I came across this story on Yahoo! earlier this morning and found it very interesting. Stephen Curry, a player at Davidson and one of the stars of last year's March Madness, is the leading scorer in the nation - having games of 30, 39 and 44 points already this season. However, in Davidson's game against Loyola (Md.), he was held scoreless. That's right, Loyola (Md.) held the nation's leading scorer to 0 points. A guy who scored 44 points against Big 12's Oklahoma scored 0 points against Loyola (Md.). How did it happen?
They double-teamed him. On every possession. On every second of every possession. It didn't take Curry long to figure it out, and he decided to test their commitment to this strategy. He would run into the corner of the court and stand there, with 2 guys guarding him. That's right! He stood around for the majority of the game with 2 guys guarding him away from the action. Do the math now. Basketball is a 5 on 5 game. Loyola (Md.) was committing two players to one of Davidson's players. That made it a 4 on 3 game. Davidson won 78-48.
Now I understand that you don't want one guy to beat you, but really? Why in the world would you handicap yourself in a game that you are most likely going to lose in the first place? Davidson is ranked #24 in this early part of the season, and Loyola (Md.) has to include the state abbreviation in its name so that people will actually know where it is located.
Loyola (Md.)'s coach was quoted as saying, "I am a history major. [Are they] going to remember that we held him scoreless or we lost by 30?" Funny, I thought the point was to win a game, not to make history by employing the dumbest defensive tactic in the history of basketball. Now, I'm not just including college and professional basketball. I'm including the defensive strategies that I employed when playing basketball in the driveway. Some of those strategies include, but aren't limited to - "pants-ing" the opposition, allowing them to miss their shots and getting the rebound, waving my arms in a side-to-side motion, yelling at the ball while it's in the air, and many others.
What is ironic is that I don't think that history is going to remember that they held the nation's leading scorer to 0 points, as the coach assumes. I think they're going to remember one of the dumbest coaching moves of all time, which cost a team with little chance to win the game to be embarrassed. This should be a "Real Men of Genius" commerical - Mr. I Know I'm Going to Lose Anyway Guy...
What I also find great about this story is that Curry just let them. He goes off to the corner and lets him teammates play the game. He doesn't care about keeping up his reputation as the nation's leading scorer. He wants to win the game. The team is more important than the individual. Now, if only that attitude can infiltrate other individuals in the basketball leagues of America, I might be able to watch the NBA again.
What the.... Hell?
I don't have a lot of time to put up much of a post right now, but I feel like I need to write a little something and possibly go a little deeper after I've had some more time to reflect on it.
I was at a Bible study this morning and the conversation turned towards our understanding of heaven and hell. Let me just say to begin with that I understand, on a very basic level, that hell is total separation from God, all the while knowing that He does indeed exist. It is living eternally with the knowledge of an amazing, unbelievable God and also knowing that you will never be in relationship with him. One of the people in the group gave me a book to read. It's a book that I've seen on the shelves at the bookstore time and time again. Though I've been mildly interested in it, I never really wanted to pull the trigger to buy it.
The book is 23 Minutes in Hell by Bill Wiese. Mr. Wiese is a realtor in California who had an incredible experience in which he spent 23 minutes in hell. His story is incredible, and quite frankly, has challenged some of my thoughts on hell. I still maintain that hell is a total separation from God and it is being aware of that separation, but I have never reflected too deeply on the physical aspects of hell. This book has, at the very least, caused me to consider some of what Scripture has to say on a more literal level.
I won't go into much more detail than that right now. I really need to spend some time thinking and praying about what I've read. But if you have a chance, pick it up. It's an easy read. I started it around 5:30pm or 6:00pm tonight and finished it before 10:00pm, and that was with eating dinner during that timeframe. Let me know what you think.
I was at a Bible study this morning and the conversation turned towards our understanding of heaven and hell. Let me just say to begin with that I understand, on a very basic level, that hell is total separation from God, all the while knowing that He does indeed exist. It is living eternally with the knowledge of an amazing, unbelievable God and also knowing that you will never be in relationship with him. One of the people in the group gave me a book to read. It's a book that I've seen on the shelves at the bookstore time and time again. Though I've been mildly interested in it, I never really wanted to pull the trigger to buy it.
The book is 23 Minutes in Hell by Bill Wiese. Mr. Wiese is a realtor in California who had an incredible experience in which he spent 23 minutes in hell. His story is incredible, and quite frankly, has challenged some of my thoughts on hell. I still maintain that hell is a total separation from God and it is being aware of that separation, but I have never reflected too deeply on the physical aspects of hell. This book has, at the very least, caused me to consider some of what Scripture has to say on a more literal level.
I won't go into much more detail than that right now. I really need to spend some time thinking and praying about what I've read. But if you have a chance, pick it up. It's an easy read. I started it around 5:30pm or 6:00pm tonight and finished it before 10:00pm, and that was with eating dinner during that timeframe. Let me know what you think.
Editing Issues
So, as you can see below, I've been posting my sermons each week, but for some reason, the editing is always messed up. All I do is cut and paste from my manuscript, and I get text that is all sorts of different sizes and colors. I try to go in an manually change it to what it is supposed to be with no luck. I'm out of ideas. Suggestions?
Fantasy Football Update, Week 12
And the streak continues, 8 games and counting. This week's win was huge. I went into last night's matchup with a 94-52 lead, so I wasn't particularly worried about losing. My opponent had Lance Moore, a WR on the Saints, going last night, and I have yet to see a WR score 43 points in a game. Of course, then I tuned in to see a 51-20something lead for the Saints. Moore ended up with 115 yards and 2 TD's on the night, but that still wasn't enough.
I had a couple of bench players that outscored the starters, but nothing major. Rogers, inspite of throwing 3 INT's last night, managed to outscore Manning due to the 30 yards rushing and the rushing TD to go with a 2 pt conversion. All in all, I think Manning still had a better game, so I'm not going to worry about it.
