Ministry Musings

Soccer Shofar

The world is abuzz.  Literally.

That not so low buzzing noise is the sound of the world coming together nation by nation to challenge one another in the "beautiful game" of football, or as we call it, soccer.  The World Cup being played out in South Africa this summer is a wonderfully colorful event.  It is an eye-catching, compelling and, in my current state of convalescence from foot surgery, wonderful celebration of what sport and athletics can be in their best manifestations.

Amid the color, the corner kicks, and breathtaking plays there is the ubiquitous noise of the vuvuzelas providing a low (or not so low if you are on the pitch) buzzing noise.  The horns are a staple of South African soccer and good for FIFA for allowing fans to use them providing a cultural flavor to these games.

I purchased one on Amazon the other day.  It is going to be orange (go figure!) and I am tempted to pull it out and use it at all those sporting events that I watch or attend just for fun.  Imagine the looks on my boys faces if I pulled that vuvuzela out at their next football (American brand) game and started blowing and going!  Better yet, imagine the looks on the faces of folks in church if I pulled the horn out from behind the pulpit!

I have a feeling there would be no napping during the sermon that day!

In the Jewish world, the congregation was called together by a trumpet.  It is called a shofar.  While it may not sound a boatload of bees, it does give out a distinctive and memorable sound.  For the faithful Jewish person the sound was a call to worship the God of all the nations.

I wonder if this two-foot plastic horn might not be a symbol of God's desires for the human race.

Think about it.  The horn is blowing (or buzzing if you prefer) and people of all nations gather on the same field, setting their differences aside to play a "beautiful game."  And the whole world is watching and people, like me, are learning more and more about this wonderfully created world.

Maybe we do need a vuvuzela blowing in our church.  We need it to remind us of God's desire to gather up all the nations under His Son reign.  We need it to remind us that we are called to be on the same field, setting aside whatever divides us, to carry out God's game plan of redemption for this world.  We need it to remind us that the world is watching us, the people of God, to see what they can learn about the God who created our wonderful world.  We need it remind us that the God we worship is the God who seeks to redeem and reclaim all the peoples of the Earth.

Then the world will be abuzz indeed.

1/100th

Wow.

1/100th of a second.

Micheal Phelps is an amazing swimmer. More than that, he is now a living Olympic icon. What he has done so far is a beat down of all competitors. What Phelps has done, especially tonight, is downright magical. He defines this Olympic Games American superstar.

He deserves it. More importantly, he has earned it.

I can only guess at the number of hours he trained. Some will say that his skill is a gift and that he was born to swim (these folks will point to the angle of his feet!). I guess they are right. He has been give a physical gift from God.

But this physical gift means nothing without early morning swim practices all his young life. This physical gift gets wasted if he opts to watch TV over swim team meets. His God-given talent gets wasted if he and his family don't intentionally devote themselves to perfecting his talent. The sacrifice they make is the price of Gold medals and Olympic glory.

You and I have been gifted by God as well. We might never win a gold medal at the Olympics but our reward is just as precious and glorious. As we hone and use our spiritual gifts for the glory of God and the benefit of others we participate in God's work in the world. Our sacrifice and hard work in this life helps us to prepare for the joy-filled Life to come.

Phelps reached out and won his 7th Gold in an amazing finish.

Jesus opened his arms wide on the cross so we be within his saving reach. And Hr did to just in time.

In the Doghouse

Pretty pathetic.

That is about all I can say about the whole dogfighting thing with fallen-from-grace Atlanta Falcon's quarterback, Michael Vick.  What else can you say when someone who has the world at his fingertips because of God-given talents and abilities throws it all away for something as cruel as dog fighting.

I cannot help but imagine that this is nothing but one big waste after another.

Waste of time.  Waste of talent.  Waste of dogs.  Waste of life.  Waste of opportunities.  Waste of influence.  Waste of potential.

What a waste.

The worst part of this is not that dogs were inhumanely treated.  That is pretty bad.  The worst part is not that Vick is throwing away many a young boys dream job.

The worst part is that Vick has squandered the opportunity to be a role model for young boys.  The worst part is that Vick can no longer use his influence to bring about positive change in the lives of at risk youth.  The worst part is that Vick is now a poster child for what it looks like for someone to throw everything away in an act of selfishness.

I hope that I do not have to answer any questions to my young football charges at practice tomorrow.  What will I say to the question about why a great football player would do such a thing to a dog?  How can I share with these young athletes the need to be careful about who they choose as friends?

Maybe I won't have to answer those questions.  Maybe, just maybe, I can be the kind of adult who models what is like to give of oneself and to share what one has for the betterment of others.  Maybe I can be the kind of adult who will teach these young boys how to discover on their own not to waste own opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others and in the world.

And I thought being a volunteer youth coach was no big deal.

Wrong.  It is definitely NOT a waste.

Training Camp

How 'bout them Cowboys!

How 'bout this luck!

We went out to training camp last Sunday afternoon.  As we were about to enter the Dome to see the Cowboys at one of their practice sessions, we were encouraged to fill out a registration form for give away VIP sideline passes for the day's practice.

Not only did K's name get drawn, so did mine.  We received enough passes to get the whole family onto the sidelines.

