Hockey is back in Chicago! I mentioned that in a December 27, 2008 post, but it really is back! Hockey is to Chicago as deep dish it to pizza, Michael Jordan is to basketball, and sub-zero windchills are to a Chicago winter. Without them, you don’t have Chicago!
After a few pitiful seasons of hockey, the Chicago Blackhawks made a great run through the playoffs this year. In fact, they made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals before getting knocked out in a 4-1 series by their perennial nemesis—the Detroit Red Wings.
I had the opportunity to attend two playoff games with my dad. The first game was a 5-1 rout over the Calgary Flames and the second one was a 7-5 win over the Vancouver Cannucks to win the series. The later was one of the most exciting and loudest sporting events I have attended in my life. There were five lead changes. In the 3rd period the Blackhawks were down 4 goals to 5. It did not look good for the team get the W (win), but they did not give up. They worked hard not only to tie the game, but to win! In the 3rd period Jonathan Toews scored the go ahead goal. Then the youthful star, Patrick Kane, scored his third goal of the game and his first “hat trick” in his NHL career. (A “hat trick” occurs when a player scores three goals in one game. It’s not easy to do.)
But you know something? As I cheered for the Blackhawks, and experienced the excitement of “an electric atmosphere” of 20,000+ frenzied fans going nuts for their team, (1 million plus for the season) I began to reflect on the fact that there is something better—so much better and satisfying—than a hockey win, even if it is for your favorite team. That something better is worshipping Jesus Christ throughout the week and corporately with the body of Christ, His church, through music and the preaching of His Word on Sunday morning!
“Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is a great God, the great King above all gods” (Psalm 95:1-3).
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