Bowling in the Dark

"Hey Ben, you wanna go bowling tonight to celebrate my new job and my last night of Joblessness."

Those were the words of Michael, the Youth Pastor at my church, Canyon Ridge Baptist Church. I was hanging out with my pastor buddies, Kelly, my church's lead pastor, and the college pastor of Immanuel Community Church, Jeff. I was going to be staying with Jeff and his roommates Vince, my praise team's lead guitarist, and Brent, who I'm not exactly sure what he does. Needless to say, Jeff and I were like, "Yeah, totally." If you know Jeff, you'd know how he said it, like "Yeah, totally," with a Mississippi drawl. Anyway, Jeff informed me that Vince hated bowling. So we started collaborating on how to get him to go! After, Vince and I had practiced for Sunday morning on Thursday night, we headed to his house (where I was staying for the night, long story). We started hanging out; Jeff, Vince and I. Vince innevitably asked, "So, what do you wanna do." And Jeff and I were like, "We're, totally, going bowling." Once again imagine the mississippi drawl of Jeff.

Vince was angered, Vince was flustered, Vince was (distraught) Shift+F7. So, we were like, dude you're still totally going! So, since bowling didn't start till 9:30, we played indoor basketball "H-o-r-s-e." I think I won every game but don't ask Jeff or Vince, they'll tell the truth and otherwise (I didn't win any of the five games played)! I spun, I dove, I slid down the bannisters, I even invented an off the wall (no literally, off the wall) shot, but I still ended up spelling the stupid five letter word. Anyhow, at 9:20 we (Brent was then there, with Jeff and Vince) Loaded into my Honda Civic two door and sputtered to the alleys! As we walked in, guacamole, I knew I was in for a new experience. At the door you had to show your ID so if you wanted to drink (alcohol) you would get a wristband. When my turn came I just said, "Um, I'm not gonna be having anything anyway." The guy looked at me funny, I must've offended him, and then marked my hands with a huge red sharpie X's (still trying to wash them off 3 days later). I told our group (Michael, Jordan (Michael's Wife), Jeff, Vince, Brent, and me) that the X's represented my score.

We had to wiat 45 minutes before a lane opened and even then, I couldn't find any decent balls. The balls that my fingers fit in were too heavy for my wimpy lil' arms, and the balls whose weights were right, the holes were too small! So, I settled on stealing balls from the people in the next lane when they weren't looking.

Anyway, we started our friendly game and I quickly became atuned to the fact of some slight disadvantages of bowling at 10:00 at night on college night at "Chippers Lanes" in Ft. Collins, CO. For one you've got a whole ton of college students who are already pretty much drunk, trying to bowl! That was very humorous, it really isn't easy bowling drunk, or so I gathered from the drunk bowlers there. For two, some genius thought that if you turn off all the lights, put on strobe lights, use some fog machines, blast 80s rock music, you can make people enjoy their bowling experience more. I guess you can call me old fashioned but I like to be able to SEE when I bowl. Maybe its just an insinificant thing but it matters to me! For three, but perhaps this is the one advantage, you learn a lot about worship in a dark bowling alley with drunk college students!

I learned something that the church has yet to grasp. Worship was happening at the bowling alley alright, the gods of drunkenness, rage, sexual immorality, opposite sex, music, etc. Were all being glorified and adored. I remember one girl who every time she bowled would shake her hips, move seductively with the music and then bowl (she didn't score very well!). She had the eye of all her male companions and yep, there it was, worship of pretty woman. Another guy was so wrapped up with himself he would look around and make sure everyone was watching before he bowled (he scored rather well!). Yep, there's the god of self and pride being lifted higher. The couple sipping away their sorrows at the bar, yep there's the god of "covering the pain(they didn't score anything)."

But what I saw was full-on worship. These people were sold out to themselves, a member of the other gender, a drink, a game, a kiss, a betrayal. It made me wonder, why don't we see such devotion and "all-out-ness" in our personal and corporate worship. We sit on our hands when they should be lifted high to a Holy and Righteous God who cleansed our hands of all their filth. We shut our mouths in protest, when they should be pouring forth praise to the King who has touched the coal to our lips to purify them. We stand (or mostly sit) still when our feet should be dancing and becoming "even more undignified" for a Jesus who freed our chains so we could dance the dance of praise!

My heart broke for the lost and sad state of those drunken, self-consumed, lusty, bowlers. But I wish I could catch the fire that they have for their litte "g" gods. What a testimony would it be if Christians worshipped the only worthy God with the same abandon that the sinner worships his?

Well, I am sad to say, I'm not very good at bowling in the dark. I, uh, guess its not my cup-o-tea. I scored a 84 (out of 300 points for the non-bowlers) the first game and 76 the second game. I have bowled like a 150 before, but I guess me and fog machines while bowling don't have much affinity for each other. However, Vince bowled and 70-something his first game (and he the one who despised bowling) and he "woopa-d" me the second game and came in second with a huge score of 119!!!!! Go Vince, we're discussing joining a bowling league and coming up with cleverly designated names like Mullet, Santiago, He-man, The Skuller, etc. If we do, I am so stoked to get inspired by the worship going on. And maybe, through the Spirit's divine guiding, I'll be able to help someone redirect their full-on worship to the Source.

So, so, go midnight bowling sometimes. See how good you are at bowling in the dark. Hmm, isn't that what we do within our Christian walk, we're really spiritual bowlers, bowling in the dark.

Eyes wide open,
BenZ