Will There Really Be Rugby in Heaven?

a glance at the Ethics of Play

Our leisure, even our play, is a matter of serious concern. There is no

neutral ground in the universe; every square inch, every split second, is
claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan … It is a serious matter to
choose wholesome recreations.”
C. S. Lewis, Christian Reflections.

“Mankind's perfect environment ... satisfies a dual criterion, both

aesthetic and utilitarian. The conditions for human well-being have never
changed from that moment in Paradise.
People live by beauty as well as by truth.”
Leland Ryken, The Liberated Imagination:
Thinking Christianly About the Arts.

I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And
when I run I feel His pleasure.
Eric Liddell. Chariots of Fire
Abstract

This essay is concerned with the issue of Biblical play. It identifies an impoverished
understanding of play within the church and suggests that Christians are default
utilitarians who have have failed to see the grand arc of God ordained leisure which
began in the extravagance of the Garden of Eden and proceeded though the rhythmic
restfulness of the Sabbath, the playful sexuality of Song of Songs and the joyful
celebration of Qoheleth, the opulence of the festivals of Israel, the open ended
friendships of Jesus, the imperatives of Paul and will find its consummation in the
perfections of the New Creation. We will argue that God wants his creatures to “play”
just for the sheer pleasure of it.

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Introduction

There is an issue within the contemporary Church that is getting little or no attention. It
concerns the matter of Christian leisure and, more particularly, Christian “play.” At the
first instance, Christians are unclear as to what play is. And if we are able to find
activities which properly fall within the category of “play” there is a second problem.
And that is whether, as Christians, “play” is a Divinely permitted use of our God-given
time.

But there is yet a further complicating factor which strikes at the heart of the character
of the Christian. The qualities of the Christian life, chief among them being self-denial,
evoke a sense of “oughtness” and, perhaps, among some, an asceticism to our actions
that seem to rule out leisure.1 Time and money and resources that might otherwise be
spent on leisure activities ought be “given away” for the sake of the gospel. And by
virtue of our Christ-shapedness, Christians will always be more time-poor than most.
As Leland Ryken observes, when we “factor in the usual round of religious activities –
church attendance, devotional activities, Bible studies, committee work, volunteer work,
and service to those in need,”2 little time is left for play. Ryken says: “in today's
evangelical subculture, most people pretend that leisure is unworthy of the Christian's
life. …. When did you last hear a sermon on the subject of leisure?” 3

In this essay, which is little more than a glance at the topic, we will argue that our
confusion in respect to play has arisen because we have failed to see that woven into the
fabric of creation is a permission, even a command, to enjoy recreation. Rather than
recognising and living within this truth, we have become default utilitarians and have

1 Scripture, at first blush, appears to be against us when speak of having “time off.” Phil 2 urges us to
have the same mind and attitude of Jesus. We are to live a life of unselfish humility. The interests of
others are to be placed above our own. We are to have the nature of a servant and make ourselves
nothing. It is hard for us to imagine Jesus having a round of golf or going for a run just for the fun of
it.
2 Leland Ryken, “The Puritan Ethic and Christian Leisure for Today”, in Heintzman, Van Andel and
Visker, (ed's) Christianity and Leisure: Issues in a Pluralistic Society, (rev ed.), (Iowa: Dordt College
Press, 2006), 43. He adds “Leisure presupposes such ideas as legitimate self-indulgence, self-
satisfaction, and self-fulfilment.” p. 43
3 Ryken, “The Puritan Ethic”, p. 47.

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failed to see the grand arc of leisure which began in the extravagance of the Garden of
Eden and proceeded though the rhythmic restfulness of the Sabbath, the playful
sexuality of Song of Songs and the joyful celebration of Qoheleth, the opulence of the
festivals of Israel, the open ended friendships of Jesus, the imperatives of Paul and will
find its consummation in the perfections of the New Creation. We will argue that God
wants his creatures to “play” just for the sheer pleasure of it.

A Brief History of Leisure

At the risk of oversimplification, we will have as our dichotomies what Robert K.

