There have been a lot of articles (and by a lot I mean an exorbitant amount) written about Tim Tebow. There have been a lot of them written recently. Some of them are really good and some of them not so much. For a lot of people, the Denver Broncos QB is a polarizing figure. From where he went to college, to his faith, there seems to be a lot of reasons why people choose to be on opposite sides.
The problem comes when there is criticism (whether constructive or not) is placed on Tebow. On one side, any level of criticism regardless is seen as a personal attack on him. On the other side, people feel he gets a free pass and that he's been given a lot considering where he is and done.
Where do I stand on the matter? Given that I am a follower of Jesus, my worldview is in line with Tebow's. I don't know all his theological stands (I've never met him nor talked with him) but from what I've read and heard they are in line.
So do I feel that people who criticize him are persecuting him because of his faith? Not necessarily. Now granted there are some who are critical of him because of his faith but I'm sure they would be critical of me or any other Christian as well. But those who share criticism (particularly constructive criticism) are doing it of Tebow the player, not Tebow the person.
Right now he is a second year NFL QB. He has had at this point 5 NFL starts in 2 seasons. He has shown to make some spectacular plays. He has also looked really really bad. He was drafted by and for a head coach in Denver who is no longer there. He is under a head coach that didn't want him and for all intents and purposes still doesn't want him. There are some fundamental things as a QB he needs to learn to do (read defenses, anticipate throws, throw the ball to open receivers) that are slow in developing. Does this mean he is a bad person or that is challenging his faith? By no means. It's simply stating facts.
Tebow has been hurt in his development as an NFL QB because of the coaching change with the Broncos along with the NFL lockout which cut out the offseason of minicamps & a full training camp which would've benefited him greatly. It doesn't help that Cam Newton, who came from a similar style system in college & who was once Tebow's backup at Florida before transferring, has come out of the gate like gangbusters in his rookie year.
I like Tebow, despite the fact that he went to Florida. I think he needs to improve if he wants to be a starting QB in the NFL. I'm sure he understands that as well and is working hard to improve. Being critical about his timing or his tendency to take a lot of sacks is not the same thing about being critical about his faith. A Christian can be a critic of Tim Tebow, the Denver Broncos QB and still like and support Tim Tebow the person.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
The Decision 2011...Or The Next Step For Me
"What a long strange trip it's been." I seem to quote Bill Walton quoting the Grateful Dead at regular instances in my life. Once again, that seems to be the case. To be honest, this entry has been about 4 months in the making.
When I graduated from seminary back in May, I had already been in the process of looking for a ministry position. I loved the position that I had in Kansas City but it was an unpaid position and I needed to find a paid position. In some ways, it is like a free agent in a professional league. You look around at what's out there (send out resumes), give "tryouts" to show off talent (participate in interviews) and wait to hear back on an offer.
It has been a long process. There have been hundreds of resumes sent out. There have been several interviews that I've done. And there has been a lot of waiting and a lot of rejections. I personally have gotten to know the phrases "We are going in a different direction." and "We wish you the best in your ministry." very well, even to the point of never wanting to hear or say those phrases ever again.
It has definitely been a lot of learning (or better yet relearning) patience. There were several times throughout this process where I really thought I was about to hear a yes, that I got a certain position only to get a no. It has been a lot of trusting God that He knew what was best for me.
Finally, today I received word. After over four months of praying and seeking and waiting, the decision has been made. I will be bringing my talents to.....Spartanburg, South Carolina. Yes I will be taking a position as an Associate Campus Minister for the Spartanburg BCM (Baptist Collegiate Ministries). There are 5 universities in the Spartanburg Area and I'll be helping out on a couple of those campuses. I'm excited about the opportunity.
There is still a lot to work out. The position does not start until January. That's good because there are several things that need to be taken care of before then. One of those is the fact that at this point it is only a part time position (or better described as a part-part time, 10 hours a week). I will need to find something else to help supplement my income. The BCM Director has assured me that she along with the DOM (Director of Missions) of the Baptist Association in the area will work to help me in maybe getting a part time church staff position. It might be an option to raise support but that's still to be determined.
I'm excited and thought I don't know how it's all going to work out, at least now I know what the next step is. Looking forward to 2012 and starting the next "season" of my life.
When I graduated from seminary back in May, I had already been in the process of looking for a ministry position. I loved the position that I had in Kansas City but it was an unpaid position and I needed to find a paid position. In some ways, it is like a free agent in a professional league. You look around at what's out there (send out resumes), give "tryouts" to show off talent (participate in interviews) and wait to hear back on an offer.
It has been a long process. There have been hundreds of resumes sent out. There have been several interviews that I've done. And there has been a lot of waiting and a lot of rejections. I personally have gotten to know the phrases "We are going in a different direction." and "We wish you the best in your ministry." very well, even to the point of never wanting to hear or say those phrases ever again.
It has definitely been a lot of learning (or better yet relearning) patience. There were several times throughout this process where I really thought I was about to hear a yes, that I got a certain position only to get a no. It has been a lot of trusting God that He knew what was best for me.
Finally, today I received word. After over four months of praying and seeking and waiting, the decision has been made. I will be bringing my talents to.....Spartanburg, South Carolina. Yes I will be taking a position as an Associate Campus Minister for the Spartanburg BCM (Baptist Collegiate Ministries). There are 5 universities in the Spartanburg Area and I'll be helping out on a couple of those campuses. I'm excited about the opportunity.
