Practice makes perfect

Today I went and watched the Melbourne Victory open training session. It was a good way to spend the morning, sitting in the shade, watching my team run around. After their warm up and a few drills they got into a practice game and we were able to watch them working hard to prepare for a must win game on Friday night. While the team was practising there was very loud music emanating from the ground's speaker system. I was forced to wonder if it was to prevent us hearing the tactical discussions happening on the pitch.

Of course today's practice session was a good bit of public relations. The fans turned up. We sat and watched. We oohed and we  ahhed. The players even turned the tables and gave us a clap for coming out to watch them run around.

It makes you wonder if professional sporting clubs use a practice session as a publicity exercise how much do we use our daily practices as one too. The religious practices we do, turning up to church, playing in the band, praying in public, etc. Are these things a mere publicity exercise? I have to challenge myself a lot. If I commit to do something, what are my real motives? If I do it out of obligation, then am I not just publicising my practice?

Publicity is a double edged sword. Today the Victory built up some good will with their supporters. But their training session could also have been infiltrated by spies from Wellington, our opposition on Friday night. By their openness the club could have displayed their tactics for all to see. This too is true for our Christian practice. If we are in the public eye then we are open to both praise and ridicule, positive and negative judgement.

What I read today:

Russians strengthen their faith with an icy plunge

A motto for the people