The Twelfth Man

 

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47 ESV).

 

The Twelfth Man is a tradition of long standing at Texas A&M. On Jan. 2, 1922, the heavily outmanned Aggies were facing the top-ranked Centre College Praying Colonels on the gridiron in the Dixie Classic in Dallas. An Aggie by the name of E. King Gill, a squad player for Texas A&M’s football team, was up in the press box helping reporters identify players on the field below. The Aggies found themselves plagued by injuries, with their reserves seemingly dwindling with every play. As Texas A&M Coach Dana X. Bible looked across his rapidly emptying bench, he suddenly remembered Gill’s presence in the stands. Bible waved Gill down to the sideline and told him to suit up. Gill ran under the bleachers and put on the uniform of injured running back Heine Weir, who had been knocked out of the game in the first quarter. Gill returned to the sideline, where he stood ready to play for the entirety of the game. When the last play was run, the Aggies found that they had pulled off one of the greatest upsets in college football history, winning the game 22-14. And Gill remained standing, the only player left on the team’s bench. To this day, Aggies stand during the game, ready to help their team. This year, my two oldest grandchildren, Faith and Logan (pictured here), will both be students at Texas A&M University and a part of the 12^th Man!

 

Thinking of that camaraderie I recalled the first-century believers in Jesus as they formed the Church. They did something almost automatically. They turned their lives in a direction that would allow them to grow a resilient faith. They devoted themselves to this new way of life. The word devoted carries with it the idea of being glued to something, unable to be pulled apart. They were always ready to do what was needed for their community of faith. They were not looking for the path of least resistance. When times got tough, they didn’t strive for a comfortable and convenient life. They stood together.

 

The early church shows us something very important about human nature: what we are devoted to forms our lives, shapes our thinking, and develops new patterns of life and friendship. How devoted are you to Jesus and to one another?