There is still a lot to work out. The position does not start until January. That's good because there are several things that need to be taken care of before then. One of those is the fact that at this point it is only a part time position (or better described as a part-part time, 10 hours a week). I will need to find something else to help supplement my income. The BCM Director has assured me that she along with the DOM (Director of Missions) of the Baptist Association in the area will work to help me in maybe getting a part time church staff position. It might be an option to raise support but that's still to be determined.
I'm excited and thought I don't know how it's all going to work out, at least now I know what the next step is. Looking forward to 2012 and starting the next "season" of my life.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Bartman and Both Sides of Forgiveness: Review of Catching Hell
Last night on ESPN was the debut of the documentary movie "Catching Hell". Initially this movie was to be included last year in the 30 for 30 Series but got bumped. However, they released it as the first movie in the new "season" of documentaries on ESPN and in my opinion is right up there with some of the best in the 30 for 30 series.
The story of "Catching Hell" essentially one of a scapegoat. Although the main part of the story is about Steve Bartman, Chicago Cubs fan, there is also the story of Bill Buckner, Red Sox player that bookends the story. In both instances, the label of scapegoat is placed because fans essentially want someone to blame for the losses that their long suffering teams had to face.
The movie itself was very good. When it first started and the majority of the first twenty minutes was about Buckner I was kinda eh. I was like "When are we going to get to Bartman?" But the director, who's a Red Sox fan, tied it together and it ended up working out using Buckner in that capacity.
As some may know, growing up as a kid in Tennessee in the 80s, my allegiance to a MLB team were fluid. In 1986, it was the first time I actually kinda kept up with it. I liked the Red Sox and was pulling for them. At the time, I was disappointed that they lost but didn't realize until later why I wasn't supposed to like Buckner. Later on, I found out why and looking back now I understand why part of the blame should go to him but not all of it. It wasn't just him who caused the team to lose but it was easy to put the full blame on him. (Side note, in the documentary there was a clip of the postgame interview of the losing pitcher who was more than willing to throw Buckner under the bus, highly disappointed in that guy for not standing up for his teammate). Red Sox fans for the longest time could not forgive Buckner, so much so that he had to move from Boston.
Fast forward to 2003, both the Red Sox and the Cubs were in the championship series with a chance at the World Series (side note, one of two contentions with the documentary, the movie made it seem in a sense that the Red Sox/Yanks series was over with prior to the Cubs/Marlins series, those two series were going on at the same time). At the start of the playoffs, I predicted a Red Sox/Cubs World Series....mainly because I thought it'd be an awesome series. Unfortunately on the AL side that didn't happen thanks to Grady Little and Aaron Boone in Game 7.
On the NL side, the Cubs had the opportunity to clinch a World Series berth in Game 6 of the NLCS. They had the lead into the 8th inning when an innoculous foul ball hit by Luis Castillo is interferred with by a Cubs fan. Later on in the inning, an error by Alex Gonzalez extends the inning and from that the Marlins blast open the game and end on winning Game 6 to force a Game 7.
At the time, I thought two things. One, how in the world could a fan of the home team reach out onto the field when the home team was playing defense? Second, what was he thinking?
After the fact, was it told who the person was & there was a firestorm from it. Local media then national media picked up on the story. Everyone knew about him but no one knew him. And he wasn't talking, he issued a statement that was read by his brother in law but other than that nothing. The Cubs ended up losing the series and the long streak of no World Series victories continued.
I had thought that Cubs fans were mad at Bartman more so after Game 7 but watching the documentary it was evident fans in the stadium were mad that night. Home video from inside the stadium showed how hostile "The Friendly Confines" became. The documentary does a great job of incorporating that footage into the story. I think the main things that I picked up from that footage are that from an angle in the upper deck right over the play....it really does look like Bartman interfered with OF Moises Alou in making the catch (there was long dispute whether Alou really had a chance at it) and that people really hated Bartman for that.
Since that incident, there has been no public words from him. Aside from an ESPN.com reporter trying to track him down in 2005, there has been seemingly no contact with him. He has seemingly disappeared. And in some ways, it has made it even easier to keep protraying him as a scapegoat for that series.
What is a scapegoat by the way? It refers to an Old Testament ritual that was established for the Israelites after they had left Egypt. As part of the process for atoning for the sins of the people on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would have two goats brought to him. One of the goats would be sacrificed in response to the need for atonement. The other goat would be presented in front of the people. The high priest would then lay hands on the goat and that symbolized the sins of the people being placed on the goat. The goat was then released out into the wilderness, hence the scapegoat.
(The other point of contention with the documentary was that they had a female Unitarian minister explain what a scapegoat was...could've got someone with a little more authority to speak on that but that's my opinion)
The documentary ends showing Buckner throwing out the first pitch at Opening Day at Fenway Park in 2008 after the Red Sox had won the World Series for the second time in four years. It was a touching moment because Buckner was shown to have forgiven the media (who he blamed, not the fans for the troubles) and the media and fans forgiving him. I had forgotten about that scene and was really cool to see. With Bartman, there is a question mark still left. The director thinks (and maybe rightly so) that Cubs fans will forgive Bartman when the Cubs win the World Series.
