After watching the UT Volunteers fall yet once again to the Florida Gators, a question popped into my mind: What if Christians felt as passionately about the church as they feel about their favorite college football teams?

Giving certainly would go up! True college football fans shell out big bucks for tickets, transportation, lodging, meals, team clothing and the like. Donors give huge sums of money to expand or upgrade stadiums and provide scholarships, and think the sums well spent.

Worship and Bible study attendance would soar. We might have to start assigning seats in order to manage the crowds. Hopefully, we could resist the pressure to adopt team colors and train the choir members as cheerleaders! On the other hand a jumbotron might be in order. We could enjoy instant replays of outstanding "plays" by the choir, moving prayers, and even the occasional slam dunk sermon illustration.

Recruitment of new members would take off. No one out evangelizes a southern football fan. They seek out men and women and boys and girls and pull out all the stops to bring them into the fold. It starts in infancy, with gifts of team footballs, tiny jerseys, team colors jackets and caps and team posters stapled to the nursery wall.

I can almost hear the strains of "Rocky Top" playing in the background--or is it "Amazing Grace?" It's enough to make me want to walk the aisle and rededicate myself to Christ and his church. What about you?