Bigger Than Me

Gilmore Junio

Denny Morrison is a decorated Canadian long-track speed skater but stumbled in the 1000m qualification race at the Canadian nationals and did not make the team for the Olympic event in Sochi.

Gilmore Junio was part of the same team. He qualified to race in both the 500m and 1000m races. Yet, after racing the 500m race, he decided to give up his spot in the 1000m race to Morrison, who had not qualified. (Read more about this amazing decision HERE.)

Junio's reasoning was that Morrison had a better chance of medaling in the 1000m race than he did. For the sake of the team, Junio sacrificed his position. The sacrifice paid off, as Morrison won silver in the 1000m. 

The Canadian skaters entered the Olympics with a unity of purpose--to acquire team medals--that extended beyond their own individual desires.

This is the lesson the apostle Paul sought to teach the Corinthian believers who were focused on themselves. They argued about teachers, were involved in sexual misconduct, wondered whether they could sue one another, had a myriad of worship problems focused around one-upping each other with spiritual gifts, and even misunderstood the resurrection! Paul called this worldly behavior. Such behavior, Paul said, demonstrates that one is still an infant in Christ, in need of baby food, not the solid food eaten by adults (1 Cor. 3:1-4).

To teach them, Paul used himself and Apollos as an example. They were two of the teachers who were being argued about among these believers (1 Cor. 1). Rather than comparing doctrine, arguing about rhetorical devices, or fighting over ministry methods, their work complemented each other. Rather than competing, they cooperated. There was a unity of purpose in their work. They were fellow workers, together, for God. They were "one" in this work (1 Cor.3:8-9).

Paul characterized this unity of purpose with garden imagery. He planted, Apollos watered, but it was God who gave the growth. Neither the planter nor the one who waters were anything; the one who really mattered was the growth-giver--God (1Cor. 3:6-7).

This unity of purpose creates the context for God to give growth. We are God's garden. But comparing, competing, arguing and fighting are like weeds that interrupt progress in God's garden. Like Paul taught, and as the Olympic speed skaters demonstrated, a unity of purpose is the only way forward. How we live together matters. Our unity of purpose must be in growing together as God's garden, eliminating weeds of discord while serving one another, for God's glory.

Jeremy Hoover is the minister at the Otisville Church of Christ in Otisville, Michigan. His website is at www.jeremyhoover.com. He is an avid sports fan who enjoys biographies about athletes and books by coaches. His favorite sports are hockey, where he roots for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and football, where he pulls for the New England Patriots.

Remember the Seahawks!

After last week's post a friend of mine, whose name I won't mention, who happens to be a Seattle fan took issue with the fact that I'd written about the losing Superbowl team. I acknowledged the validity of his point and promised him this post. :-) So here are some winning thoughts served with a slice of Manning pie.

Just as the Superbowl was about to kick off, my sister, who lives in Seattle, posted this facebook status,

"Still trying to understand the rules of this American football game. Why are there 12 players for the Seahawks and only one player for the Broncos (Peyton Manning)?"

I thought it was a brilliant comment on the way the two teams had been portrayed. I'm a big Manning fan, so if he had run out onto the field in the Superbowl in a Seahawks jersey I'd have been cheering for the Seahawks. I suspect that many others around the country allocated their Superbowl loyalties based upon their like or dislike of Peyton Manning. He became a larger than life character in this sporting drama.

In contrast, when I reflect on the persona projected by Seattle I keep coming back to the ideas of team and community.

1. Seattle has successfully embraced fan enthusiasm by honoring the crowd as The 12th Man. (11 players are on the field at any given time.) This relationship with fans has made Seattle one of the loudest stadiums in which to play and helped Seattle to only one loss over the past two season. Seattle actually holds the world record for the most crowd noise at a sporting event. That roar even created a small earthquake!! 

2. Although Russell Wilson has provided some great quarterback play and team leadership, the heart and soul of the team is it's defense. Richard Sherman has attracted a lot of media attention in the role of a bad boy with a big mouth. But the strength of the Seahawks defense has been a group of players labelled "The Legion of Boom". When compared to the singular focus Peyton Manning has received, the fact that Seattle's engine room consists of a group of players makes a significant point. Individuals can't win championships in a team sport.