After watching the documentary, there were several things that came to mind that I tweeted about. One, what would it have been like if Twitter or iPhones had been around? In 2003, social media wasn't what it was today. There were blogs but not to the extent there is now. Texting hadn't really taken off as a means of communication. Second, how would it have been different if the play had taken place in like the 1st inning or the 3rd inning instead of the 8th inning?
I think the main one was "What if Bartman had spoken up right after it or that offseason?" I think it's one thing to issue a statement, it's another to speak out. I wonder in some ways if Bartman hasn't forgiven Chicago and Cubs fans for how they treated him that night. I wonder if he still holds a grudge and if that isn't a part of why he has never talked about it. I don't know. I do know that forgiveness is best when it's both ways. God calls us to forgive one another. When situations happen and when we are wronged, we are to forgive as He has forgiven us. Sometimes the other person will not forgive but we are still to forgive them. We are to do our part to reconcile.
It would be cool for this story to have a happy resolve. That would be up to the city of Chicago and Cubs fans and also to Steve Bartman. There can be a great example of forgiveness and redemption here. Hopefully, someday that can be seen.
"Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." (Colossians 3:13 ESV)
The story of "Catching Hell" essentially one of a scapegoat. Although the main part of the story is about Steve Bartman, Chicago Cubs fan, there is also the story of Bill Buckner, Red Sox player that bookends the story. In both instances, the label of scapegoat is placed because fans essentially want someone to blame for the losses that their long suffering teams had to face.
The movie itself was very good. When it first started and the majority of the first twenty minutes was about Buckner I was kinda eh. I was like "When are we going to get to Bartman?" But the director, who's a Red Sox fan, tied it together and it ended up working out using Buckner in that capacity.
As some may know, growing up as a kid in Tennessee in the 80s, my allegiance to a MLB team were fluid. In 1986, it was the first time I actually kinda kept up with it. I liked the Red Sox and was pulling for them. At the time, I was disappointed that they lost but didn't realize until later why I wasn't supposed to like Buckner. Later on, I found out why and looking back now I understand why part of the blame should go to him but not all of it. It wasn't just him who caused the team to lose but it was easy to put the full blame on him. (Side note, in the documentary there was a clip of the postgame interview of the losing pitcher who was more than willing to throw Buckner under the bus, highly disappointed in that guy for not standing up for his teammate). Red Sox fans for the longest time could not forgive Buckner, so much so that he had to move from Boston.
Fast forward to 2003, both the Red Sox and the Cubs were in the championship series with a chance at the World Series (side note, one of two contentions with the documentary, the movie made it seem in a sense that the Red Sox/Yanks series was over with prior to the Cubs/Marlins series, those two series were going on at the same time). At the start of the playoffs, I predicted a Red Sox/Cubs World Series....mainly because I thought it'd be an awesome series. Unfortunately on the AL side that didn't happen thanks to Grady Little and Aaron Boone in Game 7.
On the NL side, the Cubs had the opportunity to clinch a World Series berth in Game 6 of the NLCS. They had the lead into the 8th inning when an innoculous foul ball hit by Luis Castillo is interferred with by a Cubs fan. Later on in the inning, an error by Alex Gonzalez extends the inning and from that the Marlins blast open the game and end on winning Game 6 to force a Game 7.
At the time, I thought two things. One, how in the world could a fan of the home team reach out onto the field when the home team was playing defense? Second, what was he thinking?
After the fact, was it told who the person was & there was a firestorm from it. Local media then national media picked up on the story. Everyone knew about him but no one knew him. And he wasn't talking, he issued a statement that was read by his brother in law but other than that nothing. The Cubs ended up losing the series and the long streak of no World Series victories continued.
I had thought that Cubs fans were mad at Bartman more so after Game 7 but watching the documentary it was evident fans in the stadium were mad that night. Home video from inside the stadium showed how hostile "The Friendly Confines" became. The documentary does a great job of incorporating that footage into the story. I think the main things that I picked up from that footage are that from an angle in the upper deck right over the play....it really does look like Bartman interfered with OF Moises Alou in making the catch (there was long dispute whether Alou really had a chance at it) and that people really hated Bartman for that.
Since that incident, there has been no public words from him. Aside from an ESPN.com reporter trying to track him down in 2005, there has been seemingly no contact with him. He has seemingly disappeared. And in some ways, it has made it even easier to keep protraying him as a scapegoat for that series.
What is a scapegoat by the way? It refers to an Old Testament ritual that was established for the Israelites after they had left Egypt. As part of the process for atoning for the sins of the people on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would have two goats brought to him. One of the goats would be sacrificed in response to the need for atonement. The other goat would be presented in front of the people. The high priest would then lay hands on the goat and that symbolized the sins of the people being placed on the goat. The goat was then released out into the wilderness, hence the scapegoat.
(The other point of contention with the documentary was that they had a female Unitarian minister explain what a scapegoat was...could've got someone with a little more authority to speak on that but that's my opinion)
The documentary ends showing Buckner throwing out the first pitch at Opening Day at Fenway Park in 2008 after the Red Sox had won the World Series for the second time in four years. It was a touching moment because Buckner was shown to have forgiven the media (who he blamed, not the fans for the troubles) and the media and fans forgiving him. I had forgotten about that scene and was really cool to see. With Bartman, there is a question mark still left. The director thinks (and maybe rightly so) that Cubs fans will forgive Bartman when the Cubs win the World Series.