I can't say the same about my opponent, who started a couple of Broncos in favor of a couple of Patriots. Cassel sitting on the bench cost him 27 points, and Gostowski would've given him another 7. If he had played those two, I would be lamenting my choices right now after a 14 point loss. But as it was, I'm still sitting in a tie for first place, and next week's matchup is huge. I'm playing against the one I'm tied with for first.
With the victory this week, we now have a first place showdown next week between the two teams that have already clinched playoff spots. Big game.
Remembering to Say Thanks
I pulled double duty this week. The following was preached Sunday night, November 23, 2008 at the Van Buren Ministerial Association Thanksgiving Community Service hosted by Veedersburg UMC. The text for this message is Luke 17:11-19.
Tonight’s Scripture takes place as Jesus is working his way towards Jerusalem. This narrative takes up the majority of Luke’s gospel. It is a section that begins in 9:51 which says, “When the days drew near for him to be taken up he set his face to go to Jerusalem,” and it ends with the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem in 19:28, which we celebrate as Psalm Sunday. What I find interesting about this is that Jesus is constantly moving towards his ultimate destination, but there is no break in the action, so to speak. During the whole journey, Jesus is ministering to others. There are literally hundreds of miracles, healings and times of teaching during this journey, but what is very interesting, is that there is only one instance when somebody comes to Jesus and gives thanks. But before we look at that a little deeper, let’s see how the text gets us to that point.
In verse 12, we are told that Jesus is met by ten lepers as he was entering a village. It is noted that the lepers stood at a distance, which was necessary out of observance of the Torah. Leprosy at this time was understood as any type of skin condition, not strictly leprosy as it is dianosed today. According to Leviticus 13, anyone who had a skin disease must make it well known that they did have this disease and they were to be totally separate from the rest of the camp, dwelling alone on the outside. Now this really wasn’t to ostracize them from the community, but to ensure that the disease did not spread all over the community.
We must be intentional about doing this as well. We need to make sure that the sin of others does not infect us. I’m not saying that we should totally cut ourselves off from those who we would consider “sinners,” but we do have to be intentional about not allowing the sin to infect us. For some, that may well mean avoiding sin altogether. It is not the best idea for a recovering alcoholic to start a ministry reaching out to people in bars. There is important ministry that needs to be done in the bars around America, but we have to be careful not to place a stumbling block in someone else’s path. If your church wants to do a bar outreach ministry, that’s great! But don’t put a recovering alcoholic in the midst of his/her greatest weakness. We have to know our limits and we have to set boundaries, but we also have to make sure that we are reaching out to those who need Jesus’ healing touch more than anyone else.
Jesus tells the ten lepers to go show themselves to the priests. This also is based on the commands in Leviticus. It was the priest alone who could officially declare a leper clean and allow him to enter back into the community. But notice that it is not until they are obedient to Jesus’ command to go to the priest that they are healed. Officially, the priest was the one who restored them to the community, but realistically, it was Jesus who truly healed them and restored them to full relationship. In the same way, Jesus is the one who heals us and restores us to full relationship. Again, we are lepers of a different sort. We are lepers plagued with sin, and it is only through Jesus’ healing that we can be declared clean and enter into full relationship with the Father.
The Greek word that is translated as “to give thanks” is eucharisto. Now, that is a word that probably sounds vaguely familiar. Often we will refer to communion, or the Lord’s Supper, as the Eucharist based on this Greek word. It is used four times in the gospel of Luke. Two of those times are recorded in Luke 22 – first, when Jesus takes the cup, and second, when he takes the bread. Another time that it appears is in Luke 18, when Jesus is telling a parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18. It is actually the Pharisee who uses the word, but does so in a less than flattering way. He thanks God that he is not like other people who are sinners. Okay, just to summarize quickly, this word appears 4 times in Luke’s gospel, and three of those times, it is found on the lips of Jesus. There is only one instance in Luke in which someone besides Jesus gives thanks, and it is here, in tonight’s Scripture reading.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I often forget to thank God for all the things in my life. I have gotten better in the last few years, and I try to be intentional about thanking God in my prayers, but it is a growing process. As a whole, how often do we really take time out of our days to reflect on what the Lord has done for us? I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that more often than not, we forget to thank God for the things in our lives that he has given us. Usually, we stop to think about what we are thankful for when we are around the dinner table at Thanksgiving and the conversation has died down some… and the football game is not on in the background.
I’m not saying this to make anybody feel guilty, I’m just saying that is a simple fact of life more often than we would like to admit. But on the other hand, it is a common problem in the human condition. Think about it for a minute, Luke is 24 chapters long, and for 10 of those chapters, Jesus is heading towards Jerusalem performing all sorts of miracles – feeding thousands of people, healing diseases, raising people from the dead, but only once does somebody come back to Jesus and give thanks. And I don’t think it is because people were ungrateful for what Jesus did, I think that all too often, we simply forget to say thank you. But did you notice who it was that did come back to give thanks? The Samaritan – the one who would have been most despised; and the one that the reader might expect to be the least likely to give thanks, especially in such a manner as he does here in Luke 17. You see, there’s something else that is fairly significant about the use of the Greek word eucharisto.
In nearly every single instance that I looked at in the New Testament, whenever eucharisto is used, it is used specifically to give thanks to God. Now, you can’t tell me that isn’t significant when it comes to the fact that a Samaritan (who also has different worship practices than Jews, as we can see from Jesus’ discussion with a Samaritan woman in John 4) is using a particular word that throughout the New Testament is reserved for God’s handiwork. This Samaritan, one who was seen to be so far off base when it came to Jewish practices, recognized that there was something different about Jesus; something so different that he recognized Jesus for who he was – God incarnate, deity in the flesh, the very example of who the Lord is. He comes back with gratitude when he sees the handiwork of God and gives thanks. How’s that for an example for us to follow today? How often do we see the handiwork of God and pause just long enough to give thanks and praise?
