Sport vs Sabbath: What should you do when football clashes with church?

This summer marks the centenary of Scottish sporting hero Eric Liddell winning gold in the 400m at the 1924 Paris Olympics. But that victory is not what Liddell is most famous for. Instead, he owes much of his fame to the race he didn’t run.

A sprinter by specialism, Liddell was the natural choice to run the 100m and relays for Great Britain in Paris. But when he saw these events included Sunday heats, he made it clear he could not compete.

Despite coming under intense pressure from his coach, the media and the British Olympic Association to make an exception to his rule, the 22-year-old put his convictions before personal and even national glory. He could not compete because he took Sabbath observance incredibly seriously.

For Liddell, the Lord’s Day was important, as it commemorated Christ’s resurrection and because of the biblical precedent of setting one day apart. 

In the century since, the question of Sunday sport hasn’t gone away; in fact, it’s only become more relevant. We’ve seen a clear progression since the 1920s – when the decision to hold a sporting event on a Sunday was relatively unusual. By the 1960s, amateur and professional sport had begun to be played across both days of the weekend. Now, the majority of youth sport (and a good amount of amateur and professional sport) takes place on a Sunday, leading to inevitable questions around the role of church in a sportsperson’s life. As someone who loves sport and leads a church, it’s a question I continue to wrestle with. 

Deciding whether to play sport on a Sunday is a matter of conscience for each Christian. In Romans 14, Paul forbids Christians from “quarrelling over disputable matters” (v1). “One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind,” he says (v5). 

Paul is not promoting an anything-goes approach to our faith. Rather, he is saying we need to consider disputable matters carefully, but not fall out over them. 

What does the Bible say?

Liddell and I would likely agree that in the Old Testament, keeping the Sabbath was a key identity marker for God’s people, as well as an important part of their obedience to God’s covenant. Indeed, “remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” is the fourth of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8). But unlike Liddell, I do not believe this commandment is carried forward into the New Testament in the same way.

It’s rare to find a Christian today who abstains from eating pork or shellfish (Leviticus 11). It’s even rarer to find a believer who won’t wear a garment of mixed fabric (Leviticus 19:19) or who is planning on taking a trip to Jerusalem to offer a burnt offering (Leviticus 1)! This is not because Christians are picking and choosing which commandments to take seriously. Instead, we recognise that Jesus was the ultimate fulfilment of the temple’s sacrificial system, and that he does not require us to follow every Old Testament law. I do not believe the Sabbath is required for believers now that the new covenant has arrived in the person of Jesus Christ. 

Deciding whether to play sport on a Sunday is a matter of conscience for each Christian

In Colossians Paul indicates that keeping a Sabbath is not something that is a matter of obedience to God now any more than what we eat: “Do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ” (2:16-17). 

The suggestion from Paul is that adherence to food laws or Sabbath observance was a mere “shadow” of the ultimate spiritual reality we now enjoy in Christ.  

The implications

Am I saying that Liddell was wrong and you should play as much sport as possible and attend church if and when you can? Absolutely not.

Instead, here are three biblical principles to reflect on as you weigh up this issue. They need to be taken together and prayerfully discussed with your church leaders and family members.

1. True worship

Paul writes in Romans: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship” (12:1).

Worship is a matter for the whole of our lives, not just Christian meetings. Whether we’re scoring a brilliant three pointer or missing an open goal, we’re called to worship him with every gift and ability God gives us – in sport and every aspect of life. The implication is that every moment of our lives, including being at the pool, on the court or in the stadium, can be used to worship God.

Worship is not confined to a Sunday church service or restricted to a day of the week. Many of our brothers and sisters around the world gather together on different days, depending on their culture and circumstances. I used to live in Egypt where the primary day of corporate worship was Friday.

I recently read about a church with a big sign above its door. As you walk out, it reads: “Now go and worship” – this gets to the heart of Romans 12.

So ask yourself: “Am I living my whole life as an act of worship to God?”

2. True rest

In Genesis 2:2-3, we see God resting and blessing the seventh day: “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”

It’s incredible to think that God, who needs no rest, rested. As those made in his image, we are called to rest too. Because unlike God, we are creatures with limitations. We know this from our sporting lives: rest and recovery days are essential. A principle of one day in seven to stop and rest (both physically and spiritually) is undoubtedly wise. 