After watching the documentary, there were several things that came to mind that I tweeted about. One, what would it have been like if Twitter or iPhones had been around? In 2003, social media wasn't what it was today. There were blogs but not to the extent there is now. Texting hadn't really taken off as a means of communication. Second, how would it have been different if the play had taken place in like the 1st inning or the 3rd inning instead of the 8th inning?
I think the main one was "What if Bartman had spoken up right after it or that offseason?" I think it's one thing to issue a statement, it's another to speak out. I wonder in some ways if Bartman hasn't forgiven Chicago and Cubs fans for how they treated him that night. I wonder if he still holds a grudge and if that isn't a part of why he has never talked about it. I don't know. I do know that forgiveness is best when it's both ways. God calls us to forgive one another. When situations happen and when we are wronged, we are to forgive as He has forgiven us. Sometimes the other person will not forgive but we are still to forgive them. We are to do our part to reconcile.
It would be cool for this story to have a happy resolve. That would be up to the city of Chicago and Cubs fans and also to Steve Bartman. There can be a great example of forgiveness and redemption here. Hopefully, someday that can be seen.
"Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." (Colossians 3:13 ESV)
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Predictions for 2011 NFL Season
It has been over a month since my last post. I really need to write more. Maybe this will be the start. Considering that the NFL season starts tomorrow, I guess I should get in my picks (sure to be wrong) for 2011.
NFC East
Philadelphia
Dallas
NY Giants
Washington
NFC North
Green Bay
Detroit
Chicago
Minnesota
NFC South
Atlanta
New Orleans
Tampa Bay
Carolina
NFC West
Seattle
St. Louis
Arizona
San Francisco
Wild Card: New Orleans, Detroit
AFC East
New England
NY Jets
Buffalo
Miami
AFC North
Pittsburgh
Cleveland
Baltimore
Cincinnati
AFC South
Tennessee
Houston
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
AFC West
San Diego
Kansas City
Oakland
Denver
Wild Card: Cleveland, Houston
Super Bowl: Tennessee over Atlanta
NFC East
Philadelphia
Dallas
NY Giants
Washington
NFC North
Green Bay
Detroit
Chicago
Minnesota
NFC South
Atlanta
New Orleans
Tampa Bay
Carolina
NFC West
Seattle
St. Louis
Arizona
San Francisco
Wild Card: New Orleans, Detroit
AFC East
New England
NY Jets
Buffalo
Miami
AFC North
Pittsburgh
Cleveland
Baltimore
Cincinnati
AFC South
Tennessee
Houston
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
AFC West
San Diego
Kansas City
Oakland
Denver
Wild Card: Cleveland, Houston
Super Bowl: Tennessee over Atlanta
Friday, July 29, 2011
CM Punk and The Art of Making an Impact
(First off, let me give this preface. I know that to say that that professional wrestling is a sport is a bit of a stretch but just go with me on this one.)
I enjoy watching professional wrestling (or sports entertainment as some like to call it) from time to time. Watching wrestling usually goes in cycles for me. When I was a kid, I was a huge wrestling fan. Growing up in the 80s, I was a big fan of Hulk Hogan, "Macho Man" Randy Savage and the Ultimate Warrior. During my junior high/high school years, it was Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. When I was in college, my watching of wrestling was off and on but I kept tabs on it now and then. Since college, I have went in cycles. There are times when I watch a lot of it and other times not so much. To this day, I will still watch old matches in large part due to the nostalgia factor.
Recently (because I've had more access to cable), I've been watching more wrestling. I would attribute this in due part to the "storyline" of one wrestler. His name is CM Punk. For those who don't know who that is, he's a wrestler from Chicago, IL. Prior to working in the WWE, he wrestled in several wrestling organizations around the world. He was been world champion in various organization, including several times in the WWE. His "gimmick" is tied into his real life in that he is straight edge. The straight edge lifestyle is one in which a person refrains from alcohol, tobacco and recreational drugs. There are others who hold to this lifestyle in sports including Texas Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson.
Punk has played both the "face" (good guy) and the "heel" (bad guy) during his time in the WWE. When he was a "face", his straight edge life was protrayed as a positive thing in which his "drug" was competition and winning. When he was a "heel", his straight edge life was protrayed as a negative thing in which he was holier than thou with the fans and the "face" wrestlers.
Recently, his character had been kind of floundering and wasn't among the "top card" wrestlers. However, that changed when he was named the #1 Contender to the WWE title. This also coincided with the fact that his contract with the company was about to expire in real life. So on June 27th, CM Punk came out on Monday Night Raw and told the fact that his contract was expiring. He then went on to say that he was leaving the company and taking the belt with him.
What really stood out was the "shoot" message he gave at the end of the show. A "shoot" is a real not fake thing. What he did that night was a "worked shoot", which meant he had permission to say what he said but it was pretty real. Usually if a worked shoot is done well, people don't know the difference and that night was a clear example of that.
