Archive for the ‘No Doubt’ Category
Sergey asked:
Look up “religion” in any dictionary and one of the meanings is something a person believes in and follows with great devotion. With that being the case, then high school football is undeniably the most practiced religion in the state of Texas. Walk into any Main Street barber shop during the fall in any small Texas town and ask “How are the doing this year?” You’ll know the team name by the supporter signs in the windows and on the walls. And, the locals will know that you’re from out of town because you had to ask. The upcoming game is the talk around every water cooler, barber chair, and coffee house table from Wednesday through Friday. The only reason it’s not the subject Saturday through Tuesday is because that time is reserved for reflecting on the game from last Friday night. There is an enthusiastic sharing of knowledge and experiences that churches can only wish their followers had.
Ask any Texan to quote Philippians 4:2 and he will have to scramble to find a Bible, but ask him the stats on “that Johnson kid over in Bowie County” and he can rattle them off without a second thought. Ironically, in Philippians 4:2, the Apostle Paul is urging people to be of like mind. He does not have to urge the local townspeople to agree when it comes to high school football;. There is a since of pride and ownership that brings the fans together in one accord—and come together they do. The Bible says, “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together.” That’s why thousands will gather in stadiums around the state every Friday night. They will range in age from two weeks to 102. They will come from every part of town and from the far corners of the county. If it’s an away game, they will travel in SUVs and vans like a caravan of camels crossing the desserts. Traveling the roads of Texas, you can see the steeples of churches long before you reach the city limits. However, on Friday nights, weary travelers aren’t guided by a star. Instead, they follow the glow of lights illuminating the holy gridiron of the town stadium. Some of these stadiums are as historical and revered as any other structure in town.
One such stadium is the historic Tomato Bowl in Jacksonville, TX. It got its name from Jacksonville once being considered the Tomato Capital of the World. Built as a WPA project in 1940, the Tomato Bowl is made of red iron ore rock. It even boasts an eight- foot tall iron ore rock wall encompassing the stadium with massive wooden doors for the gates. This large monument to Jacksonville’s past, sits high on a hill at the end of Commerce Street, the main street through downtown Jacksonville. Driving through Jacksonville on Hwy 69, there is an overpass spanning Commerce Street and railroad tracks. From atop the overpass, the view down Commerce Street towards the Tomato Bowl is one of awe and splendor. While the historic churches, that once called downtown home, are moving out to the edges of town, the great Tomato Bowl stands strong as the city icon and a shrine to all the hometown heroes of yesterday.
Like many historic structures, the Tomato Bowl is in need of many repairs. But repairs cost money—money usually raised by increased taxes. However, talking about raising taxes is like preaching on tithing. The more you talk about it, the more people lose their religion and stop coming. But, the diehard and devoted followers won’t mind paying their part to further the cause. After all, the traditions and rituals must continue.
The rituals of any high school football game are very much like those in any church service. There are the traditional stand-up, sit down, stand-up, sit down routines as songs are sung and allegiances declared. There’s the never ending stream of youngsters needing to go to the restroom. There are those who claim ownership to the seat on the end of the pew because they’ve sat there every week for the last twenty years. There is the intense focus on the activities happening at center stage. And, when it’s all over, there is an invitation—an invitation by friends and neighbors to join them for after-service treats at the local Dairy Queen. Yes, there is a Dairy Queen just across the street on the South end of the Tomato Bowl.
So, if believing in the hometown team’s ability to pull out a victory and being devoted followers of their success is considered a religion, then yes, in Texas, football is a religion. It is a religion practiced faithfully by hundred’s of thousands of followers across the great state of Texas every Friday night. If you’re still an unbeliever, just look up and follow the lights. After one experience, you too may become a follower.
Oops, I’ve got to go. The game starts in 45 minutes and I don’t want to miss the first verse of, “Shall We Gather at the Stadium”….
Look up “religion” in any dictionary and one of the meanings is something a person believes in and follows with great devotion. With that being the case, then high school football is undeniably the most practiced religion in the state of Texas. Walk into any Main Street barber shop during the fall in any small Texas town and ask “How are the doing this year?” You’ll know the team name by the supporter signs in the windows and on the walls. And, the locals will know that you’re from out of town because you had to ask. The upcoming game is the talk around every water cooler, barber chair, and coffee house table from Wednesday through Friday. The only reason it’s not the subject Saturday through Tuesday is because that time is reserved for reflecting on the game from last Friday night. There is an enthusiastic sharing of knowledge and experiences that churches can only wish their followers had.
Ask any Texan to quote Philippians 4:2 and he will have to scramble to find a Bible, but ask him the stats on “that Johnson kid over in Bowie County” and he can rattle them off without a second thought. Ironically, in Philippians 4:2, the Apostle Paul is urging people to be of like mind. He does not have to urge the local townspeople to agree when it comes to high school football;. There is a since of pride and ownership that brings the fans together in one accord—and come together they do. The Bible says, “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together.” That’s why thousands will gather in stadiums around the state every Friday night. They will range in age from two weeks to 102. They will come from every part of town and from the far corners of the county. If it’s an away game, they will travel in SUVs and vans like a caravan of camels crossing the desserts. Traveling the roads of Texas, you can see the steeples of churches long before you reach the city limits. However, on Friday nights, weary travelers aren’t guided by a star. Instead, they follow the glow of lights illuminating the holy gridiron of the town stadium. Some of these stadiums are as historical and revered as any other structure in town.
One such stadium is the historic Tomato Bowl in Jacksonville, TX. It got its name from Jacksonville once being considered the Tomato Capital of the World. Built as a WPA project in 1940, the Tomato Bowl is made of red iron ore rock. It even boasts an eight- foot tall iron ore rock wall encompassing the stadium with massive wooden doors for the gates. This large monument to Jacksonville’s past, sits high on a hill at the end of Commerce Street, the main street through downtown Jacksonville. Driving through Jacksonville on Hwy 69, there is an overpass spanning Commerce Street and railroad tracks. From atop the overpass, the view down Commerce Street towards the Tomato Bowl is one of awe and splendor. While the historic churches, that once called downtown home, are moving out to the edges of town, the great Tomato Bowl stands strong as the city icon and a shrine to all the hometown heroes of yesterday.
Like many historic structures, the Tomato Bowl is in need of many repairs. But repairs cost money—money usually raised by increased taxes. However, talking about raising taxes is like preaching on tithing. The more you talk about it, the more people lose their religion and stop coming. But, the diehard and devoted followers won’t mind paying their part to further the cause. After all, the traditions and rituals must continue.
The rituals of any high school football game are very much like those in any church service. There are the traditional stand-up, sit down, stand-up, sit down routines as songs are sung and allegiances declared. There’s the never ending stream of youngsters needing to go to the restroom. There are those who claim ownership to the seat on the end of the pew because they’ve sat there every week for the last twenty years. There is the intense focus on the activities happening at center stage. And, when it’s all over, there is an invitation—an invitation by friends and neighbors to join them for after-service treats at the local Dairy Queen. Yes, there is a Dairy Queen just across the street on the South end of the Tomato Bowl.
So, if believing in the hometown team’s ability to pull out a victory and being devoted followers of their success is considered a religion, then yes, in Texas, football is a religion. It is a religion practiced faithfully by hundred’s of thousands of followers across the great state of Texas every Friday night. If you’re still an unbeliever, just look up and follow the lights. After one experience, you too may become a follower.
Oops, I’ve got to go. The game starts in 45 minutes and I don’t want to miss the first verse of, “Shall We Gather at the Stadium”….
Medicines, for so many years, have always pushed for science to deliver a more efficient and better to help solve the problem of an pain reliever