3. As this story describes, even Pete Carroll, the Seattle coach, was willing to take a tackle for the benefit of the team. This style of leadership and commitment are contagious and help establish a team first mentality among the players.

There are so many ways to take these points and apply them to churches. I think I'll let you do most of the heavy lifting on this one. But here's a couple of summary thoughts.

1. The concept of the 12th Man is all about giving fans a slice of ownership in the team. As this article describes this ownership creates community that (at least for a little while) energizes a city. Churches need to have this same goal. Members want to be part of something bigger than themselves. People long for community and contributing to a greater good. How does your church communicate inclusion and value to each member?

2. Church isn't just about the individual. Yes, it's a community that God uses to speak into the lives of individuals, but it doesn't stop there. Being part of the body of Christ means that sometimes we'll put our bodies on the line for the benefit of others. That's teamwork. That's church. That's Jesus. As a church leader I have to regularly ask myself how I'm modelling this value.

How to Lose the Superbowl

Given the title I'm resisting the very strong temptation to simply write, "Have Peyton Manning as your QB". But that would put Manning in Buffalo Bills territory and that would be unfair since he does have one of those big, shiny rings in his trophy room.

But let me say this about the Superbowl. "WOW, THAT WAS CRAZY!!!!" Did anyone see that coming? From the first snap Denver looked like they were still in a different time zone! The image of the ball sailing past Manning's head to start the game is one that will stick with me for a long time.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a Colts fan, that means I'm a Manning fan, and that means that on Sunday I was a Denver fan. He seems to be a man of tremendous character, and with a very dry sense of humour that I like. He has richly deserved all the league MVP's that he's won. His comeback from neck injury and a year out of the game is remarkable.

The Superbowl loss was certainly not all about Manning. Defense and special teams also had games to forget. The Broncos never gave a hint that they were going to compete in this game. It was extremely disappointing. Before the game Denver was actually the favourite, but they played like they wanted to win first pick in the draft!! This was the largest Superbowl blowout in 20+ years!

So, "How to lose the Superbowl?"

1. Miss tackles. 
2. Give the opponent points on the first play of the game.
3. Miss tackles... and blocks.
4. Let the opposition pressure the QB and tip passes.
5. Miss tackles.
6. Throw more interceptions than touchdowns.
7. Did I mention, Miss tackles.

But there's another way to lose the Superbowl that Manning also aced. If you're going to lose, lose with grace. Did you catch this story, about Manning making the effort to come back and sign an autograph for a beer vendor and others at a time he surely just wanted to be alone. Or did you hear about how Richard Sherman, villain to Manning's halo in this game, described Peyton checking with him post game to see how serious the injury was?

If you're going to lose, that's how you lose a Superbowl. With your integrity intact.

In 2 Corinthians 8:2 Paul gives this description of some churches he'd visited, "Fierce troubles came down on the people of those churches, pushing them to the very limit. The trial exposed their true colors: They were incredibly happy, though desperately poor. The pressure triggered something totally unexpected: an outpouring of pure and generous gifts." (Message)

These churches found themselves with their backs against the wall, yet they didn't dwell on their own circumstances. Even in the middle of personal trial they wanted to serve and help others. It's easy to love our neighbours after we win our personal Superbowls, or life is breezy. Loving our neighbours when our circumstances suck requires a lot a character. Some people can do it because of their personality, most of us require the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives to truly love others while dealing with our own personal hurt.

So thank you Peyton Manning. Not for losing, but for losing with grace.

Related Links:

• A friend shared a similar blog post HERE. 

Spiritual Lessons from the NY Jets

I gravitate towards books by or about explorers and sports coaches. I like the discipline these leaders show as they lead themselves and others to pursue goals and meet objectives. They strive for excellence and I find motivation for my own journey in reading about them. 

In Collision Low Crossers, Nicholas Dawidoff writes about a year he spent with the New York Jets football team. He spent the year mainly with the defensive coaches but also spent some time with the offensive coaches and had interactions with the players. 