We saw all the big Cowboy stars.  They are large guys!  They looked bigger and faster than on TV. In fact, once or twice there power was apparent as they were barreling towards us at full speed!

What was illuminating was how these great athletes took seriously the need to practice.  Even "the player," as their former head coach called him, practiced hard and it was apparent that the team was beginning to gel.

I watched the coaches and players work together and I thought about what I would teach the boys who are on C's 11 and under tackle team I am assistant coaching.  I am aware that how I coach and what I teach them about the importance of team work and playing for each other will have a life long impact on their lives.  I know this because I am very aware how team sports, specifically football, taught me so much about how to be on a team and how together a group of people can accomplish great things if they play or work for each other.

Training camp was fun for us who were spectators.  It probably was not much fun for the players who had to work hard.  But training camp is about getting ready for the season.

In many ways throughout my life I have many training camps:  football, journalism, college, peer ministry, jobs, marriage, family, seminary, parish ministry, church planting to name a few.  Each of those times in my life have prepared me for some new season in my life.  And I learn anew again and again how important the people in my life are in helping me to see God's hand leading and guiding me to be an agent of his change in the world in which I find myself.

Four for Spurs!

Hooray for the Spurs!!

What a great night to be a Spurs fan and a resident of San Antonio!

Go! Spurs! Go!

We are proud of our team!

Go! Spurs! Go!

Time for some smack!

We are one game away from the fourth NBA title for our Spurs 9 seasons!!!!  This is put into perspective for me in this way.

We will celebrate our youngest son's birthday on Sunday.  On his second day of life, my wife "sent' me to game two of the series against the Knicks in 1999.

What a Father's Day that year was!

Now, on the eve of an eight birthday, the Spurs are on the eve of another championship.  Dynasty?  Well, yes, at least as close as one can get in the modern world of professional sports.  But, more importantly, this championship will be a win for class and team players.

This championship will be for the selfless, hard-working professionals who go to work and roll up their sleeves and do their jobs and cheer when their co-workers do theirs.  This will be for the people all over the country who are not superstars but humble, hard-working people who don't crave the spotlight for themselves but for the team as a whole.

I will be nervous tomorrow night and wonder if it will be a sweep or go to a game 5.  I hope that we wrap it up soon.  But, whether we win our fourth championship tomorrow night or Sunday, one thing is certain, the Spurs, regarded by many as boring, will bring to forefront of all our consciousness the beauty which the game of basketball can be when 5 players work together for the good of the whole.

This year the nice guys will finish first.  Again.

Go! Spurs! Go!

Spurs WIN!

What a team!

I love the Spurs.  What I love about them the most is that play as a team.  That's their motto:  Team is everything.

That seems to be cliche but it is not.  One can see that when you watch them play.  No matter what the score is, no matter how far they have to come back, they just plod away and stay and play together.

It is really inspirational.

Down by 10 they just play their game.  They each know their own and each other's strengths.  They pass the ball to one another.  They are unselfish.  They know that every time they are on the court they need each other to win the game.

And, incredibly, against the odds they win.

I am glad they are going to play in another round of the playoffs.  They may not be the most athletic or the most glamourous team.  They may not get through to the next round.

Who cares.  They are inspiration to me.

They inspire me to keep playing the game.  The encourage me to plug away no matter how behind I think I am.  They remind me to pass the ball to my teammates.  They show me that playing to my strengths and to the strengths of others is the key to winning.  They remind me that team is everything and no matter what we should play and stay together.

Bring on the Suns!

Go! Spurs! Go!

For the love of the game... (part two)

It was a great weekend of college basketball!

Honestly, I never even heard of Bradley, Bucknell, and George Mason much less know they played basketball!  But I know them now.  And so do the big, mean ole colleges now!

I love watching college basketball this time of year.  It is so pure, so exhilarating.  It is probably the only sport left where the cliche "on any given day" still applies.  Watching young men play a game for the sheer love of it is worth the time spent!

So, busted bracket nothwithstanding, I get to wait a few more days before we can go at it again.  Will Cinderella get to the dance? After this weekend, will there be two Cinderella's getting after it for glory?

I can't wait to see!

Super Game

Wow!  What a game!

I really enjoyed the game last evening!  Two good defenses going at each other.  Big plays swinging momentum back and forth.  And I really loved the gadget plays of the Steelers and thought it fitting that one of them sealed the deal.

What is about competition that fires us up?  At church we are currently recruiting for church league softball.  Of course, I want to play.  And I want to win.  Big.  And I told the congregation so.

Why?  Perhaps it is a pride thing.  Maybe I just love to go out and leave it on the field.  That is a funny phrase, "leave it on the field."  It can mean so much.  In sports it usually means that a player has played (watch out for another cliche) "110%" and done all he or she can do and just a bit more.

What if people of faith, particularly Christ-followers, left it all on the field?  The mission field, that is.

What if we gave "110%" of ourselves to accomplishing Jesus' mission of "seeking and saving the lost"?  What if gave all of our life and a little bit more to proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus to the world and announcing that God's kingdom is breaking in all around us?

What would that kind of church look like?

I would love to be a part of that church.  I would love to lead that church.  I would love to play on that church's softball team.

The teams of spiritual darkness wouldn't stand a chance!