Formed by the Game: 30 Days of Seeing God in the Liturgies of SportNäide

The Locker Room

The locker room is more than a place to change clothes. It is a sacred space in the liturgy of sport. Before and after games, it becomes the hub of team life. Stories are told, jokes are shared, music echoes through the walls, and bonds of trust are formed. For athletes, the locker room represents belonging. It’s the place where you know you’re part of the team, where you wear the same colors, and where unity is built. In sport culture, however, this liturgy can also form poor habits. The locker room can encourage pride, gossip, exclusion, or the hiding of weaknesses behind a mask of toughness. Athletes, coaches, and even parents often carry this same mentality into their own “locker rooms” of community, where identity is shaped more by fitting in than by authenticity.

The gospel offers a redemptive flip to this liturgy. Christ invites us into a different kind of locker room—the fellowship of believers. In this space, we don’t have to pretend or posture. James writes, “Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” True Christian community is built on honesty, vulnerability, and prayer. Instead of hiding struggles, we bring them into the light. Instead of masking pain, we share it. Instead of boasting in ourselves, we encourage and build up one another in Christ.

Think of the locker room as a picture of what the church is meant to be: a gathering place where identity is secure, trust is cultivated, and healing flows through confession and prayer. Just as a team cannot thrive if its players hide injuries or avoid communication, the body of Christ cannot thrive if we conceal sin or put on a façade of perfection. The “locker room of grace” is where we can drop the act, admit our weaknesses, and remind one another of the victory Jesus has already won.

Next time you walk into a locker room—or any space where belonging feels tied to performance—treat it as a liturgical reminder. Your ultimate security is in Christ. Because of Him, you don’t have to fake it. You can be honest, known, loved, and free.

Prayer:
“Lord, thank You for giving me a team in the body of Christ. Teach me to be honest about my struggles, willing to confess, and quick to pray for others. Help my community reflect Your grace and truth. Amen.”