Soccer Fellowship Report [26th July]

It was the usual hot Singapore Saturday afternoon as the PMC Soccer Community gathered for their weekly soccer duel at East Spring Secondary School. Not many people turned up at first and some of the early birds were getting worried but fortunately more people turned up (albeit slightly late) and our worst fears did not come true. Sheldon was our devotion-sharer for that day and he shared with us on an interesting topic on how to be holy, even to the point of showing love to one another on the soccer field. Various answers were given when Sheldon asked the players what their definition of holiness was, such as following God’s law and being set apart for Him. Practically, the on-field suggestions were not cursing one another, not purposely kicking one another and not putting your team-mate or opponents down when they make mistakes and instead help to encourage one another.

Players getting ready as Sheldon prepares to share from the Word

Players listening attentively to Sheldon

After devotion, the match got under way with the Panthers in blue and the Pandas in red. The Panthers quickly got the upper hand, taking advantage of some poor passing by the Pandas at the back and utilizing their pace down the flanks in the form of Jingzhong and Damien, to launch devastating counter attacks which left the slow Panda backline stranded. A few quick counter attacks and goalkeeping mistakes later, the Pandas were 3 goals down with hardly any attempts on goal of their own. It was only from a corner that Panda Justin was able to head the Pandas onto the scoresheet. As the half progressed, the usually docile Pandas became enraged and tempers flared. The call for half time was a welcome relief.

The second half got under way with the Pandas kicking off. The Pandas’ half time team-talk led by Papa Panda Ronnie, seemed to have worked as they played with a renewed vigour, taking the match to the Panthers instead of sitting back. They managed to score a few goals through Gabriel and Ronnie and the Panthers where starting to get worried. Papa Panther for the day, Sheldon, could be seen urging his team not to be complacent lest the Pandas overturn their deficit. Despite the Pandas’ best efforts to level the score, Team Panther managed to score a goal of their own through Jingzhong as well and were able to hold onto their lead until the final whistle.

On a side note, if we where to think back, Sheldon’s sharing for that day was highly relevant for us both Christian and non-Christian alike. Love is needed to be shown on the field or we would all get angry at each other when things aren’t going according to plan or when disagreements or misunderstanding arise and the game would be ruined. One example, if I remember correctly a few seasons back, two Newcastle players got into a fight with each other and both players were sent off. Our PMC Soccer Fellowship is a place for us to come together and have fun playing soccer. Thankfully, any conflicts that arose during the session have been resolved, so lets all think twice before getting angry when something goes wrong and keep having fun!! Cheerios!

Reported by Bryan Chan