I want to encourage you this week not just to set aside some time to give God thanks for the things in your life, but do make it a daily practice. Each day, spend just two minutes listing the things for which you are thankful. I guarantee you that in the light of what God has done in your life, the difficult times will seem less so. I’m not saying that everything will be easier because you take two minutes to thank God every day. However, if we begin the day with an attitude of thankgiving, we are better equipped to handle the difficult things that are thrown our way each day. Let’s use this Thanksgiving as a catalyst for a new daily routine in which we remember to say “Thanks.”
A King Unlike Any Other
The following was preached at Veedersburg and Hillsboro UMC on Sunday, November 23, 2008.
Today’s Scripture comes to us from the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel comes right after Jeremiah and Lamentations in the Old Testament. He was a contemporary of Jeremiah. While most of Jeremiah’s ministry took place in Jerusalem, the majority of Ezekiel’s ministry took place among the exiled people in Babylon. Ezekiel’s message is one filled with both judgment and hope, condemnation and comfort. Today’s Scripture reflects that dicotomy. It comes to us from Ezekiel 34.
According to the Christian calendar, today is Christ the King Sunday. Technically speaking, this marks the end of the Christian year, with Advent, which starts next Sunday, marking the beginning of it. It is on Christ the King Sunday that we remember that Jesus is the king of heaven and earth for all time. It is a time when we truly embrace the fact that that Jesus Christ is Lord of all and over all. But what does it mean when we say that Jesus Christ is King?
America’s government is based on democracy; we don’t know what it means to have a king. In the history of our country, our direct experience with kingship led to a revolution which gave birth to the United States of America. The problem is that our understanding of kingship and the example of kingship given by Christ are totally different. In the same way, the kingship of Jesus was not what was expected by the Israelites, who were awaiting their Messiah.
Messiah is a Hebrew word, which literally means “anointed one.” It is most often used in reference to the Davidic king who will rule the united tribes of Israel. Throughout the prophets, reference is made to one from the line of David who will be the Messiah. In the first century, there was a hightened sense of expectation when it came to the coming of the Messiah. In this time, it was expected that the Messiah would be a great military ruler, who would unite all of Israel, force out the oppressive Romans and restore Israel as a nation to its rightful place. We can see this in parts of the gospel message. In John 6, Jesus feeds the 5,000 and the people want to make him king. Also, do you remember Pilate’s question to Jesus? He said, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Apart from Jesus, there were others who claimed to be the Messiah during this time. In fact, there was a handful other people who claimed to be the messiah and led revolts against the government in Jesus’ day. In each case, the person was killed and the rebellion died with them. The expectation was that the Messiah would be a mighty ruler in a military and political sense. Jesus Christ is the Messiah, but not the Messiah that was expected. He was indeed a king unlike any other.
In today’s passage, we are given a different look at who the Messiah would be. In Ezekiel 34, the Messiah, who is referred to as “my servant David” in verse 23, is viewed as a shepherd. In fact, this whole section is filled with language that points to sheep and shepherds. Shepherding language puts an emphasis on the caring duties of the Messiah. But what we find out is that the leadership of Israel, those who were set as shepherds over the flock, abused their power. In fact in verses 1-10, the leadership of Israel is accused of all sorts of mistreatment – they have failed to take care of the weak, the sick, the injured, and those who have strayed; they have focused more on feeding themselves than they have focused on feeding the sheep.
Going through this passage this week has caused me to reflect on our society, and how it is structured in such a way that the same type of things are happening now. We all hear it – the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. And it’s not just American society, it is the global community in which we find ourselves – the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. And it all happens in the name of progress. People get left behind, trampled on and forgotten because of the progress that we make as a global community.
Some look at this as a form of social Darwinism – the strongest societies survive and the weaker ones die off. But is this really the case? Is this the type of world we want to be a part of – one in which those who can’t take care of themselves are left behind. Of course not! Several quotes comes to mind on this issue. How about the words of Uncle Ben in the Spiderman movies? “With great power comes great responsibility.” Or perhaps, the words of Franklin Roosevelt? “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.” How about some other words along the same lines? “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more” – Luke 12:48.
As Christians, we are given the responsibility of the shepherd, to take care of those who are left behind, trampled on and forgotten. Perhaps it would be a good idea for us to mark this chapter in our Bibles and use it as an honest evaluation from time to time. Are living up to the expectations of the shepherds? Are we caring for those who are hurting? In Ezekiel 34, the leaders of Israel failed to live up to these expectations. The question then becomes: how will God move to redeem this situation? What will God do to ensure that His flock is taken care of?
What I find most fascinating about this particular passage is that in vv.11-16 it is clear that God himself is the shepherd. God is the one who will search for his sheep, who will gather and care for the flock. But in verse 23, God will set a shepherd over them, who will be “my servant David.” The Christian understanding of Jesus is that he was fully God and fully man at the same time. In Jesus, we have one who is a part of the line of David. In fact the geneaologies of Matthew and Luke point to both Mary and Joseph as part of the line of David. In Mary, Jesus is born into the line of David; in Joseph, he is adopted in – just as we are adopted as the children of God. At the same time Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and eternally co-exists with the Father and the Spirit as the Son in the Trinity – fully human and fully divine. To ensure that that flock is taken care of, God “sets over them one shepherd” and that shepherd is Jesus Christ.
In John 10, Jesus speaks at length about his role as the Good Shepherd. He is the one who lays down his life for the sake of his flock. He is the one who ensures that the flock will be kept safe from harm. He knows his sheep and his flock knows his voice. We must be able to hear and recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd, and this does not come automatically. It comes through listening to his voice over and over again. The best way that we can hear the voice of our shepherd is if we silence ourselves long enough to listen. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and again, we must carve out some of our day in order to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd. It is only through being intentional about it that we can begin to hear the voice of God. Only on a very rare occasion will God smack us upside the head to get our attention. Most of the time we hear His voice because we are listening for it. Consequently, often we don’t hear His voice because we don’t recognize it or we aren’t listening for it.
