About this Series
This sermon is not part of a Sermon Series and stands alone.
Luke 10:1-11 | Cameron Butler | I know many of you couldn’t care less about AFL but even so you can’t help but notice it’s finals time. Six clubs are still in the race while ten have already begun to plan for next year. What we don’t see so clearly is that behind the scenes lives are affected by the ebb and flow of football success and failure. On the one hand some players, coaches and even administrators will lose their positions in the near future while on the other new blood will come in to reinvigorate clubs and offer hope of future success. AFL appears like a classic free market where the strong survive and the weak fall away.
You may ask yourself whether there is any redeeming feature of AFL or any elite sport for that matter. The reality is that there are many people involved in sport who wouldn’t think of going to church. That’s why it is so encouraging to know that in the person of sports chaplains, the church is going to them. The world of sport (not just AFL) is a mission field and we need Christians to be in those sporting clubs and networks as ambassadors for Christ.
Over the next couple of weeks it will be a pleasure to host at St Alfred's two leading chaplains. This Sunday it is Cameron Butler of Melbourne Football Club and on Sep 26 it is John Boyes of Manchester United. Both Cameron and John are not only chaplains to their respective clubs but are also directors of sports chaplaincy organizations here in Australia and in the UK respectively. Both therefore have a knowledge and involvement in the wider sports world.