Every four years, the world seems to pause for the World Cup.
People in different countries, speaking different languages, living very different lives, gather around the same game. They wear their colors. They wave flags. They cheer, groan, hope, celebrate, and sometimes have their hearts broken together.
There aren’t many things that can capture the attention of the world like that.
But let me confess…I’ve never watched a World Cup match. In many ways, I am still learning to appreciate soccer. I would not call myself an expert. But over the last few years, after going to a few Sporting KC and KC Current games, I get it more than I used to. There is something about the energy of the crowd, the movement of the game, and the way one goal can make a whole stadium erupt at once.
And when the World Cup comes around, that energy stretches far beyond one stadium or one city.
For a little while, the world feels connected by something shared. In a world that often feels divided, hurried, and anxious, I think that kind of shared connection matters.
This Sunday, both campuses are coming together after the 10:30 service at our North Oak campus to host a World Cup Watch Party for the noon match between Germany and Curaçao. We’ll provide lunch and entertainment. Just bring a chair, a side to share, and your team colors.
And this would be a great Sunday to invite someone.
Maybe it’s a friend, neighbor, coworker, or family member who would enjoy watching the match. Maybe it’s someone who has been meaning to come to church but has not quite taken that step yet. Sometimes an invitation to worship can feel intimidating, but an invitation to worship and then stay for an afternoon of food, inflatables, yard games, a kids vs. adults scrimmage, raffle prizes, and a World Cup match might feel a little easier.
Whether you are a lifelong soccer fan, a casual observer, or someone who is still figuring out the difference between stoppage time and halftime, you are invited. More than anything, it will be a chance to gather, eat, laugh, cheer, and spend time together.
And before the match, we’ll begin a new sermon series called The Lord’s Prayer: Ancient Words. Modern Wisdom.
For many of us, the Lord’s Prayer is familiar. Maybe you learned it as a child. Maybe you have prayed it in worship or during a season when you did not have many words of your own.
But familiar words can still have something fresh to say.
In a world that often feels noisy, anxious, and uncertain, Jesus gives us a prayer that is simple enough to memorize and deep enough to shape our entire life. These ancient words teach us how to trust God, how to ask for what we need, how to receive and offer forgiveness, and how to live with hope when life feels complicated.
That feels like wisdom we need.So I hope you’ll join us Sunday. Come for worship. Stay for community. Bring a chair, bring a side, wear your team colors, and consider inviting someone to come with you. It should be a fun, low-pressure afternoon, and I’m looking forward to spending it with you.
Peace,
Matt