In reading through Ezekiel 34, we get the picture of a God who cares deeply for those who are hurting. We get the picture of a God who takes care of the needs of His people. If we begin to understand Christ’s kingship in shepherding terms, we begin to see a different type of king than the ones who rule out of a position of power and might. This isn’t to say that Jesus doesn’t rule with power and might - in Matthew 28, he says that all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. But we begin to understand that power and might are balanced with the care and concern of a shepherd. We serve an Almighty God who reigns on high, but we are also called to follow the Good Shepherd. These are not opposing viewpoints. These are complimentary understandings of a God who is so big that not one single metaphor can encompass His nature.
Sometimes, when we think about kingship, we forget about the God who meets us where we are. We forget about the shepherd who leaves the 99 behind to seek out the one that is lost, and rejoices when he finds that one. In verse 22, God says that He will rescue His flock and that they will not longer be prey. When a sheep is separated from the flock, it is in serious danger and the threat of death loomed close. Likewise, those who are separated from Jesus’ flock are also in serious danger, and Jesus concern is to seek and save those who are lost. So, if we are to be imitators of Christ, then we should share a similar concern for those who are lost because, much like a sheep that has strayed from the flock, they are also in serious danger.
So, as we remember today that Jesus is King and as we prepare to enter into the season of Advent next Sunday, we rejoice at the fact that Jesus is king. But we also have to lay aside all our assumptions about what that means. One thing that Jesus does consistently throughout the gospels is challenge the status quo. He constantly calls us to new places and to do new things for the sake of his kingdom, and often this call requires a new understanding of who He is. We will never be able to know everything about the full nature of God, but what we do know is what has been revealed to us. Jesus Christ is king, and he is a king unlike any other.
Moss Disrespect... ed? or ing?
Check out this press conference following the New England-Miami game this afternoon. Randy Moss is complaining about being disrespected by the opposing coach who decided to do single coverage on him for most of the day. Moss responded with 125 yards and 3 TD's in New England's 48-28 win.
Does anyone else find it ironic that Moss is talking about being disrespected all the while standing in front of the press with headphones attached to his skull? Come on, really?
Baseball's Offseason Awards... Conclusion
Well, the offseason awards for major league baseball have all been announced, and I'd have to say that, for the most part, they look pretty good.
Pujols was named the MVP of the NL, for which I am very grateful. It is his second award, and if you ask me, it should be his third or fourth, but nobody really asked.
Second-year player Dustin Pedroia won the MVP in the American League. Like I've said before, I don't pay all that much attention to the AL, so I'm not going to argue with that decision all that much either.
The managers of the year aren't all that surprising. Lou Pinella led the Cubbies to the best record in the NL (only to be swept in the first round of the playoffs... again... haha!) and won the NL manager of the year. I'm not crazy about this selection because I think that LaRussa did a whole lot more with a whole lot less... and because I don't like the Cubbies, but I can understand the selection. Joe Maddon was the no-doubt winner of the AL manager of the year. With as big of a turn around as the Rays had this season, and primarily without any major offseason moves, I think it would have been terrible if anybody else won the award.
Finally, the AL Cy Young was awarded to Cliff Lee. Much like Lincecum in the NL, Lee had a fantastic season on a sub-par team.
All in all, I think the awards were pretty well on the button this season. I disagreed with a couple of selections, but not so much that I felt as though some people got totally shafted this year. Now that baseball is completely done, I must turn my attention to the "Hot Stove" part of the season - you know, the part where most of what is said is utter speculation and rarely comes to fruition. But don't worry, spring is around the corner.
Using What God Has Given
The following was preached at Veedersburg UMC and Hillsboro UMC on Sunday, November 16, 2008. The text is Matthew 25:14-30.
Last week we had a couple of key points that are important for us to remember in order for us to live our lives in such a way that God is glorified by everything we do. First, we must decide whom we will serve. We must lay a solid foundation upon which Christ can build, and that foundation is our willingness to serve the Lord and the Lord alone. The idols of our society get in the way of this foundation, and we have to make the conscious effort to get rid of them on a daily basis. Secondly, we must allow God to take the reigns of our spiritual life because it is only through letting go of all control of our spiritual life that we can truly grow closer to Him. God is in charge of our relationship, not us. So, once again, the question becomes, “Now what?” Now that we’ve laid a solid foundation for our faith, what do we do with what God has given us? How do we live out that faith as disciples of Jesus Christ? Today’s Scripture gives us a glimpse of what is expected of us as we live out our lives in eager expectation of Jesus’ second coming.
The key theme in today’s Scripture is “stewardship,” and before somebody turns off their listening ears, thinking that I’m just up here to talk about money this morning, let me make one thing perfectly clear. Stewardship is not about money. Money is a part of stewardship, but stewardship is not about money. Fundamentally, stewardship is about being faithful with what God has given us. It is recognizing that Jesus Christ is Lord, and as a result everything that we have and do rightfully belongs to him.
In today’s parable, the master goes off on a long journey, but before he leaves, he gives a certain amount of his fortune to his servants. It says that these men were given “talents,” which, of course, makes no sense to use because we do not live in the first century. So to give you a better idea, a talent was basically the equivalent of 6,000 drachmas. Does that make more sense now? No, of course not, but here is something that does - 6,000 drachmas is the equivalent of 20 years worth of work for a common laborer.
To put that in today’s terms, a person making $10/hour, working 2,000 hours each year (that’s 40 hours a week for 50 weeks), we are looking at roughly $400,000, and that’s for 1 talent. To one servant he gave 5 talents (or $2 million), to another he gave 2 talents ($800,000) and to the third he gave a mere $400,000. This is no small sum of money! And notice what the text says, “he gave to each according to” what? His ability. God does not make all people exactly the same. Did you know that? Each person is uniquely different from the next, and yet, all are created in the image of God. What do you think that says about how big our God is? There’s something to think about this week, but back to the point at hand.