Johnston, in his book, The Christian at Play, has identified as the 2 traditional
approaches which have won the day when it comes to understanding leisure. 4 The first
is “the Greek way” which sees play as good because it is opposed to work. For the
Greek citizen of old, leisure and play were what was truly worthwhile. To play was to
be a truly free human. Work was viewed with disdain. It was for sub-human slaves.
But for rulers, leisure was even more important. Plato and Aristotle saw leisure as
especially needed by rulers who acquired fitness-to-rule qualities only by engaging in
copious amounts of leisure.5

The second is “the Protestant way” which sees work as good because it is opposed to
play. For the Protestant (influenced in part by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill),
industry, individualism, frugality, ambition, profit and success are to be considered the
primary virtues. To be successful at work is to be successful at life. Play is “time off
work” and therefore vulnerable to misuse. The Protestant is, therefore, sceptical of
“play.” For the Protestant, work is a reward for past work, a temptation to idleness, or a
pause that refreshes the worker. It is never an end in itself. It always serves something
beyond itself.6 Ryken quotes a contemporary of J S Mill as saying that if a game “be
4 These approaches are the two poles of the argument. We have not addressed the periods of history in
between in which there was a gradual shift from the first to the second pole.
5 Leland Ryken, Redeeming The Time: A Christian Approach to Work and Leisure, (Grand Rapids:
Baker Books, 1995), 86. Ryken points out that leisure throughout history has always reached its
highest amongst the intellectual and cultural elite,
6 Robert K. Johnston, The Christian at Play, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983), 83-84. We are heavily
indebted to Johnston who, insofar as we can see, has written the only book devoted to the ethics of

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undertaken solely for the the sake of the enjoyment attaching to it, we need scarcely
take it under our notice. … value depends entirely upon utility.” 7

It is this Protestant way which has the upper hand in the evangelical church today. And
it has lead to an impoverished play ethic. We will begin to show a better way by turning
to the first book of the Bible.

The Creation Account

Our central premise with respect to the ethics of play in the creation account is that God
has woven into the fabric of his creation a non-utilitarian beauty which exists just for
the sake of it. There is an element in creation which is unnecessary, extravagant,
gratuitous and uselessly beautiful.

We see this in Genesis 2:9 where the world which was perfect for human habitation was
both useful and beautiful. “The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the
ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.”8

Likewise, Psalm 104 (which has points of contact with Genesis 1 – 39) describes a
creation that goes beyond mere utility:

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The birds of the sky nest by the waters; they sing among the branches … 14
He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate -

“play.” Much of his framework and discussions are used in this paper.
7 Ryken, Redeeming The Time, 90. contra Richardson “The Bible knows nothing of a “problem of
leisure.” … The general standpoint of the Bible is that it is “folly” (i.e. sinful) to be idle between
daybreak and sunset. … Hence we must not expect to derive from the Bible any explicit guidance
upon the right use of leisure.” A. Richardson, The Biblical doctrine of work, Ecumenical Biblical
Studies No. 1, (London: S.C.M. Press, 1952), 51 as quoted in Paul Heintzman, “Implications for
Leisure from a Review of the Biblical Concepts of Sabbath and Rest”, in Heintzman, Van Andel and
Visker, (ed's) (revised ed.), Christianity and Leisure, 14.
8 Bruce Waltke comments “This orchard is both aesthetically pleasing and practical. Life in the garden
is represented as a banqueting table – good for food and delightful to the eye.” Bruce K. Waltke with
Cathi J. Fredricks, Genesis: A Commentary, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 86. See also John E.
Hartley, Genesis, (Massachusetts: Hendrickson, 2000), 60.
9 John Goldingay, Psalms Volume 3: Psalms 90-150, (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2008), 182.

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 bringing forth food from the earth: 15wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to
make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts. (Psalm 104: 12 –
15)

Birds sing among tree branches. Wine gladdens the heart. Oil makes faces shine.
Bread sustains the heart. Our argument and starting point is that God freely and
graciously created and pronounced as “good” a world which is both useful and
beautiful. The world is sufficient to keep us alive and pleasurable to be in. We owe it
to God, therefore, to recognise and enjoy His good creation which was intended by Him
to be more than practical.

The Sabbath Ordinance to Rest

The Sabbath command, whilst given to Israel twice as recorded in Exodus 20 and
Deuteronomy 5, was inaugurated by God himself during the creation week. The
creation narrative (Genesis 2:2-3) ends not in man but in rest. And it recounts three
seventh day acts of God; resting, blessing and sanctifying. Waltke writes that God
“ceased from work, used the day as an instrument of life, and set it apart to himself.” 10