But biblical rest is not only about physical rest. Jesus tells us that true rest is found in him: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). 

Rest, then, is also about enjoying time to focus on God and find refreshment in him. It is to respond to Jesus’ invitation to “Come to me…and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

One family puts a limit on the number of Sundays they are away from church

So, wherever you end up landing on Sunday sport, ask yourself: “Am I obeying God’s call and invitation to rest – and am I enabling my family to do so as well?” 

3. True church

On these two principles alone, you could end up playing sport every Sunday and chilling on the sofa on a Monday. But this would ignore the fact that the Christian life was never to be lived alone. God, in his very being as Father, Son and Spirit, has always been in relationship, and we have been made in his image. 

You may argue that the law has been fulfilled and rest and worship are now 24/7, but you could still be in danger of missing the importance of the corporate gathering of all God’s people to worship in a particular place each week. 

It may not be too strong to say that the single most important thing believers can do is meet together with other Christians to worship, sit under God’s word and practise the sacraments.

Sportspeople need to reflect on Hebrews, where the author reminds us not to give up meeting together: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (10:24-25).

When this was written, Christians were beginning to face persecution – and so there was a strong temptation to simply give up on the risky activity of meeting together in person. Yet the message is clear – even though these believers might risk their lives in doing so, they’re not to give up meeting together. Why? Because we need other Christians, and they need us, and without meeting to worship God together it is very hard for us to run our race of faith. 

Think of a marathon – the encouragement of fellow runners and the cheers of the supporters help spur us on to the finish line. Church is vital for all Christians. We were made to meet, and we need to meet, week by week. 

So, while the Sabbath command may no longer be in place, the command to meet for corporate worship as God’s people, under his word, remains. And so it should be our priority to be there wherever possible.

So, ask yourself: “Am I, or my family, in danger of allowing our sporting commitments to prevent us from obeying the command to meet together and encourage one another?”

What now? 

For many professional athletes, playing on a Sunday is part of their job contract. That said, even though it might be a challenge, I believe it is still essential for elite athletes to be part of a local church. Similar to shift workers such as doctors and police officers, we need to work out how to engage in the life of the church even if regular Sunday attendance is difficult.

Things are different for amateur competitors and children. It is not our job, so however seriously we take it, it is a hobby and therefore a choice.

Every moment of our lives, including being at the pool, on the court or in the stadium, can be used to worship God 

Some years ago, I was involved in planting a church which deliberately met at 4pm, in order to make it easier for us to invite those who were more likely to be on the sports field on a Sunday than in church. 

But many of us don’t have the luxury of choosing an afternoon gathering. What then? 

Deciding to prioritise meeting with God’s people – and the knock-on decisions about when to go to church, move to another church or keep playing sports on Sunday mornings – has caused tension in thousands of Christian homes. My advice would be to work out what is right for you, in terms of following Jesus and obeying him, then work out what that means for you as a family, including if any changes need to be made. Then talk openly about your decision – and the reasons for it – with your children. They may not agree but pray that, in showing them that Jesus comes first (however that looks for your family), the Lord will use the situation to bring them to faith, or grow them in their faith. In all of this, a conversation with your own church leadership is essential. 

I’ve heard of one family that puts a limit on the number of Sundays they are away from church. They agreed this with their children and communicated it to their church leader and sports coach. Others have found different teams or leagues that play on Saturdays. 

You may agree with my view, or land in a very different place. That’s fine. I hope I’ve given you a framework for thinking this through biblically and wisely.

As we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, the Christian life is marked by sacrifice. In this area, like many others, we may need to have tough conversations and make hard decisions. Eric Liddell sacrificed a potential gold medal due to his convictions. It may not look the same for us, but we might be called to sacrifice good things and work through tricky conversations with our children for the ultimate good of following Christ wherever that may lead. It may look like foolishness to our teammates, other parents or coaches, but will we be like Paul, who said in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “For the sake of Christ, I am…content with…insults” (ESV).