Because we are all created different, we all are gifted for ministry in different ways. Paul writes about this in 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4 and Romans 12, and something tells me that if Paul talks about something in three different letters to three different churches, then we should definitely pay attention. Each person has been given a gift, and it is up to us to use that gift in such a way that the body of Christ can truly act as a body for the glory of God in this world. This gift is invaluable, even the ones that we may think are lesser are still critical for the body of Christ. Think of the three servants here – even the one who was given the least was still given a substantial amount. We cannot compare our gifts with those of others. If we do, this will only lead us down two roads: pride or jealousy, and neither of these will do anything to advance the kingdom of God. What God has given to us is not nearly as important as how we use it.
After the servants are given their portion of the master’s estate, they go off and do what they feel is necessary with what they had been given. The first two put their talents to work for them, and ended up doubling what they were given. The third, however, did something different. He went and buried the talent. Burying money was actually common practice in this day. It’s not like they had an Old National down the street. If you had to find a safe place to hide something (like 20 years worth of wages), it would make sense to bury it in a place that only you know about. Now, verse 27 does mention the “bankers,” but these were not bankers in the sense that we think of them. They were money-changers, people that would loan out money, exchange money for a fee and they often paid interest on deposits.
How many of us do this? How many of us take what God has given to us and bury it somewhere in the backyard? I’ll admit that there are times when I do this. God has given each of us a gift that is so valuable, but all we do with it is tuck it away for later. We don’t use it to our full potential. I can’t tell you what that gift is, but often it is something that comes easy to you and you are overjoyed at every opportunity to use it. The problem is that we don’t use them. The problem is that we tuck them away hoping to maybe pull them off the shelf and dust them off down the road.
We have our excuses – I’m working all the time, I don’t have any opportunities, I’m already doing so much right now – but they are just that, excuses. These excuses may sound reasonable to us, just like the excuse that the unfaithful servant gave to the master. But in reality, we have to face the fact that we have been given something, and it is necessary for us to be faithful with what we have been given. All too often, those excuses are just covering up our fear of failure. But we do not need to fear failure because we are not doing it on our own. Remember, if we give God control of our spiritual life, then there is nothing to fear. We can fulfill God’s purposes for our lives, through His strength, and in doing so bring glory to his name.
I spent some time this week thinking about stewardship and how it relates to us as United Methodist Christians. When a person joins the United Methodist Church, they take the vow to support the church by their prayers, presence, gifts, service, and recently added, their witness. This is also a matter of stewardship. We have made a promise that we will live out a life of faithfulness, especially when it comes to these five areas. It is important for us to lean on the Lord in fulfilling these obligations. If we are faithful, then God will take care of us.
When it comes to our prayers, presence and service, it mostly comes down to us being good stewards of the time that we have been given. We must be intentional about carving out a piece of our day to pray for our family, our circle of friends, our fellow church members, and even those in our community that we don’t really know. Prayer opens up the doors of communication with God, and in doing so we are touched by the Father. I heard somebody say once that we don’t pray to change God; we pray to change ourselves. In listening to God in prayer, we often begin the process of conforming to His will, not our own.
We also must be intentional about our presence. Attending worship is a key way in which we hear God speaking. Not because the only way you are going to hear God this week is by listening to the sermon, but through all aspects of worship, we can sense the presence of God. Through the reading of the Psalm together, through the music that is shared and sung, through the message, through the fellowship, and, yes, even through the offering, we are learning what it means to live in Christian community. We grow closer to one another through this shared experience.
We also have to be intentional about our service. The church does not exist solely for our personal benefit. When we are good stewards of our time, we also recognize the need to serve in the different ministries of the church. We could become an insulary church and only cater to ourselves, but I can guarantee you that very quickly, we will become a congregation that fails to grow spiritually and fails to be obedient to the calling that has been placed on us. We will become that third servant who just buries the talent in the ground, hoping that the master will understand our excuses. There are people in this community that are hurting and for some, the only way they are going to be able to heal is if this congregation fulfills its call to serve in the community. Our task is to discover who it is that we can serve in our community as a congregation and to step out in faith. It all begins as a matter of stewardship – being faithful with what God has given.
The last two vows of United Methodist Christians is to support the church by our gifts and our witness. “Gifts” in this instance is referring to how we handle things financially. One of the major changes that Bishop Coyner has done is a refiguring on the apportionment system. It used to be that each congregation was supposed to pay a certain amount per member. The problem with doing it that way is that nearly every single church across the board has more in membership than they have in worship. That’s just a simple fact. In fact, in all of the churches that I’ve ever been to, there has only been one in which this was not the case.
However, the money that we send to the district and conference level now is figured on how much we take in. Each congregation has to set the example of tithing for its membership. I think this is a great way of doing it because it is a shift in thinking. It is about how we handle things financially. I’ll be the first to admit that Katie and I have struggled with tithing from time to time. But ultimately, it comes down to a matter of stewardship. We have to be faithful with what God has given us, and part of that means ensuring that God is given our firstfruits. It is a step, and sometimes a leap, in faith, but it is one that we must do. God will take care of us, even when it comes to our finances.
One of the best examples that I can think of on this point actually comes from my own experience. Katie and I got married in July of 2002, just before my senior year at the University of Evansville. We had to live off campus because there was not married housing at the time. Because we had to live off campus, we both had to get jobs. Katie worked at a call center for $7.50/hr, and I worked on commission selling tools at Sears for 20 hours/week. During this first year of marriage, we were really preparing to go to seminary at Asbury, which is near Lexington, Kentucky.
When the time finally came for us to move, we didn’t have the money to rent a Uhaul truck. One of our cars had a busted transmission and we knew that there was no way we could use it for the three hour drive, especially since we were going through Louisville and Lexington. We had to rent a car dolly and my dad was going to tow the busted car behind his truck. I remember very clearly that the car dolly cost $39.99, which came out to $42.39 after tax. We didn’t even have the money to rent the car dolly. But on my last day of work, I received a farewell car from my co-workers, and inside that card was $43. From that point on, we never doubted for a minute that we were supposed to be going to seminary. We were faithful to our call and God provided.