There is no mention of the seventh day having evening/night. We infer from this that
God's Sabbath rest, free from the symbol-laden darkness of death, points forward to the
New Creation rest.11 In codifying into the life of Israel the Sabbath practice, God was
giving his chosen people a foretaste of the world to come which would be partially
realised in the Promised Land, realised more fully in the Promised Messiah, and
consummated in the Promised New Creation. Furthermore, by preventing Israel from
10 Bruce Waltke and Charles Yu, An Old Testament Theology: an exegetical, canonical, and thematic
approach, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007), 420.
11 Waltke and Yu, An Old Testament Theology, 187. Oliver O'Donovan also notes this “The sign which
celebrates the completeness of creation looks forward also the fulfilment of history” Resurrection and
Moral Order: An Outline for Evangelical Ethics, 2nd ed., (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994), 61. Also
Claus Westermann, “The work which has been laid upon man is not his goal. His goal is the eternal
rest which has been suggested by the rest of the seventh day.” Claus Westermann, Creation, (London:
SPCK, 1974), 65 in Heintzman, “Implications for Leisure from a Review of the Biblical Concepts of
Sabbath and Rest”, 15. Heschel describes the Sabbath as “not a date but an atmosphere … a taste of
eternity – the world to come.” A. J. Heschel, The Sabbath, (New York: Harper and Row, 1966), 21,
30-31), in Heintzmann, “Implications for Leisure”, 21.

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work, the sanctified rest of the Sabbath ensured that God's people would see a
transcendence in life that surpassed their “building, possessing and controlling.” 12 It
built into the week a rhythmic reminder that life could not be mastered by ones own
effort and that rest was the goal of creation for all of creation. 13

Bt it did more than that. The commands link to the creation account (Exodus 20:8-11)
gives it the force of a creation mandate. Leisure, like work, has been sown into the
fabric of creation. The idea that life be governed by utilitarian ends runs against the
grain of the created order.14 And the fact that slaves were to observe the Sabbath mean
that leisure was humane. This is completely contrary to the Greek notion discussed
above

Wisdom Literature

We will restrict ourself to the books of Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs as we turn to the
Wisdom literature of the Old Testament.

Ecclesiastes 2:24-2615, 3:11-1316 and 5:18-1917 each point to a life in which joy is
present in work and play.18 Qoheleth urges humankind to embrace joy in eating,

12 Waltke and Yu, An Old Testament Theology, 187.

13 “So the Sabbath, which brings to an end the week, become for Israel an invitation to enter into, and
rejoice in, the blessings of creation.” W. J. Dumbrell, Covenant and Creation: A Theology of the Old
Testament Covenants, (Carlisle: Paternoster Press, 1984), 35.
14 Leland Ryken, Redeeming the Time, 178. Leonard Doohan writes “people who refuse to rest on the
Sabbath or reject genuine sabbatical living are those who trust in their own strength rather than God's
grace.” Leonard Doohan, Leisure: A Spiritual Need, (Notre Dame: Ave Marie, 1990), 46. For a
helpful examination of the link between the Exodus command which is rooted in creation and the
Deuteronomy command which is rooted in the Exodus see Waltke and Yu, And Old Testament
Theology, 187.
15 “People can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their toil. This too, I see, is
from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the person who pleases
him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness.”
16 “He has made everything beautiful in its time. ... I know that there is nothing better for people than to
be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in
all their toil—this is the gift of God.”
17 “This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for people to eat, to drink and to find
satisfaction in their toilsome labour under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for
this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives people wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy
them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.”
18 Iain Provan argues that it is only when humankind embraces its creatureliness before its Creator and

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drinking and “seeing the good” in toil rather than looking for the profit that we may get
from it.19 Joy is realised only when we see that all good things are gifts from God and
not things which we have earned ourselves.

There is in the teachings of Qoheleth a glad acceptance of the goodness of creation and
of the need to observe Sabbath rest. However, we should note that Qoheleth is
advocating a joy in both leisure and in work. His is a balanced view which finds
ultimate joy in a non-utilitarian, God-oriented view of work and leisure.

Song of Songs is a “repository of biblical teaching about play and leisure.” 20 In it, the
sheer enjoyment of human love and the pleasure of sexual play is obvious. The main
activity of the lovers in the Song is simply being together and enjoying the delights of
each other. The goal in their sexual activity is not procreation. It is pleasure. Sexual
expression is good in itself.21 Play, in the Song, is an end in itself.22 Children, thought
by some to be the goal of sexual union, are never mentioned in the Song.