In 2010, Rex Ryan's second year as coach, the Jets were believed to have Super Bowl potential but because of close losses and damage due to infighting they finished with a losing record.

In the book, Dawidoff chronicled the football year--from pre-draft, through the draft, into training camp, during the long season, and into the off-season. One emphasis of Dawidoff's was the way that the coaches strove for excellence. They did this in three ways: 

1. through attention to detail; 
2. by organizing and executing plans; and 
3. through constant growth and improvement. 

One takeaway for me from this book was to ask how those three points could be applied to both ministry and spiritual development. 

Do I pay attention to detail? Am I focused on the basic habits that I need to be successful? Do I read the Bible and pray? Do I worship with other Christians? What do I watch, read, listen to, and do they impact me with negativity or with a proper focus on God? If we do not pay attention to these "little" things, we will find later on that we have developed larger problems. 

Do I organize and execute a plan? How do I plan to serve God this year? How will I grow? What ministries am I involved in and how can they be organized to bring greater glory to God? Wandering aimlessly in our faith brings us the same result as the Israelites in the desert--forty years without reaching a destination. In partnership with God, we can make plans to serve him and then follow through on them. 

Do I seek constant growth? In my personal life with God, am I content to allow "a little anger" or "a little greed" to stay in my life? In my ministry, am I happy to reach a certain plateau and then stay there? God calls us to more. Our journey is one of becoming more like Christ. There is always room to grow and we must seek this growth even if it is difficult. 

Although a secular pursuit like winning football games may not seem to have much to do faith, a thoughtful reading of Collision Low Crossers caused me to reflect on my faith and my ministry and to be challenged to grow and do better in both.

Jeremy Hoover is the minister at the Otisville Church of Christ in Otisville, Michigan. His website is at jeremyhoover.com. He is an avid sports fan who enjoys biographies about athletes and books by coaches. His favorite sports are hockey, where he roots for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and football, where he pulls for the New England Patriots.

Pots of Gold

I noticed this story on a sports ticker the other day. (Read another version of it HERE.) Notre Dame sent some of their potential football recruits packages of 477 hand-written letters. This represents one letter for every Notre Dame player who has ever been drafted to the NFL.

This is certainly extravagant and as the article points out will lead to other colleges competing to see who can show their recruits the most love. If the next school sends 500 letters will that mean they value their players more than Notre Dame does?

As a church leader it's my job to send a letter or email each week to each first-time guest for whom we receive contact info. In fact, guests receive an email from me on both their first and second visits  to one of our worship services. Focusing upon hospitality toward guests is an important aspect of our Sunday morning experience. In an ideal world each guest would leave feeling they've made at least one new friend and met a church that cares about them and can help meet their needs.

I know other churches that attempt to demonstrate their love for each person that comes through their doors by dropping off a box of cookies or some homemade bread later that week or even Sunday afternoon. A couple of times I've received a pen in the mail as a "thank-you" gift for visiting a church. I've also heard a minister at a large church describe how he spends Sunday afternoon making phone calls to first-time guests that left their phone number on an attendance card.

I don't really imagine that any guest at a church service would want to receive 477 letters later that week. But it makes me think about our attitudes. Are we as passionate about "recruiting" people to the kingdom of God as we are about recruiting top players to a football team?

In Romans 10:1 the apostle Paul wrote, "my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved." 

What does your heart desire for your neighbours? Would you risk getting eternal hand cramp "so that they may be saved?"

Two Questions:
1. What's the most extravagant thing you've seen a church try as they followup with guests?
2. Can you think of another spiritual application to this story about "pots of gold"?  

Is Perfect Good Enough?

According to multiple news reports, including www.orangebloods.com the football coach at the University of Texas, Mack Brown, will be forced to retire in the immediate future.

Brown has been the head coach in Texas for sixteen years. Fifteen of those years produced winning seasons. In fact, from 2001 to 2009 they won at least 10 games every year. In 2005 Texas won the national championship and came second in 2009. They won the Rose Bowl in 2004 and the Fiesta Bowl in 2008. They also won the the Big 12 title in 2005 and 2009.

