A Lamp Unto My Cleats

When some people hear the word “church,” the images that immediately come to mind include, stained glass windows, wooden church pews, an elevated pulpit, priests wearing robes, topped with ornate stoles and chasubles.  Perhaps they imagine hearing pipe organs and traditional hymnody and smelling the sweet aroma of incense.

When other people hear the word “church,” the picture movie theatre seating, stages, smoke machines, and stage lighting.  They imagine hearing a studio quality praise band.  They picture a sermon being delivered by a young man, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, with tattoo sleeves on both arms.

Here’s what I think we can all agree on.

When we think about professional athletes attending church services, we tend to imagine them attending a church that fits more with the second description above than the first.  I think we assume that most professional athletes attend large non-Denominational Churches. 

While that may be true more often than not, it isn’t always the case.  Some professional athletes attend very traditional style congregations.

Take, for example, Kansas City Chiefs kicker, Harrison Butker.  Butker is a Roman Catholic.  His idea of proper worship is even more traditional than that of most Catholics. 

Here’s what Butker told Joe Bukurus of the Catholic News Agency.

“At my alma mater, Georgia Tech, we had a very reverent Novus Ordo liturgy and I loved it. It was my first time being exposed to reverent liturgy. I was looking for something that showed the glory of worshiping God, that showed the glory of the sacraments, and of the Eucharist. I was looking for something that made me feel privileged to be Catholic. And it wasn’t until I had seen the reverent liturgy, seen a priest that was preaching the faith wholeheartedly up on the pulpit, that I really embraced the faith. I saw the beauty of it. And then as I kept searching for more reverence, more beauty, and asking ‘where did all this stuff come from?’  It took me to the Latin Mass. And then that’s when I started seeing all the other traditional sacraments. So, that was kind of my journey down the line.

I wholeheartedly [believe that the Latin Mass is bringing young people back to the Church.]  I think we live in confusing times. I think the culture is changing rapidly and the Traditional Latin Mass is so countercultural that I think it really entices a lot of young people who are looking for answers. They’re looking for happiness. And for me, I found happiness in embracing the faith offered in the Catholic Church. I felt like I wasn’t able to embrace it until I saw it completely exposed in the light. I knew that I had discovered authentic Catholicism. And I found that at the Traditional Latin Mass, in the traditional sacraments, and I think a lot of young people have found that, as well. Young people are looking for answers and they want to be confident and excited about their Catholic faith. They just need to know what the faith is. And it’s so clear for them to see that in the Traditional Latin Mass, and with the traditional sacraments, and with traditional resources — all these things that are unapologetically Catholic, that aren’t afraid to say things that are countercultural, but that express what we truly believe as Catholics.”

Many times, Christians who cling to traditional worship styles feel alienated.  They feel like they are being told that their view on worship is outdated and irrelevant.  I, personally, find great encouragement when I hear about others who feel moved by the rich depth of the various traditional liturgies.  Harrison Butker’s voice is one more of those encouraging voices.

I’m glad he had the courage to speak up!