Finally, at General Conference this year, a new vow was added – to support the United Methodist Church with our witness. We don’t think about this all too often, but we have been given a message of hope that we need to share with the world. In 1 Corinthians 4:1, Paul writes that we should be regarded as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. One of those mysteries is the power of the Gospel. The Gospel has the power to bring hope, to change lives, and to make all things new. We must be faithful stewards of that message.
I remember a Steven Curtis Chapman song a few years ago that starts off by telling us to picture a scenario in which we go on the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. He says to imagine that we won the million dollars, but then pretend that nothing ever happened and bury the money in a coffee can. We have been given so much more than a million dollars in the grace and forgiveness that is available through Jesus Christ, but all too often, we don’t share that message with anyone else. If we are to be stewards of the mysteries of God, then it only seems right that we make an effort to live out a fully redeemed life in such a way that opens doors for us to share the gospel. Again, it is a matter of stewardship – being faithful with what God has given.
Fantasy Football Update, Week 11
I'm on a roll now! Going into tonight's MNF game (Bills v. Browns; exciting pairing, I know), I'm holding a 99-70 lead in this week's matchup. My opponent already has all his players done for the week, and I still have Kellen Winslow going tonight. The question is not: will I win, but by how much. The victory puts me on a 7 game winning streak, and at 8-3 on the season, which will pull me into a tie for first place, as the current 8-2 leader is down 16 points with nobody going tonight. In overall points (which serves as a tie breaker), I'm 80 points back, however, I've already gained 51 of those with this week's victory.
Next week's matchup is going to be a big one. I'm playing against the guy that is directly behind me in the standings. Fortunately, his loss this week will put him two games back, but I can't afford to be losing too often in this league.
You Can't Sue Batman...
I subscribe to a blog for ComingSoon.net which focuses primarily on movie news. I like movies and I find it to be an entertaining blog to read from time to time. I recently came across a story about a town in Turkey that is suing the director and producer of The Dark Knight Christopher Nolan and Warner Brothers for royalties from the movie, which is closing in on the $1 billion mark. Apparently there is a town in Turkey named "Batman," and they believe they are entitled to some of the movie royalties because Nolan and Warner Brothers is using their town's name. Hilarious!
In other news, King Nebuchadnezzar is suing the creators of Babylon 5; Nimrod is suing Brad Pitt and Paramount Pictures for Oscar winner Babel; and Jesus is suing New Line Cinema, Mel Gibson and well-meaning Christians everywhere for The Nativity Story and The Passion of the Christ. He was quoted as saying, "Come on! This was totally ripped off of my book, dude!" For some reason, I always picture Jesus as a surfer now.
To close, I'd like to quote Lucius Fox from the aforementioned movie:
"Let me get this straight. You think your client, one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world is secretly a vigilante who spends his nights beating criminals to a pulp with his bare hands... And now your plan is to blackmail this person? Good luck."
Baseball's Offseason Awards So Far...
I realized this afternoon that I hadn't said all that much about baseball's offseason awards to this point. Mostly because not all of them have been announced, but also because I've been a little busy lately.
So, here they are to this point:
AL Gold Glove:
| C | Joe Mauer, Minnesota (1st) |
| 1B | Carlos Pena, Tampa Bay (1st) |
| 2B | Dustin Pedroia, Boston (1st) |
| SS | Michael Young, Texas (1st) |
| 3B | Adrian Beltre, Seattle (1st) |
| OF | Torii Hunter, LA Angels (8th) |
| OF | Grady Sizemore, Cleveland (2nd) |
| OF | Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle (8th) |
| P | Mike Mussina, NY Yankees (7th) |
You won't hear too much complaining from me about this list; mostly because I believe the AL to be a far inferior league (stupid DH rule....) and I don't tend to keep up on it too much. But given that the Gold Glove more often than not is handed out on reputation a lot of times, it is impressive to see five first-timers on this list; especially considering that they are all infielders. Although, now that I see that, I'm wondering where Kevin Youkilis is. I seem to remember hearing earlier this season that he hadn't committed an error since 1975 or something.... Upon further review, turns out Youk had 4 E's this season compared to Pena's 2. I sit corrected. Congratulations to all the winners.
NL Gold Glove:
| C | Yadier Molina, St. Louis (1st) |
| 1B | Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego (1st) |
| 2B | Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati (1st) |
| SS | Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia (2nd) |
| 3B | David Wright, NY Mets (2nd) |
| OF | Carlos Beltran, NY Mets (3rd) |
| OF | Nate McLouth, Pittsburgh (1st) |
| OF | Shane Victorino, Philadelphia (1st) |
| P | Greg Maddux, SD/LA (18th) |
Now this is one where I will raise a bit of an eyebrow. Maybe I'm just a bit too much of a Cardinal fan, but I thought that Albert was the best defender at 1B in the NL this year. Of course, having looked at the numbers now, Albert committed just as many errors as Yo, Adrian Gonzalez in 200 fewer innings, and I imagine his 9 fewer put-outs in those same innings has more to do with his pitching staff than him personally. Although, I am very happy for Yadi on winning his long overdue first Gold Glove. That man has hands down been the best defensive catcher in all of baseball for a handful of years now. Look for plenty more where that came from.
AL Rookie of the Year: Evan Longoria. Can't argue with this a bit. This guy was rock solid once he was called up early in the year. He only played in 122 games (between injury and starting the season in the Minors), but still ended up with 27 HR's, which was good for 14th in the AL. Give him another 40 games, and he easily a 35 HR/100+ RBI guy, look for a lot of good seasons out of him down the road.
