Sports
by Gene Edward Veith
The Liturgy of It
has been said that the only places people sing anymore are in church and at ballgames. Now many churches are phasing out singing, in favor of hiring professionals to perform the music or piping it in electronically. But ballgames are far more conservative. In fact, at a time when many churches are abandoning liturgy, no one is asking sporting events to get rid of their rituals, rites, and ceremonies. The liturgy of sports exists on two levels: the ceremony of the game itself, involving both the players and the spectators. And the inner order of service, those formal actions that constitute the game. Notice what happens when you go to a game, whether football, baseball, basketball, basketball, hockey—you name it. There is an opening. The flag is presented, and we sing our national anthem. The teams are introduced—in the NBA with smoke, lights, and a musical fanfare; in baseball with the players taking their positions. Coins are flipped; a dignitary throws out the first pitch; teams huddle and break. Then and only then does the game begin.
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