The Play of Israel

The injunction to eat and drink and to send portions to those who are in need in
Nehemiah (8:9-12) is but one example of the expectation that Israel would feast in joy.
In Nehemiah 8:15 we see the beginnings of the Feast of Booths (Feast of Tabernacles)
which was a seven day party celebrating the bringing in of the harvest. 23 In Esther 9:19

ceases chasing after the wind that it can know joy. That which is good and which promotes happiness
for humankind is a wise self realisation that God, not oneself, is at the centre of the universe. “The
quest for what is “good” for human beings in terms of happiness and well-being … has thus been
successful. There is nothing better for a person than to eat, drink and find ways of enjoying … his
work. It is indeed not only good for a human being to live in this way. It is also good (morally) that
he or she should live in this way. That which is good in itself turns out, unsurprisingly, to be good for
those who pursue it.” Iain Provan, Ecclesiastes/Song of Songs, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 77
– 78.
19 Provan, Ecclesiastes/Song of Songs, 91.
20 Ryken, Redeeming the Time, 239
21 Provan, Ecclesiastes/Song of Songs, 243.
22 “Their goal is a retreat from the worries (“the little foxes”) of the workaday world. A holiday spirit
breathes through this idealised collection of love lyrics.” Ryken, Redeeming the Time, 239.
23 Mealy says: “it drew man's interest away from gloating over his accomplishments [in the successful

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we read of the inauguration of the feast Purim when the Jews celebrated with a day of
gladness and feasting and holiday-making

Various other festivals, namely the Passover and Festival of Weeks, were characterised
by a downing of all tools and of joy. Dancing (2 Samuel 6, Job 21, Eccl 3:1-4, Psalm
149:3, 87:7, 150:4), Feasting (Gen 18:1-8,24 Luke 16:22-24, Rev 19:9) and acts of
hospitality further reveal that God both permits and expects his people to find joy in
sensual delights.

The Friendships of Jesus

Jesus attendance at the Cana wedding was simultaneously a social and religious festival
(John 2:3-11). And by turning water into wine,25 Jesus ensured that the revellers would
have more reason to revel.26 What's more, Jesus had a reputation for attending parties.
His critics labelled him a glutton and a drunkard! (Luke 7:34)

And at Luke 7:33-34, Jesus contrasts his own lifestyle against that of the ascetic
lifestyle of John the Baptist which was perhaps a contrast between Johns message of
repentance and Jesus message of the joyful Kingdom of God.27

harvest] back to rejoicing in who he was by virtue of God's election and love. J. Webb Mealy, “Some
Thoughts on Old Testament Anthropology as Reflected by the Concepts of Sabbath, Festival and
Dance,” unpublished paper, July 1980, in Johnston, The Christian at Play, 111.
24 “The event meets all the criteria of a leisure occasion. It is set apart from ordinary daily life. The
three visitors rest under a tree while Abraham and Sarah, as ideal hosts, prepare a meal. A lavish meal
it is, replete with cakes, curds, milk and roast beef. Having provided the materials for leisure,,
Abraham stands under a tree while his guests eat and the enters into conversation with them after the
meal. It was in every way an occasion of festive entertainment and leisure.” Ryken, Redeeming the
Time, 242.
25 Wine, in Jewish thought, is a symbol of joy and celebration. Andreas J. Kostenberger, John, (Grand
Rapids: Baker, 2004), 93.
26 C S Lewis wrote that “The miracle at Cana in Galilee by sanctifying an innocent, sensuous pleasure
could be taken to sanctify … a recreational use of culture – mere 'entertainment'.” C. S. Lewis,
Christian Reflections, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1967), 15 in Ryken, Redeeming The Time, 243. The
6 jars held up to a total of 120 to 180 gallons between them. Kostenberger, John, 96.
27 Robert K. Johnston, “Work and Play: A Biblical Perspective”, in Heintzman, Van Andel and Visker,
Christianity and Leisure, 11.

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Paul's Imperative

The gospel writers give us scant material on the ethics of Play. Paul gives us even less.
But at 1 Tim 6: 17 he writes “Command those who are rich in this present world not to
be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope
in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” From this verse we
can see that God is the giver of all good things. We can also see that God gives good
things so that we can enjoy them. In the context of the preceding verses we can see that
the misuse of the good things God gives consists not in the enjoyment of them. Rather
it consists in loving them above Jesus and in wandering away from the faith. 28

The New Creation

A we have shown above, the rest of the seventh day points forward, ultimately, to the
rest of those who inhabit the New Creation (Heb 4:9-10). Just as God's people living
under the Old Covenant enjoyed feasts and festivals, so will those living in the New
Creation.

Zechariah 8:5 speaks of the streets of the eschatological city being full of boys and girls
playing. Jeremiah 30:18-19 speaks of a rebuilt city and of the songs of thanksgiving
sung by those in the city who “make merry.” Jeremiah 31 describes timbrels, dancing,
merrymaking, feasts and God's people being satisfied with His goodness.