NL Rookie of the Year: Geovany Soto. Again, can't argue with a guy who hit 23 HR's and 86 RBI's while hitting .285 and starting the All Star game for the NL as a catcher. I have a feeling I might get sick of seeing him 18 times a season.
And finally, announced today:
NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum. This guy was 18-5 on a terrible team (Giants were 72-90 this year, but really weren't even that good.) He had the league's second-best ERA at 2.62 (behind some scrub named "Santana") and led the majors in strikeouts. Not bad for the David Eckstein of pitching (dude's 5'11'' and 160 pounds). And just for the record, I did spell "Lincecum" without looking it up. As Kenny Mayne said in a commerical yesterday, "Stick that on your FacePage and poke it."
All righty, I'll update next Tuesday after all the awards have been announced. And, just to forewarn you, if Pujols isn't the NL MVP, I'm going to be a little ticked off....
Fantasy Football Update, Week 10
Wow. Total domination this week. Before I get into the specifics, here are some adjustments that I almost made prior to this week's games.
1) I nearly sat Manning against the #1 defense in the NFL in favor of Aaron Rogers v. the Vikings, but for some reason, I could never pull the trigger on that move. Good thing: Manning 240 yards, 3 TD's - good for 21 points; Rogers 142 passing yards - good for 5 points.
2) I pulled Jamal Lewis in favor of DeAngelo Williams prior to Thursday's game. Lewis had a good game, 80 all purpose yards and a TD. However, I actually did a little research and found out that Oakland and St. Louis each had very poor run defenses, so it was Thomas Jones and DeAngelo Williams getting the start. Jones had a monster day. I updated you at halftime, and he ended the day with 149 yards and 3 TD's for a huge 32 points. Williams broke a 65 yard TD to finish the game with 140 yards and 1 TD for another huge 20 points.
So, for those keeping tabs so far, with just my QB and 2 RB's, I'm at 73 points for the week. That total alone outscored 5 teams in my league this week.
3) I pulled Chris Chambers at the last minute in favor of Marvin Harrison. While Harrison on scored 3 point on 37 receiving yards this week, Chambers didn't even have a catch in the San Diego game.
4) On Thursday, I also decided to bench Shockey in favor of Winslow. 14 points v. 1 point tells me that was the right decision as well.
All in all, it was a great week for my fantasy football team, and now I've moved to 7-3 with this week's 120-58 victory. First place is sitting at 7-2 right now with a 14 point lead going into tonight's San Fran v. Arizona matchup. Given the players that each team has, I guessing that he'll move to 8-2 on the season. (Strangely enough, his opponent has SF's QB and ARI DEF going tonight - the better one does, the worse the other does. I guess that's covering your bases!)
I decided to pick up Kevin Walter from Houston in place of Chris Chambers. Chambers is not playing well at all this season (nor has he since making the cross country move last season). Whether or not I play him against the Colts is a different story. Next week's opponent is 3-6 on the season, but he's got a dangerous lineup, so we'll see how it goes.
Early Game Halftime Update
So, I really should be working on some things around the house right now, and of course, what am I doing? Checking in on the early NFL games as they approach halftime. Not doing too bad so far
I had Winslow going last Thursday - 21 points on a big night from the Browns TE. I sat Lewis, who ended with 14 points on the night, so hopefully that won't hurt me at the end of the day.
Speaking of which, Thomas Jones has 2 TD's and 100+ yards rushing at the half. With a 37-0 lead right now, I imagine that the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets Jets, will be running the ball for most of the second half. Look for those yards and point to pile up. Correction, make that a 40-0 lead at halftime - Feely kicked a 55 yarder at the end of the half. Hopefully, DeAngelo Williams will have an equally productive afternoon against another porous run defense in Oakland.
Longwell has kicked a 54 yard FG so far to go with an extra point. What's the deal with 2 safeties for the Vikings' D? Apparently a big Orlovsky day, I saw earlier that the Ravens had a safety as well. You don't see safeties very often in the NFL.
Tennessee's DEF is doing all right so far. Nothing spectacular - 1 INT and 7 points. Not bad, not great.
That's all for now...
Laying a Solid Foundation
The following is the sermon that was preached at Veedersburg and Hillsboro UMC on Sunday, November 9, 2008. The text for this week's message was Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 and is included in the the below text.
Last week we looked at the story of the Israelites crossing into the Promised Land, and how it recalled the story of the Exodus from Egypt. This story in Israelite history both affirms where they have been and reassures them that God is with them and will continue to be with them as long as they continue in faith. This is a reminder to us that God has been with us and that God will continue to be with us as long as we continue in faith. After crossing the Jordan, the Israelites begin to drive out those who were in the land before them. After conquering cities in the south and the north, the Israelites divided the land among the tribes. Before they head off to their respective areas, Joshua wants to meet with one more time, which bring us to today’s Scripture, which is found in Joshua 24.
1Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel. And they presented themselves before God. 2And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. 3Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many.
14"Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD,choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
16Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods, 17for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. 18And the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God."
19But Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. 20If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good." 21And the people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the LORD." 22Then Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses." 23He said, "Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD, the God of Israel."24And the people said to Joshua, "The LORD our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey." 25So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem.
Okay, so we’ve affirmed our past, we look eagerly towards the future, but the question now becomes, what do we do in the present? How do we start in such a way that we have something to build upon? I want to reflect for just a minute on something that many of us have probably seen at some point in our lives, and then I want to take those same principles and see how they match up with what is going on as the Israelites start to build their nation. How many of you have seen a house, or any other type of building, being built? There a number of steps that have to take place before the finished product stands before you.
The one of the first steps in building a house is knowing the building codes. Building codes are set for a reason. It’s not so that there can be one more area that someone else can control in our lives. Building codes are there to protect us. They are put in place to ensure that the minimum standards of safety are met whenever a building is put up. If the electrical wiring is not to code, then it is a possibility that the building will catch on fire. If there is not a load bearing wall where there needs to be one, then it is likely that the ceiling will collapse.