In almost any college football program in the country this would be a hugely successful era.

But Texas isn't "any football program in the country."

The Texas football program has enormous financial resources and the administration and fans expect that support and wealth to result in regular Big 12 championships at the least and national championships every few years.

Over the past four years the Longhorns have barely broken even in the Big 12 with a 18-17 win-loss record. This article also points out that "Brown [is] the first coach in Texas history to suffer four straight seasons with at least four losses."

So turning around a season that started with two unexpected losses and clawing back to a share of second in the Big 12 wasn't good enough to save Brown's job.

Different jobs come with different expectations. Sometimes just having a winning record is a major achievement for the team. In other locations beating a traditional rival will make a successful season. But then there are those teams for whom anything less than ultimate success is failure.

Each time I hear of a successful coach being fired for not being successful "enough" I reflect on the grace I receive from God. The only "enough" God seeks from me, is a spirit broken enough to recognise my need for God's forgiveness and healing in my life.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

Romans 5:6 (tNIV)

Plenty of times I get caught up in the pursuit of various "enoughs" trying to please God or earn something from Him. I'm glad God's standards are so much lower that those of football fans around the world, because I'm never enough for God. The only "enough" in our relationship is that God is "enough" for me! 

Conversation Changes Everything

I don't like athletes who try to gain a competitive advantage by using drugs. When I'm feeling grumpy I say "Kick them out of the game and never let them back in." I hold a grudge against baseball's all time home run leader, Barry Bonds, and think his record should be removed from the books. I view Alex Rodriguez as a cheat and wouldn't cry if his career was now over. I don't feel sorry for Lance Armstrong, although I respect the work his charity does.

In the recent Australian scandal where AFL team Essendon was accused of systematically giving their players illegal performance enhancing substances, I would not have thought any penalty was too harsh. Ultimately, the evidence didn't quite support the allegations, but it was still pretty rotten.

I don't like PED's because they unfairly skew the field of competition (as if natural selection doesn't already skew it enough!). They often have nasty side effects. The nasty side effects not only impact the star performers, but the desperate younger athletes who try to imitate the stars as they try to make their own way in the sport. Often the drugs used are simply illegal.

BUT then MY baseball team signs a confessed drug cheat. Jhonny Peralta was suspended 50 games in 2013 for using PED's. I laughed in his face (not literally). And now the Cardinals have signed him! For the good of the team, I'll have to cheer for him each time he comes up to bat.

Peralta didn't even attend the press conference to announce his signing. At that press conference the Cardinals GM had to defend the signing of a drug cheat. All he could say is that if MLB only suspends the player for 50 games, why shouldn't the team sign him once the 50 games are up. The club shouldn't be expected to impose its own ban beyond that the league imposes.

Of course, the Cardinals have already been through all this with Mark McGuire. But here's the point. "Getting to know people makes all the difference." One of the first steps toward hating someone is to dehumanize them. Forget they have a family and feelings. Label them drug cheat/black/gay/some other sin, then call down fire from heaven upon them. It's much easier if you've never shared a coffee with them.

Here's a couple of articles from other spheres of life that make a similiar point:

• When a black man sits down with KKK members remarkable things happen. HERE
• This article makes the point that society's view of homosexuality is rapidly changing because "It's difficult to believe that gay people are bad when you know one."

Isn't this kind of what happened in John 8:1-11 when the woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus. Of course adultery is still a sin. But suddenly this wasn't an abstract question about adultery. This was a specific circumstance about a very real woman who was right there in their presence. Expecting to be stoned she was probably crying and wailing and begging for mercy. No this wasn't hypothetical any more. In this context the evil of the religious leaders in exploiting this woman (and not her lover) as a tool to trip up Jesus changed the emphasis of the moment.


So before you go on facebook, or vent to your friends about "those people" (whoever they are) make the effort to get to know one, or some, of them. You don't have to agree, but God does call us to love them. Unless they're an extremely unpleasant person, it's usually much easier to love someone once you know them.