Soccer punching

Soccer can be quite a violent sport. It really can. Of course most of the real violence, like killing people, is left to the fans. But women's soccer? Yep, on the field at least, it can be even more violent. If you've not seen these highlights of New Mexico defender Elizabeth Lambert, whose smile belies her aggressive play, click here. This is quite amazing. Sometimes I wish I would have had the talent to play college sports. But then I watch this video and am thankful I didn't; I'm sure this would have been me instead on SportsCenter.

Yankees and playing sports against girls

Well the Yankees won another world series. I guess it had been a few years. But when you go out in the off season and spend nearly 450 million dollars, you OUGHT to win. Players on a team like that ought to feel a little weird. It's kind of like a guy playing basketball against a girl. If he wins, he really can't feel all that proud of himself; he ought to have won. No glory in that. And if he loses, wow, he lost to a girl; that's worse than just losing. With no real pride and the possibility of deep shame, it's really a no-win/break-even situation. I think it would feel a little weird suiting up in the New York pin-stripes. Go Rays.

Freeman or Free men: Union with Josh or Jesus?

Well the Bucs are now the only team without a win, and at (0-7), I'm liking their chances to be the only team to go winless besides the Detroit Lions last year (0-16) and themselves during their inaugural season in 1976 (0-14). The only hope, if you can call it hope, is that they are starting their 1st round draft pick Josh "soul-glow" Freeman this Sunday against the old rival Green Bay Packers. The main problem with this situation is that Freeman isn't good. He wasn't very good in college, and that tends to not bode well for a good pro-career. Usually it works that way.

But the other problem is for the head coach and general manager. They have bet their future, perhaps their very future in coaching and general managing, on one man: Freeman. If he succeeds, they will have jobs for a while. If he fails, they will be out of a job. Perhaps this year, or perhaps next year. Their fate is forever linked with his.

This is reminds me of a term theologians call "union with Christ." In a nutshell, our past, present, and future are so tied to Christ, that his life, death, and resurrection in someway become our life, death, and resurrection. He died on the cross, so our sins were nailed with him on that cross (Col 2:13). He bodily rose from the dead, so that we will one day bodily rise from the grave (I Cor 15). His death and resurrection also means that presently, we have died to sin, and now no longer are slaves to sin (Romans 6). We struggle, but we are free from slavery. We Christians who are in Union with Christ, are freemen and free-women.

Now when it comes to Josh Freeman, I think the coach and GM are slaves to failure. I'd definitely be worried about being "in union" with Josh Freeman. Fortunately the one who is in union with Christ, has no insecurity. For Christ has already succeeded and we can presently live in that victory. If only I/we would believe this more!

A Roman Halloween

I was reading in Romans 14 and 15 this week and found it apropos for Halloween. The book of Romans deals with what God requires to be in a right relationship with Him (faith in Christ alone), as well as how to live in a right relationship with others in the church (faith in Christ alone results in charity and graciousness). There were Jews and Gentiles in the same church, each carrying their own cultural and religious baggage. Instead of giving the "right" answer, he instructs both parties to not look down on each other. He reminds both parties that whether they eat/don't eat food sacrificed to idols or whether church is/isn't to be held on Saturday or Sunday, everything is to be done in faith. If an action is not done in faith, THEN it is sin. So whether you feel God's pleasure on you while trick or treat with neighbors, wait for them to come to your home to meet some new faces, or simply turn out the lights and read a book, do so with faith. Don't look down on others who by faith partake or by faith choose not to partake! The church will always be filled with people of different convictions; it has since God decided to include we Gentiles. Let us love one another in our differences, free to dialog, but never dogmatically looking down on one another.

A Zorny situation

Few teams are as bad as the Bucs this year. Few teams are in as much disarray as the Bucs this year. Few teams have as poor management skills as the Bucs this year. Enter the Washington Redskins. Of course the Redskins do have 2 more wins than Tampa does this year; but then again if Tampa could play itself, and the winless St. Louis Rams, I'd imagine they'd have the same record.

To make matters worse, the owner wouldn't allow Zorn to call plays, but instead brought in Sherman Lewis, who was as recently as a few weeks ago, calling Bingo. The head coach has been relieved of his play calling duties in favor of a retiree/bingo caller. So he's there almost as a puppet, simply to decide whether or not to go for it on 4th down.

Now I don't feel sorry for the coach in the sense that he has a job for now. But as a leader, it is kind of sad. He is a leader who cannot lead. He is a leader who does not have the support of the management, so how can he rally the players around a vision?

Now fortunately for pastors, there is no one who owns the church and can tell us what and how to preach-I guess that would be similar to play calling. But I wonder how many pastors in a very real way feel like Jim Zorn. Many can't lead for fear of losing people to another church or denomination. Many probably feel as though they don't have the support of the "players" (congregation). Many probably don't feel like they have the support of "management" (whatever governing leadership the church has.) In a sad way, they have now have some fellowship with Zorn.

Now there is no solution for Coach Zorn. He will be getting fired at the end of the season; in fact the management seems to actually be trying to make him quit. But just as Seinfeld's George Costanza remained with the company that tried to make him quit, Zorn isn't giving them the satisfaction.

What's the solution for pastors? Support from management is crucial. Pastors can lead best when management is on the same page, and thus can feel freedom to lead-even when leading is outside the box. If the management and the head coach are on the same page, we can expect to see turn-around's such as Miami Dolphins a few years ago: from 1-15 to 11-5 the next year. The same things can happen in churches.

Connar's Amen

I'm anxious for Connar to talk. Why? I guess so that we can communicate. But when he does talk, he'll be able to express himself verbally and not simply run around in circles acting excited and making talk-like noises. He'll be speaking and not expressing himself like we're accustomed to seeing him express himself. I'll definitely miss that.

But one of the "words" he spoke last night really got my attention and is to this day the coolest word I've heard him speak since "Da." He had a hard time going down to sleep, so I volunteered to go survey the situation: usually it simply involves picking up his blanket which he regularly throws out of the crib. So I gave him back his "comfort item" (why he throws out his "comfort item" when it does in fact provide him comfort-he can't sleep without it-I'll never know), and found out that he simply wanted me to hold him. Definitely a rarity at night. So I did and said some prayers with him.

When I finished and said "Amen" (which is roughly the equivalent of "truly" or "I believe that," not simply an "I'm done" as we usually mean it), Connar echoed the "Amen" right back. Now it was something like "Mo." But he's been doing this immediately following our prayers, so much so, that I think he's beginning to say "Amen." That was way cool for me to hear.

How cool of an opportunity parents and all those in the church have (the local church is a cov't community without "god-parents" b/c we all play a role in raising kids) to teach kids about Jesus.....I hope we all can see it as such.

Baptism

Here is a good post on why we baptize believers and their children.