Praying at the 50-Yard Line

Joe Kennedy, an assistant football coach for the Bremerton High School in Washington State has been sacked for his refusal to stop praying at the 50-yard line after each game.  Apparently, there was a complaint that coach Kennedy was praying, thus he was “ordered to avoid kneeling, bowing his head or doing anything that could remotely be seen as religious.”  However, the coach could find a private place to pray where students cannot see him. 

As a result of coach Kennedy’s refusal to stop praying at the 50-yard line, the schools Superintendent placed him on administrative paid leave while he is under investigation.   

What is going on in America?  When will the silent majority stand up as people of faith and boldly resist the “push us around,” “shut us up,” “privatize prayers and bibles,” movements in our society?  When will we say, “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH?”

In the earliest days of the Christian movement, the apostles were put into jail because of the jealousy the Sadducees had in their hearts (Acts 5:17) and because they felt the apostles were making the Sanhedrin (a modern day Supreme Court in Israel) look badly in the eyes of the community.  The high priest of the Sanhedrin told the apostles, “we gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” (Acts 5:28).   The response of Peter and the other apostles was epic and courageous as they stood toe to toe with the courts edict:  “We must obey God rather than men!” (Acts 5:29)  Their courage got them whipped and again ordered not to speak about Jesus. (Acts 5:40)  However, the apostles were not going to allow a Supreme Court to deter or distract them from preaching and teaching about “the good news that Jesus is the Christ.”  (Acts 5:42)

I hear believers complaining about our liberties of religion being taken away in the public squares across America.  We fuss over the fact that bibles can’t be read in schools and Ten Commandments cannot be displayed on courthouse grounds and the mentioning of God cannot be tolerated.  I hear the complaints, but I do not see a lot of action. 

Where are our modern day apostles who will say, “We must obey God rather than men!”  We need more coach Kennedy’s all across America who will still go to the 50-yard line and pray even when his job is in jeopardy.  We need more towns like Sparta TN who isn’t afraid to write on all four outside walls of the courthouse building, “In God We Trust.”    

Silent majority, where are you?  Complainers of loss of freedom, what are you going to do about it?  Now is the time to stand with the coach Kennedy’s of our communities.  Now is the time as believers in Jesus to be bold, courageous, and fearless.  Now is the time to rally the majority and defend our values, the Word of God and are rights as citizens of the United States of America.   

Now is the time!

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian