How Is Play a Spiritual Discipline?

It had been a while since I had thought about spiritual disciplines, so when Renee asked me to reflect on play as one I had to mosey on over to the PCUSA website. They define it this way: A spiritual discipline is a broad understanding of life choices that a person makes for the purpose of entering into deeper awareness and relationship with God.

So how is play a spiritual discipline? I feel that being able to play, to crack open the shell of self-consciousness enough so that you can interact with the people around you in a way that is close and enjoyable, is truly the realization of God's hope for his people. Jesus said it best when he said that "the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these", referring to the children he saw innocently loving him and playing around him. We get so caught up in fashion and correctness that to be able to set those aside and be ourselves is a wonderful example of God's grace. Imagine if we couldn't achieve salvation unless we wore polished shoes and starched our shirts. There is no such rule - we are loved for who we are.

Sometimes when we play four-square upstairs I catch a little dribble of drool coming out of my mouth. I get so caught up in the play that I salivate with joy. Gross, right? But my friends, the people (even first-timers!) that I play with every Monday afternoon, they don't care that I drool. They might laugh with (/at) me, but they aren't going to condemn me for my lack of propriety. They love me. And after four-square, we go sit down on the couches and study the Bible. And I know that I can be myself in that circle. By opening myself up to the people around me, I can open myself up to the words of the Bible in a way that would be impossible in a stodgier setting. Trust me, I know, I've been there.

Agapeans (Agapites?) practice the spiritual discipline of play on a daily basis. Whether it's Taize: The Musical or four-square or Capture the Flag with the Lutherans or intramural sports with the Barcodes or any of the other myriad of playful things we do, we open ourselves up to each other and there we find the love of God reflected in each other's eyes. We give thanks that we are able to be with each other in such happy circumstances.

Play is certainly a spiritual discipline, one that Austin Agape practices every day.

- Amanda Koss