs. Kids love it because they see that every dollar raised goes back to their community.
It's way better than hot dogs.
Our fascination with sport marginalizes Sabbath observances, making it necessary for churches to find ways to compete with culture. There are many options, depending on your background. According to an evangelical church consultant, the Super Bowl is a "super outreach effort" particularly for churches who want to beef up men's ministries. (Given how much food we eat during the Super Bowl, beefing up might not be the best term.) Gather the guys, he advises, but turn off Madonna at half time in order to present a prerecorded gospel oriented message.
Other churches take a more low key approach. We'll gather in homes with friends for an afternoon of fellowship, roll out big screens for their youth groups, or sell sandwiches as fundraisers. These are worthy endeavors, but something about gathering food strikes me as truly significant.
Hunger is not a game. Poverty is increasing, and the shelves of pantries are bare.
While we're downing bags of Tostitos, collecting food on Super Bowl Sunday reminds us of our connection to our neighbors. It's deeper than allegiance to football teams. Looking after those in need is deeply embedded in our scriptural traditions. God calls us to remember the poor, to feed the hungry and to share our abundance. Some may root for the Patriots while others cheer for the Giants, but our shared identity as God's children compels us to look after each other. "If one member suffers," wrote the Apostle Paul, "all suffer together with it."
Those words, of course, were written to the Corinthian church which was torn apart by social and theological divisions. When they gathered for worship, wealthy members feasted while the poor went hungry. Some were drunk and others were starving. The whole affair was a mess, says Paul. Those who had plenty humiliated those who had little, making a mockery of the feast that was central to their worship. Paul then gives them instructions about the Supper Jesus had given them, a meal intended to be a sign of the kingdom, a reminder of God's covenant.
He concludes with a word that has caused consternation to generations of kids waiting to eat at church events: "So then, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another." It's worth pondering even as we heat up the wings and pass the chips. Wait for one another. Notice the poor in our communities. Pay attention to the needs around us, and bring a couple of cans of food to church this Sunday.