That night onward leading up to the pay-per-view event "Money in the Bank", CM Punk created a buzz that even drew into mainstream media. By the time of the event in his hometown, it was at a fever pitch. His entrance to the ring was one of the loudest I have ever heard. If you get a chance, watch his entrance. There's no fireworks, nothing super flashy. But the response of the crowd was loud. Punk went on to win the match against John Cena and took the belt with him. This has led to the storyline of there being two champions and will be settled I'm sure at the next PPV.
What got me thinking was about was does this translate into reaching out into a community with the Gospel and if so how? What lessons (if any) can we learn?
1.) Let the Gospel make an impact. We, as followers of Jesus, are called to share the Gospel. We are not responsible for what happens afterwards. We leave that up to God. God will use our words and actions to change hearts and minds. He is the one, through the work of the Holy Spirit, that makes that impact happen. We are called to be faithful to share.
2) When Christ is at work, there will be a buzz. When the impact of the Gospel happens in a community, it's hard not to tell others about it. Word spreads all around. People talk about it, even those you don't expect to talk about it. It has an impact in people's lives.
3) Keep the message in the forefront. After winning the title, Punk kept popping up at various events with the title to let people know he was around and had the belt. As followers of Jesus, we're to keep the message of the Gospel out there, popping up in various places as we travel along sharing our stories.
It will be interesting to see how the storyline goes with CM Punk and the title. But it'll be more interesting to see how God uses believers to continue to reach the world with the Gospel in the various contexts that He has placed us.
I enjoy watching professional wrestling (or sports entertainment as some like to call it) from time to time. Watching wrestling usually goes in cycles for me. When I was a kid, I was a huge wrestling fan. Growing up in the 80s, I was a big fan of Hulk Hogan, "Macho Man" Randy Savage and the Ultimate Warrior. During my junior high/high school years, it was Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. When I was in college, my watching of wrestling was off and on but I kept tabs on it now and then. Since college, I have went in cycles. There are times when I watch a lot of it and other times not so much. To this day, I will still watch old matches in large part due to the nostalgia factor.
Recently (because I've had more access to cable), I've been watching more wrestling. I would attribute this in due part to the "storyline" of one wrestler. His name is CM Punk. For those who don't know who that is, he's a wrestler from Chicago, IL. Prior to working in the WWE, he wrestled in several wrestling organizations around the world. He was been world champion in various organization, including several times in the WWE. His "gimmick" is tied into his real life in that he is straight edge. The straight edge lifestyle is one in which a person refrains from alcohol, tobacco and recreational drugs. There are others who hold to this lifestyle in sports including Texas Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson.
Punk has played both the "face" (good guy) and the "heel" (bad guy) during his time in the WWE. When he was a "face", his straight edge life was protrayed as a positive thing in which his "drug" was competition and winning. When he was a "heel", his straight edge life was protrayed as a negative thing in which he was holier than thou with the fans and the "face" wrestlers.
Recently, his character had been kind of floundering and wasn't among the "top card" wrestlers. However, that changed when he was named the #1 Contender to the WWE title. This also coincided with the fact that his contract with the company was about to expire in real life. So on June 27th, CM Punk came out on Monday Night Raw and told the fact that his contract was expiring. He then went on to say that he was leaving the company and taking the belt with him.
What really stood out was the "shoot" message he gave at the end of the show. A "shoot" is a real not fake thing. What he did that night was a "worked shoot", which meant he had permission to say what he said but it was pretty real. Usually if a worked shoot is done well, people don't know the difference and that night was a clear example of that.
That night onward leading up to the pay-per-view event "Money in the Bank", CM Punk created a buzz that even drew into mainstream media. By the time of the event in his hometown, it was at a fever pitch. His entrance to the ring was one of the loudest I have ever heard. If you get a chance, watch his entrance. There's no fireworks, nothing super flashy. But the response of the crowd was loud. Punk went on to win the match against John Cena and took the belt with him. This has led to the storyline of there being two champions and will be settled I'm sure at the next PPV.
What got me thinking was about was does this translate into reaching out into a community with the Gospel and if so how? What lessons (if any) can we learn?
1.) Let the Gospel make an impact. We, as followers of Jesus, are called to share the Gospel. We are not responsible for what happens afterwards. We leave that up to God. God will use our words and actions to change hearts and minds. He is the one, through the work of the Holy Spirit, that makes that impact happen. We are called to be faithful to share.
2) When Christ is at work, there will be a buzz. When the impact of the Gospel happens in a community, it's hard not to tell others about it. Word spreads all around. People talk about it, even those you don't expect to talk about it. It has an impact in people's lives.
3) Keep the message in the forefront. After winning the title, Punk kept popping up at various events with the title to let people know he was around and had the belt. As followers of Jesus, we're to keep the message of the Gospel out there, popping up in various places as we travel along sharing our stories.
It will be interesting to see how the storyline goes with CM Punk and the title. But it'll be more interesting to see how God uses believers to continue to reach the world with the Gospel in the various contexts that He has placed us.
Monday, July 25, 2011
The "Ricky Bobby" Prayer: Reflecting on the Prayer from Saturday's Nationwide Race
During the summer months, there's not much sports related news taking place. Baseball is in the middle of their season but it's not to the point of pennant races. Basketball, football and hockey are in their offseasons. MLS is quietly going on with little fanfare. The only other major sporting event going on is racing. In other words, it's pretty quiet. So when I heard about what happened a few days ago at a race in Nashville, it caught my attention in several ways.
