All In for the Game

by Pastor Tim White

In our turbulent times we wonder how the economy is changing. Rachel Botsman provided a thought-provoking idea in her lecture, “TheCurrency of the New Economy: Trust.” Botsman argues that in the past everything was sold so that we could “keep up with the Joneses,” or maybe even get ahead of the Joneses.  Now, however, the most powerful marketing occurs so that we might build friendship with the Joneses. This new collaborative consumption is powered by the web and product, service, and swapping sites (craigslist, ebay and zipcar and just a few examples). These sorts of sites are exploding and Botsman wisely predicts that in the future, your “trust” score (as a seller or sharer with integrity) will become more important than your credit score! The most significant number will be how many people trust you. As people scramble to get out of anonymity to a position of power in their community (where people know them and are known by them), trust becomes the most valuable commodity. 

The church is in a favored position as trust becomes the most valuable commodity. With Jesus’ help we are able to break through social barriers to form communities of trust. Different cultures, diverse ethnicities, and various economic levels do not hold us back from forming communities of trust! We are able to overcome loneliness, powerlessness, and disappointment. We are able to tie our hearts deeply to one another in a fractured world. Perhaps this is why Jesus’ last words to his disciples were to be unified (John 17), because when a team forms and each participant is “all in,” the world better watch out!

We’ve seen this a little bit this football season (well, I haven’t…since I have given up watching football as part of the Daniel Fast). But I have heard about the amazing feats: the Seahawk's greatest game in history against the Packers….the Huskies’ upset of Stanford. Isn’t it amazing what a team can do when they all get on the same page? No wonder Jesus said: “the gates of Hell will not prevail against my church!” (Matthew 16:18).

I don’t know about you, but I want to be remembered by my family and those I love as a follower of Jesus Christ that was all in: all in for the great commission to take the good news to every ethnic group, to baptize and disciple in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Would you join me?

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them. He said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ So you must go and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And you can be sure that I am always with you, to the very end." (Matthew 28:20)