How Is Play a Spiritual Discipline?

Play is most definitely a spiritual discipline. Play restores the soul and makes the days brighter. If we get bogged down with work or obligations, including obligations to the church, we won't see the fun in life. Play can help us share together, share talents, thoughts, jokes, smiles, and our hearts. Trust is built and when we can trust each other it is easier for us to trust in Gods presence.

Play is most important and I love playing with all of you. :)

-K-Fry


I would put play in the category of recreation or re-creation. I think it gives us a chance to explore both the world around us because we manipulate things and try things, but it also allows us to explore relationships and put ourselves in new scenerios with our friends and just experience each other. Building relationships is a way of growing in community and growing in the knowledge of God's creation.

I've definitely seen Ben and Renee exhibit play in meaningful ways -- going to the strawberry patch or having dinner together every Sunday. I've seen it practiced by building into each other's lives.

- Joy


Play allows you be who you feel like being or do what you feel like doing. We practice this regularly at Austin Agape, and we invite others to do it with us!

- Ian

There's probably some truth to the statement made in the Shining that "all work and no play makes X a dull boy (or girl)." I think play is a spiritual discipline because it helps us in our struggle to not be dull (which I imagine as being kind of stagnant) in our relationships with each other and with God. Play is kind of like mentally taking a breath. It renews our energy, and reminds us that there are plenty of things that are more important than the work that we would otherwise be consumed by. It keeps us mentally stable. And though we're not explicitly commanded by the Bible to be mentally stable, I think we would have a hard time reaching out to people if we weren't. A lack of play would weaken our relationships with each other as well as our ability to show love to strangers.

In our community, making time to play often means making time for people. Whether it's coming to dinner before the evening service on Sunday, making time for a retreat, skiing, or coming for 4 square before Bible study, we play. We make time for each other. We breathe together.

- Tiana

I think of play in the community sense. If we put our egos away and listen to each other and laugh with each other, talk and all that good stuff, we are finding the joy in each other that I am sure God finds in us. Let me try to explain better (I mean I could delete all my rambling until I find the kernel of what I am trying to say, and you wouldn't know how bumbly I am...but I'm amongst friends!)

When we play we celebrate being who we are. We celebrate our idiosyncracies and our silly selves and joyful selves; we celebrate our friends' as we celebrate ourselves. To me, this is giving thanks to God for who he created us to be and thanking God for the friends (and maybe other participating strangers) that he has linked us to.

I would sound more eloquent, but Renee keeps talking to me. I blame my bumbliness on her. But don't ridicule her, because I love her!