I had previously blogged (2 years ago) about how NASCAR is the only major sport that has an invocation or prayer prior to their event. This is the case both at the major circuit (Sprint Cup) and their secondary circuit (Nationwide Series). Last Saturday, there was a Nationwide Series race at the Nashville Motorspeedway. Like other races, there was a pre-race invocation prayer. I personally didn't see the prayer live but I later watched it on replay.
The pastor who led the prayer, Pastor Joe Nelms of Family Baptist Church of Lebanon, TN proceeded to give a prayer that has been talked about on sports talk shows, SportsCenter and newspapers across the country. In his prayer, he gave thanks for the racing fuel, for some of the car owners providing engines for the cars, the tire company. He also thanked God for his "smokin’ hot wife tonight, Lisa, and my two children, Eli and Emma, or as we like to call the, ‘The Little E’s". He finished his prayer by saying "In Jesus’ name, Boogity Boogity Boogity, amen."
Here's the clip from YouTube of the prayer:
Some newspapers rightly described it as the pastor channeling Ricky Bobby in the prayer. For those who don't know, Ricky Bobby is a fictional character from a movie called Talledega Nights which starred Will Ferrell as a race car driver. Ferrell's character prayed a somewhat similar prayer saying grace at the dinner table.
To be honest, when I watched this I felt uncomfortable. After watching it, I thought to myself "Would I pray like that if I was given the opportunity?" The answer I came up with was "No." I just wouldn't feel comfortable praying in such a manner as Pastor Nelms did. It does make me think of how I pray privately with God. Do I honor God with my prayers? As a follower of Christ, I should be able to come before God and talk to Him like a child to a father. Just as a child is comfortable talking to one's father, there is also a level of respect there too.
Did Pastor Nelms get attention? Yes. The question is what will he do with this attention? Will his "Ricky Bobby" prayer help him as he shares the Gospel? That would be a great question to ask him. In the meantime, I know for me it has reminded me of how I pray to God and what I pray about to Him.
I had previously blogged (2 years ago) about how NASCAR is the only major sport that has an invocation or prayer prior to their event. This is the case both at the major circuit (Sprint Cup) and their secondary circuit (Nationwide Series). Last Saturday, there was a Nationwide Series race at the Nashville Motorspeedway. Like other races, there was a pre-race invocation prayer. I personally didn't see the prayer live but I later watched it on replay.
The pastor who led the prayer, Pastor Joe Nelms of Family Baptist Church of Lebanon, TN proceeded to give a prayer that has been talked about on sports talk shows, SportsCenter and newspapers across the country. In his prayer, he gave thanks for the racing fuel, for some of the car owners providing engines for the cars, the tire company. He also thanked God for his "smokin’ hot wife tonight, Lisa, and my two children, Eli and Emma, or as we like to call the, ‘The Little E’s". He finished his prayer by saying "In Jesus’ name, Boogity Boogity Boogity, amen."
Here's the clip from YouTube of the prayer:
Some newspapers rightly described it as the pastor channeling Ricky Bobby in the prayer. For those who don't know, Ricky Bobby is a fictional character from a movie called Talledega Nights which starred Will Ferrell as a race car driver. Ferrell's character prayed a somewhat similar prayer saying grace at the dinner table.
To be honest, when I watched this I felt uncomfortable. After watching it, I thought to myself "Would I pray like that if I was given the opportunity?" The answer I came up with was "No." I just wouldn't feel comfortable praying in such a manner as Pastor Nelms did. It does make me think of how I pray privately with God. Do I honor God with my prayers? As a follower of Christ, I should be able to come before God and talk to Him like a child to a father. Just as a child is comfortable talking to one's father, there is also a level of respect there too.
Did Pastor Nelms get attention? Yes. The question is what will he do with this attention? Will his "Ricky Bobby" prayer help him as he shares the Gospel? That would be a great question to ask him. In the meantime, I know for me it has reminded me of how I pray to God and what I pray about to Him.
Monday, July 11, 2011
A Lesson on Selflessness With a Baseball: Derek Jeter's 3000th Hit
There are moments in sports that are special and historic. There are moments that happen spontaneously and others that build up to the moment. They are those "where were you?" moments. One of those happened over the weekend. Derek Jeter, shortstop and captain of the New York Yankees (a team which I cannot stand but I respect him), had his 3,000 hit. Going into Saturday's game, he had 2,998 hits so it was only a matter of time before he got to 3,000.
Going against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and starting pitcher David Price (who's originally from Middle Tennessee), Jeter got hit 2,999 in the first inning to set up his next at-bat and a shot at 3,000. I caught wind of it via Twitter and turned on my PS3 to watch it happen live on MLB.tv I somehow expected a hit. What I did not expect was a home run. Sure enough, Jeter hits a home run into left center field for his 3,000 hit. That was only the 2nd time out of 28 men to reach the milestone that it was done via home run (the other was Wade Boggs). Jeter ended up going 5 for 5 and winning the game.
To me, the cool part of the story came out later. Christian Lopez, a 23 year old cell phone salesman, was the one who ended up with the ball. He got the tickets for his birthday from his girlfriend. As soon as he got the ball, he was whisked away by security to the Steinbrenner's suite. When asked what he wanted in return for the ball, Lopez said nothing and was willing to give the ball to Jeter for free. Lopez did end up getting stuff, including season tickets in the Legends section (which is some big time stuff) for the rest of the season including playoffs, a couple of signed bats and jerseys from Jeter, spent some time in the YES Network booth and got to meet Jeter in person.