The Wedding Supper of the Lamb described in Revelation 19 continues and

consummates in the New Creation the ordinances begun in the Old.

Conclusion

Built into creation is both the aesthetic as well as the practical. The beautiful as well as

28 “We are not to exchange materialism with asceticism. On the contrary, God is a generous Creator,
who wants us to appreciate the good gifts of creation.” John Stott, The message of 1 Timothy and
Titus: The life of the local church, (Leicester: Invervarsity Press, 1996), 161.

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the useful. God has given us permission to use and enjoy his creation. He has also told
us to rest. The Sabbath principle confirms that. Ecclesiastes teaches that true happiness
is found when humankind properly aligns itself under God and gives up its quest to
make a “profit.” In Song of Songs we see that sexual pleasure is an end in itself. The
“play” of Israel in her festive feasting and dancing follows the pattern of Sabbath rest
and Creation-order extravagance. And the friendships of Jesus and the imperative of
Paul give permission for joy to be had by the inhabitants of God's Kingdom. Of the
little we know of the New Creation, playing, singing, celebrating, feasting and being
merry seem certainties.

Play is the pursuit of enjoyment and pleasure. In recreation we are re-created.

Christians ought not sense any feeling of guilt when they play. They should enjoy it as
a God-given expression of their creatureliness and should see it as a foretaste of the
New Creation which will come at the eschaton. Christian play is strictly non-utilitarian
and is not play if it has a purpose other than enjoyment in itself. 29

Playing sport for money is not play. Playing sport for fun is. Play is an end in itself. In
fact, if it isn't then it isn't play. Unless the Church addresses this deficiency and takes
seriously our call to play, Christians will continue to act as though leisure is unimportant
and, therefore, will “drift into whatever leisure activity pushes itself into their path.” 30

We must give the ethic of play our clearest thinking. We must be intentional and wise in
the choice of leisure pursuits we follow.31 We must be clear that leisure has a goal and
that as faithful stewards of God's creation, we must understand that The Bible is clear
that we are to work. But we must not feel guilty about pursuing recreational pursuits.
Rugby included.

29 For example, to go for a run would be “play” if the goal of the runner was to enjoy the inbuilt pleasure
of running. If, though, the runner's purpose was for something else (e.g. to lose weight or win a race)
then it would cease to be the re-creational rest which characterises Christian play.
30 Ryken, “The Puritan Ethic”, 47.
31 We do not have time or space to explore the specifics of play in this paper. The types of
sports/recreational activities/leisure pursuits that Christians should engage in would make for a
fascinating paper and it needs to be written.

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Banks, Robert. The Tyranny of Time, (Homebush West: Lancer, 1983)

Dumbrell, W. J. Covenant and Creation: A Theology of the Old Testament Covenants.

(Carlisle: Paternoster Press, 1984)

Goldingay, John. Psalms Volume 3: Psalms 90-150. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books,
2008)

Goldingay, John. “The “Salvation History” Perspective and the “Wisdom” Perspective
within the Context of Biblical Theology.” The Evangelical Quarterly, 51(1979): 194
– 207.

Hartley, John E. Genesis. (Massachusetts: Hendrickson, 2000)

Heintzman, Van Andel and Visker, (ed's). Christianity and Leisure: Issues in a
Pluralistic Society, (rev ed.). (Iowa: Dordt College Press, 2006)

Johnston, Robert K. The Christian at Play. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983)

Kostenberger, Andreas J. John. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004)

O'Donovan, Oliver. Resurrection and Moral Order: An Outline for Evangelical Ethics,
(2nd ed.). (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994)

Provan, Iain. Ecclesiastes/Song of Songs. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001)

Ryken, Leland. Redeeming The Time: A Christian Approach to Work and Leisure.
(Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1995)

Ryken, Leland. The Liberated Imagination: Thinking Christianly About the Arts,
(Illinois: Harold Shaw, 1989)

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Scobie, Charles H. H. The Ways of Our God: An Approach to Biblical Theology,
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003)

Stott, John. The message of 1 Timothy and Titus: The life of the local church, (Leicester:
Invervarsity Press, 1996)

Waltke, Bruce K. and Fredricks, Cathi J. Genesis: A Commentary. (Grand Rapids:

Zondervan, 2001)

Waltke, Bruce and Yu, Charles. An Old Testament Theology: an exegetical, canonical,
and thematic approach. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007),

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