What my support for the Astros says about my soul

I grew up in Houston, Texas, where our hometown Astros were the lovable losers of the National League. Our team finished above .500 a grand total of three times before I left Houston to attend seminary. Since that time, they made the World Series once, getting swept by the White Sox in 2005.

I’d like to claim that I’ve been a faithful fan through the lean years as well as the good, but it’s not true. To be honest, I’ve paid more attention to my team when they were winning than when they were losing. My language was indicative of my transactional support: when the Astros were victorious, “we won.” When the team was defeated, “they lost.”

Now “my team” is back in the World Series, losing game one last night to the Los Angeles Dodgers. If they lose the Series, they’ll still be better than twenty-eight other Major League teams. Whether I’ll support them if they lose says more about me than it does about them.

Few relationships in our culture are unconditional. Marriage for many is a contract rather than a covenant, with divorce an ever-present option. Employees are changing jobs and even switching vocations more rapidly than ever before. Forty percent of Americans change their denomination or even their religion.

In a consumer culture, we are loyal to those who give us what we want.

Are you on an adventure with God?

Here’s why consumerism doesn’t work with God: he is the King of Kings, not a commodity we can control. We are subjects, not consumers. When we make the Lord of the universe a means to our end, we miss the purpose and passion Jesus intends for us.

In Wild Goose Chase, best-selling author Mark Batterson notes:

“If you would describe your relationship with God as anything less than adventurous, then maybe you think you’re following the Spirit but have actually settled for something less—something I call inverted Christianity. Instead of following the Spirit, we invite the Spirit to follow us. Instead of…