It's a cool act that Lopez did. There are a lot of people who have said he should have held onto the ball and sold it. There have been some who have even called him a moron for doing this because he doesn't make a lot of money at his job and has a lot of debt from school.
Personally, I definitely don't think he's a moron. I think what he did was a pretty stand up act. He looked out for someone else's interest ahead of his. It's a good reminder that those of us who follow Jesus should put others' interest ahead of ours. Lopez was rewarded anyway for his selfless act. For followers of Jesus, our ultimate reward is in heaven but we also get to enjoy benefits of serving Him now.
Hat's off to you Mr. Lopez. You made this anti-Yankee fan stand up and salute you.
Going against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and starting pitcher David Price (who's originally from Middle Tennessee), Jeter got hit 2,999 in the first inning to set up his next at-bat and a shot at 3,000. I caught wind of it via Twitter and turned on my PS3 to watch it happen live on MLB.tv I somehow expected a hit. What I did not expect was a home run. Sure enough, Jeter hits a home run into left center field for his 3,000 hit. That was only the 2nd time out of 28 men to reach the milestone that it was done via home run (the other was Wade Boggs). Jeter ended up going 5 for 5 and winning the game.
To me, the cool part of the story came out later. Christian Lopez, a 23 year old cell phone salesman, was the one who ended up with the ball. He got the tickets for his birthday from his girlfriend. As soon as he got the ball, he was whisked away by security to the Steinbrenner's suite. When asked what he wanted in return for the ball, Lopez said nothing and was willing to give the ball to Jeter for free. Lopez did end up getting stuff, including season tickets in the Legends section (which is some big time stuff) for the rest of the season including playoffs, a couple of signed bats and jerseys from Jeter, spent some time in the YES Network booth and got to meet Jeter in person.
It's a cool act that Lopez did. There are a lot of people who have said he should have held onto the ball and sold it. There have been some who have even called him a moron for doing this because he doesn't make a lot of money at his job and has a lot of debt from school.
Personally, I definitely don't think he's a moron. I think what he did was a pretty stand up act. He looked out for someone else's interest ahead of his. It's a good reminder that those of us who follow Jesus should put others' interest ahead of ours. Lopez was rewarded anyway for his selfless act. For followers of Jesus, our ultimate reward is in heaven but we also get to enjoy benefits of serving Him now.
Hat's off to you Mr. Lopez. You made this anti-Yankee fan stand up and salute you.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sports Analogy: The Draft
I thought about writing this post last month when the NFL draft was going on but it's still appropriate with the upcoming drafts of the other major sports (NBA, MLB, NHL). When thinking about the draft, it works well with the situation of life that I'm in right now. I just finished my Master's of Divinity degree and am in the process of looking for a full time ministry position. In many ways, it is similar to a college athlete who finished his collegiate career and waiting for the time of the draft.
There is the declaration that you are available, the answering of questions, the checking over of one's background and credentials. And then there is the wait. We see the players as they wait to hear their name called and find out where they will be going to play. In a lot of ways, that is how I'm feeling right now. Sending out resumes, answering questions, and waiting. Waiting to get a call saying I have been hired, that I've been "drafted".
Just as certain teams look for a particular need to fill for their teams, the same is true in ministry. God has designed me with gifts and abilities that work well with certain ministries (college/young adult, discipleship). And I know that He has the right place for me to serve. I just pray and wait for the call.
Wherever I get "drafted", I'm excited about the next phase of my life and what God has in store for me. Until then, I wait for the call...
There is the declaration that you are available, the answering of questions, the checking over of one's background and credentials. And then there is the wait. We see the players as they wait to hear their name called and find out where they will be going to play. In a lot of ways, that is how I'm feeling right now. Sending out resumes, answering questions, and waiting. Waiting to get a call saying I have been hired, that I've been "drafted".
Just as certain teams look for a particular need to fill for their teams, the same is true in ministry. God has designed me with gifts and abilities that work well with certain ministries (college/young adult, discipleship). And I know that He has the right place for me to serve. I just pray and wait for the call.
Wherever I get "drafted", I'm excited about the next phase of my life and what God has in store for me. Until then, I wait for the call...
Friday, May 20, 2011
Diamond Club and a Walk Off Win: Sixth Royals Game of 2011....In Review
It was about time for another Royals game. As my time in Kansas City is coming to the end (because I'm graduating from seminary), I wanted to make sure that I got in at least one more Royals game. So to celebrate that (and because my friend Kyle came in to visit), we, along with Lane and Tyler, headed out to the K to see the Royals take on the Texas Rangers.
We got some really sweet seats off of Stubhub. They were Diamond Club tickets (so some of the really sweet seats behind home plate) for almost half off. The tickets also included premium parking (which was pretty sweet). When we got to the ballpark, we got to park literally right across from the ballpark (inbetween the K and Arrowhead). We went through the Home Plate Gate and headed into the Diamond Club section. It was really cool. The club section has a suite area that has its own restaurants and seating area. We sat at a table and someone came up and took our orders. We could even have started a tab (we didn't). I had a slice of oven bricked pizza (a BBQ brisket pizza) that was really good and some Dr. Pepper and watched the Rangers do BP.
