Breaking the Holy Huddle
It’s basketball time in the Bluegrass as high schools and colleges in the state are well into their seasons. The moment I want us to contemplate is the time when the players join on the court, in a huddle, to receive instruction. This constant pivotal instance is the moment when the players in the huddle are receiving their marching orders for the war that is ahead in the game and to systematically carry out the play. But notice an often overlooked key, the huddle must be broken. If the team stays in the huddle then penalties come and no matter how well the huddle functions and looks, the team is ineffective and unhealthy. Just like this reality on the basketball court, this is also a reality of the holy huddle called the church.
A holy huddle is the place where believers join together to prepare to participate in the game called life. It is the gathering of followers of Christ to receive direction from the Lord through engagement with the Word of God. The huddle is the refuge from the world where the believer is surrounded by other Christians where encouragement and support occur. The holy huddle is the place in which believers gather for the purpose of preparing to play for the Kingdom of God.
The existence of the holy huddle is pushed along by a desire to be with other believers. It is driven by the passion to grow in one’s personal intimate relationship with Jesus Christ; compelling believers to find their position in the Kingdom Work and their purpose on God’s team. The holy huddle lives because of the One who lives in believers.
Cautiously, Christians must understand the desire to huddle so they can guard against the hazard of huddling. If believers are not careful, the huddle will be over emphasized and as a result, the huddle never breaks. The huddle consists of great talks about the game and great conversations about the current situation going on in the game, but the huddle never disbands to engage in active participation in the game of life. The huddle is stuck in a mindset of selfishness where the existence of the huddle becomes its own end to a means. The concern of the huddle is not to receive the calling into the game, but to find a way to preserve itself. It is overly concerned with the form of the huddle than the situation in the game.
Thus, it is imperative that Christians defend themselves against the traps of simply huddling together, but keep in mind the greater task that calls them to break from the huddle and engage in the game. The church must never become a stuck, stagnant holy huddle, but must break and engage in the work of the Kingdom. Believers must be compelled by obedience and faithfulness to the Lord’s commands to be His witnesses, to overcome the temptation to stay in holy huddles. The concern of the heart must be centered on the eternity of those in desperate need of redemption. This is what causes us to break our holy huddles and to launch into participation of this Kingdom work.
Let coming together and worshiping on Sunday be a huddle that is a place that prepares you for the great task at hand.