The Israelites were given their building codes before, at Mount Sinai. The Torah, or the Law, is the building code. When we get ambitious at the beginning of the year and decide to read the Bible from cover to cover, where do we often get caught? – about half way through Exodus, then in Leviticus, and Numbers and Deuteronomy. It doesn’t make sense to us. It just seems like a long list of “Do’s and Don’t’s.” We don’t realize that these books are there to teach us how to live with one another.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says that he did not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but that he came to fulfill them, and throughout the message, he says, “You have heard that it was said, but I tell you…” The Law was the minimum requirements of what it meant to live in relationship with one another and with a holy God, but Jesus comes to push us past the minimum requirements and entire into a relationship that goes beyond the minimum. Jesus calls us to an abundant life, one in which we can live beyond the minimum requirements of a relationship with the Father. It is a relationship that was intended from the very beginning when we could walk alongside the Creator.
We have also been given our building codes – the standards by which we are to live, and they can be found in Scripture. We must be aware of what Scripture says, and in doing so, apply it to our lives. When we live our lives by the standards that are laid before us in Scripture, the example that is set by Jesus, then we are going well beyond the minimum, and entering into a life of abundance.
Another step that is necessary to build a strong house is the need to prepare the land. You can’t just buy a lot and start building on it. You need to make sure the land is level. Some of it may very well need to be ripped up and replaced. This is what the Israelites had to do in order to really be able to live in the land. They had to drive out those that were in it already. If the land was not cleared out, the Israelites would have had an incredibly difficult time building in the Promised Land. As it was, they cleared out a lot of those that were in the land, but not everybody, which is why we will see down the road, they did struggle with enemies that were in the land. If the land is not prepared, then the house will not be very sturdy. Parts of it will settle unevenly, and eventually there will be cracks all throughout the house; some of those cracks may be so severe as to render the house unlivable.
In the same way, we must make sure that our land is level. We have to be willing to clear aware all of the debris that will get in the way and put cracks in our house of faith. We have to be willing to get rid of all the junk in our lives so that we can have a clean area in our life in which Christ can build. There are so many things that get in the way of our house, that can cause severe cracks, that if we don’t get rid of them, all the work in the world won’t matter because, eventually, we’ll settle down once again into an area that should have been cleared away, and the cracks will start to appear.
The third necessary step is laying a solid foundation. Once the ground is leveled out and packed down it is time to pour the concrete that will form the foundation of the house. Without this foundation, whatever is built is in risk of sinking or falling apart altogether. The foundation is the most important part of the house, because if it is messed up, the entire house is in serious danger of falling apart.
Joshua uses this time as an opportunity to challenge the people to decide who they will really serve. Will they serve the God who brought them out of Egypt and gave them the land that now lies before them, or will they serve the false gods of their ancestors – the gods of Mesopotamia, or even the gods of those in whose land they now dwell. What is most interesting about this scene is its location.
It takes place in Shechem. According to the archaeological record, Shechem was once an important center for pagan worship. It is very likely that Joshua’s interaction with the Israelite leaders in this passage was taking place in the ruins of a pagan temple. So, Joshua gives the people a look at where following these other gods will lead, and it’s not pretty. The mere location seems to tell them that they are destined for destruction if they chose to follow these false gods, just as those who once followed in that location are now ruined. Against the physical backdrop of pagan ruins and the historical backdrop of what the Lord has done for the Israelites, Joshua calls Israel to do two things: fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and faithfulness.
The Hebrew word for “fear” that is used here is yare (YAW-RAY). It doesn’t mean to fear in a sense that there is need to be frightened or terrified, but to hold in high reverence. Joshua is not telling them about a God who is bent on punishing those who make mistakes, but about a God who deserves our respect, and in whom we stand in awe. This is a God who has done the miraculous, the God who has brought them out of the land in which they were oppressed, the God who parted the waters of the sea and stopped up an overflowing river. This is a God who is truly awe-inspiring, and this is a God that is worthy of our respect and adoration.
Joshua’s challenge to the Israelite people is not just a challenge that stood before these people thousands of years ago. It is a challenge that stands before us today – right here, in the midst of our comfy pews in Veedersburg/Hillsboro. We also must decide who we will serve. Will we serve the God who created the universe and everything in it? Will we serve the God who brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and who brings us out of our own slavery to sin and death? Will we serve the God who sent his one and only son into the world that we may be reconciled with Him? Or will we serve a different god, who is no god at all?
Our society is not devoid of idols. We may not name them, we may not pray to them or make sacrifices to them, but our society is not terribly different than those who were ruined before the Israelite people on that day so long ago. Our idols are more subtle – movie and television stars, celebrities, money, power, position, pride, societal status – these are all idols in our society. We don’t always recognize them, but they are things that draw our worship away from the Almighty God because they draw our hearts away from the Almighty God.
Joshua sets the example for the Israelites, by telling them that he and his house will serve the Lord, then challenges the people to follow his lead, and the people accept his challenge – they will also serve the Lord. That’s when Joshua gives them a warning; a warning that I would be remiss if I didn’t give you today as well. We cannot serve the Lord on our own. If we try to do it by our own strength, and by our own determination of will, then we will fail. The more we try to take control of our spiritual life, the more it will begin to slip away from us. It is only when we give it to God that we can truly start to grow in our relationship with Him. The more we try to control and manipulate our relationship with God, the further and further away we push Him.
So this morning, I leave you with a challenge – let go of all control. Allow God to take the reigns of your spiritual life, because it is then – and only then – that you will truly begin growing in your relationship with Him. Now, there are some things that we need to do to help facilitate this relationship. It is our responsibility, our priviledge, to turn to Him in prayer and to study the Word. And in doing so, we open up the lines of communication, but that is the extent of what we can do. It is only when we relinquish our control that God will work in our lives. So, where are you going to build your foundation? Will it be on the sinking sand of today’s society or your own desire for control? Or will it be on the Lord? Choose this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.