When the game started, we headed over to our seats. We were 12 rows back from the field (not counting the BATS section which is directly behind home plate) on the first base side (think where the left handers bat from and that's the section we sat in). The seats had a cushion built in to them and there was in seat ordering of food as well. I ended up ordering a foot long hot dog (that was really good too). The game itself was interesting. There was a HR by the Rangers in the 2nd inning and for most of the game that was the score. Luke Hochevar, starting pitcher for the Royals, pitched well aside from the HR he gave up. He ended up pitching 8 2/3 innings before they went to the bullpen. The Royals finally got the clutch hit in the bottom of the 9th to tie it up and they went to extra innings. Then in the bottom of the 10th, Jeff Francoeur came through with the walk off base hit to win the game 2-1 in 10 innings. The winning pitcher, Greg Holland, was called up that day from Triple A and pitched 1 1/3 innings.
After that win, the Royals were now 5-1 in games that I've attended. After my time in Kansas City, I've grown to enjoy watching baseball even more. I will miss watching games at the K. We'll see where God leads me next.
We got some really sweet seats off of Stubhub. They were Diamond Club tickets (so some of the really sweet seats behind home plate) for almost half off. The tickets also included premium parking (which was pretty sweet). When we got to the ballpark, we got to park literally right across from the ballpark (inbetween the K and Arrowhead). We went through the Home Plate Gate and headed into the Diamond Club section. It was really cool. The club section has a suite area that has its own restaurants and seating area. We sat at a table and someone came up and took our orders. We could even have started a tab (we didn't). I had a slice of oven bricked pizza (a BBQ brisket pizza) that was really good and some Dr. Pepper and watched the Rangers do BP.
When the game started, we headed over to our seats. We were 12 rows back from the field (not counting the BATS section which is directly behind home plate) on the first base side (think where the left handers bat from and that's the section we sat in). The seats had a cushion built in to them and there was in seat ordering of food as well. I ended up ordering a foot long hot dog (that was really good too). The game itself was interesting. There was a HR by the Rangers in the 2nd inning and for most of the game that was the score. Luke Hochevar, starting pitcher for the Royals, pitched well aside from the HR he gave up. He ended up pitching 8 2/3 innings before they went to the bullpen. The Royals finally got the clutch hit in the bottom of the 9th to tie it up and they went to extra innings. Then in the bottom of the 10th, Jeff Francoeur came through with the walk off base hit to win the game 2-1 in 10 innings. The winning pitcher, Greg Holland, was called up that day from Triple A and pitched 1 1/3 innings.
After that win, the Royals were now 5-1 in games that I've attended. After my time in Kansas City, I've grown to enjoy watching baseball even more. I will miss watching games at the K. We'll see where God leads me next.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Buck Night & Fireworks Friday: Fifth Royals Game of 2011...In Review
Yesterday was my second Royals game in a row to attend and fifth of the season. I went with a couple of guys from church and got to take in another Buck Night/Fireworks Friday. Buck night is $1 hot dogs, peanuts and small cokes and then Fireworks Friday is a fireworks show after the game.
Yesterday was also a Baseball Equipment drive that the team was doing to collect money and used baseball gear for those who need it. And for a $20 donation, you could get a brown bag with an autographed baseball inside. I tried it and ended up with a Jason Kendall autographed ball. Eh, not who I wanted but it's something.
It was also the debut of superstar prospect 1B Eric Hosmer. He was called up after Thursday's game and the sports world was buzzing afterwards. His name became a trending topic on twitter. People were making up "Hosmer Facts" in the same was as they're "Chuck Norris Facts". For his first game, he didn't do too bad. He helped turn a double play in the 1st inning. He had two walks & a stolen base. He did strike out looking two times to finish the night 0-2 (I will say at least one of his called third strikes looked like ball four).
The game itself was a good one for the most part. Alex Gordon hit a home run. Sean O'Sullivan pitched a pretty good game (a quality start). Unfortunately one bad inning proved to be the downfall as the Royals lost 3-2. They now have a record of 4-1 in games I attend.
It was a fun night for the most part and I'll miss going out to the K once I graduate in a few weeks.
Yesterday was also a Baseball Equipment drive that the team was doing to collect money and used baseball gear for those who need it. And for a $20 donation, you could get a brown bag with an autographed baseball inside. I tried it and ended up with a Jason Kendall autographed ball. Eh, not who I wanted but it's something.
It was also the debut of superstar prospect 1B Eric Hosmer. He was called up after Thursday's game and the sports world was buzzing afterwards. His name became a trending topic on twitter. People were making up "Hosmer Facts" in the same was as they're "Chuck Norris Facts". For his first game, he didn't do too bad. He helped turn a double play in the 1st inning. He had two walks & a stolen base. He did strike out looking two times to finish the night 0-2 (I will say at least one of his called third strikes looked like ball four).
The game itself was a good one for the most part. Alex Gordon hit a home run. Sean O'Sullivan pitched a pretty good game (a quality start). Unfortunately one bad inning proved to be the downfall as the Royals lost 3-2. They now have a record of 4-1 in games I attend.
It was a fun night for the most part and I'll miss going out to the K once I graduate in a few weeks.
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