We had some fun in church on Sunday.
As I shared how fanatical we are about our favorite team, I happened to mention that growing up in Denver, I am a Bronco fan. Someone in the back let out a bit of a 'boo' because they were rooting for the New England Patriots on Sunday. Everybody laughed. It was good natured ribbing. (Of course now that the game is over, I get the last laugh!)
In a good way it fit into my message which was to suggest that we might want to be just a bit more of a fan or fanatic about the gospel as we are about the rule of the NFL.
Now I'm not suggesting that we die our hair or wear outrageous costumes, but what keeps us from showing others that we are a fan of Jesus. Even as I was going to a gathering with a group of guys from the church last night, I had no concerns about wearing a Bronco ball cap, but I'm not sure I would have felt at ease wearing some BIG cross around my neck. I knew that a Bronco hat might offend others, and that did not dissuade me, but the idea that I might convey the wrong message publicly affirming my faith… well that was a different matter.
Are we afraid to be too boisterous about our faith because of the abuse in the past. I mean we have all encountered that obnoxious fan who just won't shut up in the stands or around the water cooler. Nonetheless, we don't allow that to silence our own support of the team. And of course, we all have suffered through seasons where our team didn't do so well, but we nevertheless wear our jersey with pride to show we are not a fair-weathered fan.
So why am I more reluctant to publicly acknowledge my allegiance to Jesus? Could it be that we are more knowledgeable about the in's and out's of football, and we don't want our ignorance of spiritual matters to be exposed? Perhaps. Maybe it is because a person's faith is very personal, and we just don't want to step on somebodies toes about something so close to their heart. That too could play a role.
I'm thinking, however, that we don't express our fanaticism more, because we are afraid people might expect more from us. As a Denver fan, the expectation is that I will wear the right attire, let out a few cheers, express my concern about the play of the Middle Linebacker, and I'm done. As a member of the Jesus team, people hope that there is something more to us. They expect us to be a bit, shall I say it, better. Sometimes, this is just me, but I'd prefer to remain anonymous just so I don't fail in the eyes of others.
Maybe it is in times like those, that I simply need to remind myself that God's work in this world will continue no matter what I do. I, however, will miss out on the opportunity to share in the experience by choosing to sit on the sidelines. I believe that somehow, I want to get into the game, because that is where the real action happens to be found.
I will continue to be a Denver Bronco fan, but I believe I will not be quite so timid a fan of Jesus and his work in the world, simply because I took time to reimagine this reality once more.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Monday, January 13, 2014
My Hometown
The Denver Broncos won a BIG game yesterday. Why is that important to me, you might ask? The one and only reason is because Denver is my hometown!
As much as we travel in this world, and as exciting as it is to see something new, there is a definite need to have a place we call home. The place where we feel like we have some roots. The place, mythical as it may be, where we feel as if we are known and where we know. Home is more than just where the heart can be found, home is where our imagination will always return.
Rooting for the Broncos is a way for me to reconnect with my story. I remember sitting around the Living Room TV with my mom and dad cheering on the boys in blue and orange. I can remember my dad getting so upset with a play or a referee's call that he spilt his snack all over him, the chair, and the floor beneath him. I can remember the exhilarating excitement when the Broncos first went to the Super Bowl and the whole town was a Mile High. It was a moment when Denver was on the map, and we were so sure that the Broncos would whip those darn Cowboys from Texas. I remember driving from Redding, CA to Orange County in the worst fog imaginable, listening to the radio chatter until 3 AM, so filled was I with adrenaline from Elway's first Super Bowl victory that there was no fear that I would fall asleep at the wheel. Yes, the Broncos and I go way back, because they remind me of home.
Just a little change up, but that is why I'm in church on Sunday morning (before the games). It is like home. When I step into church I am reminded of those awkward days when I wasn't sure I belonged, but others made me feel welcomed nonetheless. When I see the people I've come to know and love, I am reminded of our small group meal and bible study at the Campus Ministry Center at the University of Utah when I was preparing to become a lawyer. When I'm a part of a theological discussion it brings me back to those heady days in seminary when we would gather over a beer and pizza at LaVal's in Berkeley. The church is more than a place or even a people; the church is the repository of my memories. The church is like home for me.
