Confessions of a Rook Player

Well as you may or may not know, I love the card game rook. It is a game my family has played every holiday I can remember. As a matter of fact I own a set of 100th Anniversary Playing Cards. The problem however is that I am having a hard time finding people who at least know how to play the game. Or at least know how to play the versions of Rook that I know. And after that it is even harder to find someone who loves the game as much as I do (there are few things on God's creation that I will sit for hours on a hard chair).

I love to play the game, I really do with anyone. But I love to play the game the most with those who have played many times over. They know how to count the cards, when to take the risk, and when to fold. The reason that it is more fun with competitive players is because for the most part they are more predictable on their play style. That's right, you know that they will always lead in trumps if they take the kitty. And they should, because that is how you play to win.

But when you play with an new player. They are unpredictable, sometimes slow, and make big mistakes. This can often times cause the more experienced players to loss interest in the game, and not want to play. So what happens, well we have a hard time finding a group to play. And especially finding some to play who are around my age.

That is right, we have not done a good job on helping this next generation to learn this way awesome, fun game! It is because of our own selfishness. We would rather only play like once in a while with the people we want to play with, than teach new players.

I mean let's face it, you are not born an awesome rook player. You have to be taught. You may be wondering why I am going on about rook. It is because I want to use it to point out how the Southern Baptist Convention is similar.

The problem with seasoned rook players is that they failed to assimilate new players. Many seasoned rook players do now want to go our of their way to help new players learn. As rook players, we have words that only we understand: "kitty", "shoot the moon", or that famous question "Do you have the rook?"

As Southern Baptist, we have our own language. We understand each other when we make Dave Ramsey references or jokes about dancing in church. But the unchurched don't understand. The unchurched, unsaved, and recently saved need to be taught and loved. They need to be assimilated. They will not become so on their own. We must become proactive and intently in our relationships with others.

Just like I have to be intently in picking new rook players (knowing they are unpredictable, will make mistakes, and will not understand with out careful explanation), seasoned Christians must be intensely and/or proactive in their relationships in and our of church.