Now nothing becomes home right away. It took 25 years for Denver to become home. It's taken another 35 years for the church to become home. But there is something about having a home, and it is my hope no matter who you are or where you have been, that this place called Peace might be a home for you.
Go Broncos! Beat the Pats!
Peace,
Pal
As much as we travel in this world, and as exciting as it is to see something new, there is a definite need to have a place we call home. The place where we feel like we have some roots. The place, mythical as it may be, where we feel as if we are known and where we know. Home is more than just where the heart can be found, home is where our imagination will always return.
Rooting for the Broncos is a way for me to reconnect with my story. I remember sitting around the Living Room TV with my mom and dad cheering on the boys in blue and orange. I can remember my dad getting so upset with a play or a referee's call that he spilt his snack all over him, the chair, and the floor beneath him. I can remember the exhilarating excitement when the Broncos first went to the Super Bowl and the whole town was a Mile High. It was a moment when Denver was on the map, and we were so sure that the Broncos would whip those darn Cowboys from Texas. I remember driving from Redding, CA to Orange County in the worst fog imaginable, listening to the radio chatter until 3 AM, so filled was I with adrenaline from Elway's first Super Bowl victory that there was no fear that I would fall asleep at the wheel. Yes, the Broncos and I go way back, because they remind me of home.
Just a little change up, but that is why I'm in church on Sunday morning (before the games). It is like home. When I step into church I am reminded of those awkward days when I wasn't sure I belonged, but others made me feel welcomed nonetheless. When I see the people I've come to know and love, I am reminded of our small group meal and bible study at the Campus Ministry Center at the University of Utah when I was preparing to become a lawyer. When I'm a part of a theological discussion it brings me back to those heady days in seminary when we would gather over a beer and pizza at LaVal's in Berkeley. The church is more than a place or even a people; the church is the repository of my memories. The church is like home for me.
Now nothing becomes home right away. It took 25 years for Denver to become home. It's taken another 35 years for the church to become home. But there is something about having a home, and it is my hope no matter who you are or where you have been, that this place called Peace might be a home for you.
Go Broncos! Beat the Pats!
Peace,
Pal
Monday, January 6, 2014
A beginning
Happy New Year!
I know I'm a little late, but today is Epiphany, the day we celebrate the bringing of gifts by the Magi in celebration of the birth of Jesus. So in a way this is the beginning of something big.
When you think about all the gifts you have received or given at Christmas, how many of them stand out to you in your mind? This past year, my son and his girlfriend gave me a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. They did so because (a) they know that I love the Charlie Brown story, and (b) as a child my Christmas tree was 25 twinkle lights wrapped around a fake bonsai tree in our living room. Their gift was meaningful because they took the time to validate my memory and connected this gift with a piece of my story.
As we unwrap the gospels, the stories of Jesus, they become meaningful for more reasons than their profound wisdom. They become meaningful because we find ourselves in the story. We discover a God who has chosen to truly be one with us. This is not God's self improvement plan or his restoration project. This is simply the story of a God who has taken the time to know our story and enter into the mess that it is. I cannot think of a more memorable gift.
As we begin a New Year, may we resolve to connect our stories one with another… to connect them through unbridled love for one another and in doing so may we experience the love of God.
Peace,
Pal
I know I'm a little late, but today is Epiphany, the day we celebrate the bringing of gifts by the Magi in celebration of the birth of Jesus. So in a way this is the beginning of something big.
When you think about all the gifts you have received or given at Christmas, how many of them stand out to you in your mind? This past year, my son and his girlfriend gave me a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. They did so because (a) they know that I love the Charlie Brown story, and (b) as a child my Christmas tree was 25 twinkle lights wrapped around a fake bonsai tree in our living room. Their gift was meaningful because they took the time to validate my memory and connected this gift with a piece of my story.
As we unwrap the gospels, the stories of Jesus, they become meaningful for more reasons than their profound wisdom. They become meaningful because we find ourselves in the story. We discover a God who has chosen to truly be one with us. This is not God's self improvement plan or his restoration project. This is simply the story of a God who has taken the time to know our story and enter into the mess that it is. I cannot think of a more memorable gift.
As we begin a New Year, may we resolve to connect our stories one with another… to connect them through unbridled love for one another and in doing so may we experience the love of God.
Peace,
Pal
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