Bigger Than Basketball by Clint

The night before last, I was crushed. I couldn’t believe what I heard on the radio. Now is a good time to mention that I am a huge Baylor basketball fan, especially this season. I can’t exactly explain it, but for various reasons, I am really emotionally attached to this year’s team. I have watched or listened to almost every game this year. By the way, when you listen to an entire regular season men’s college basketball game on the radio, it either qualifies you as a dork or a die-hard fan. I hope I fall into the latter category. Anyways, the last two games have been devastating. We lose in the most heartbreaking ways- I’ve coined the term, Bear-ly losing. It’s not just tough losses, they’re losses that come down to the final seconds and games that we are right in position to win. The loss last night against Oklahoma was too much to handle after coming back against UT one game earlier to only throw the game away. I won’t go into all the details with the Oklahoma game, but it involves overtime, winning by four with fifteen seconds, and missed free throws. As mad as I was, I thought about the game, the season, and the past few years for Baylor men’s basketball, and I got a little needed perspective.

You probably remember the events that happened to the Baylor men’s basketball team in the summer of ’03. There was a tragic murder and a terrible scandal. The entire program had blood on its hands, as the coach and others were part of a cover up to make the victim, Patrick Dennehy, look like a drug dealer. The head coach was fired and banned from coaching in the NCAA until 2015 (He will certainly never coach in college again). Baylor’s athletic director resigned, and the school rightly imposed harsh sanctions on its own program along with the sanctions levied by the NCAA. Our program was as good as over. Realistically, it would take over ten years even to start to compete in the Big 12. The whole events were utterly tragic, and it was another black eye on a school that desires to promote Christian values and ethics.

Two days ago, I read an article about the resurgence of the Baylor men’s basketball program. The article spoke to the miraculous turn around of the program. We have competed and even beat top 25-ranked teams this year, and are in the top 6 of teams in the Big 12. The rebuilding process was one of sacrifice and hope. When Scott Drew came to coach the team, people told him he had lost his mind. When Aaron Bruce left Australia to come play for Baylor, his friends did their best to convince him not to go. They both explained why they came to Baylor. Their responses were the same. “I wanted to be part of something bigger than basketball.” And they certainly have been. Along with them, Coach Drew has had great success recruiting, and Baylor has a bright future. But even more than recruiting success and winning games, they have blessed one person more than they might ever know. Brian Brazabon, the stepfather of Patrick Dennehy, watches every game he can. He still has his son’s old jersey and he roots his heart out for Baylor as one of the only BU fans in Nevada where he lives and works. The success and sacrifice of those in the Baylor program have given him a chance to cheer for something and a chance to replay precious memories of his son.

We often forget we are part of something bigger than the work we do, the hobbies we are good at, and the people we know. We sell ourselves short and say, “Well I’m just ….” One of my favorite stories in scripture is when Peter is restored by Jesus after Jesus’ resurrection. Peter probably looked at himself as a lowly fisherman who had betrayed his friend and failed as a disciple. Yet Jesus tells him that he will feed and care for the flock, meaning he would lead those in the early Christian church. Jesus tells Peter that he will be part of something bigger than he could ever imagine. Peter must have been scared, and he must have known the road would be extremely difficult. But he wanted to be part of something bigger. In faith, if you realize you can be part of what Jesus is doing in the world, if you believe that faith can still move, you can be part of something bigger than you even know. Believe in that, and take steps of faith for the Lord.

The Schizophrenic Church by Brady

Few people who have worked on a seminary degree would argue against the fact that it is one of the hardest things to accomplish. The hardest part of seminary is that it lasts so long (a 93 hour Masters degree) and is grueling physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I would say, without trying to be overdramatic, that I live with a tension within me most days. Maybe I should “let go and let God,” but the truth is that it is hard to wrestle with the tough questions in Christianity while also dealing with the day to day grind of balancing family, school, work, and social life. I do not think it is seminary students alone that live with this tension I am talking about, because I think it is a societal issue present in many people today.

We are in the midst of a dramatic paradigm shift within our civilization today. We are moving from the Enlightenment way of thinking called Modernism to a Post-Enlightenment age called Postmodernism. But anytime a massive shift like this takes place, it is never quick and easy. Within our faith, we have people who are operating fully on the Modern paradigm, those who are attempting to function fully on the Postmodern paradigm, and the rest of us being pulled between the two. This pulling actually creates great stress on individuals as well as institutions. David Bosch says in Transforming Mission, “This (shift) produces a kind of theological schizophrenia, which we just have to put up with while at the same time groping our way toward greater clarity. Scholars in all disciplines are overtaxed, and yet there is no way in which we can evade the demands made on us.” (p. 188)

One place this change in paradigms is particularly stretching is the Christian Church. Bosch goes on to say, “the Christian church in general and the Christian mission in particular are today confronted with issues they have never even dreamt of and which are crying out for responses that are both relevant to the times and in harmony with the essence of the Christian faith.” This is the stress I feel spiritually in my ministry. How can I be relevant to the world while remaining true to Christ? Another way to put it is “What does Jerusalem have to do with Waco?”

Maybe you are unlike me and do not feel this tension or maybe have not even heard of Postmodernism. All I can say to that is you are either operating on the old paradigm, live in a community sheltered from the outside world (which is not always a bad thing), or are ticking a lot of people off and you don’t care or aren’t aware of it. But either way, the shift is happening with or without you, and it is your job to make yourself aware of the culture you are living in. You may be wondering, why in the world would I want to live with this spiritual tension in my life? The answer is simple.

First, you are called to be a follower of Christ in one of the most important times in Christian history. I truly believe that the Christian Church, especially in the West, is on the ropes like it has not been in hundreds, if not thousands, of years. But there is another reason as well. Living with tension can create something beautiful for the world to ultimately be a better place to live. If you like listening to music, how good would a guitar sound if the strings were not full of tension? Maybe you’re an avid tennis player, so how well would your racket serve you if the strings were not wound tight with stress? Girls, you are the biggest fans of stress because diamonds ultimately would not be produced unless they were put under high pressure and heat naturally by the earth. My point is, stress can either kill you or produce something great. This is where we stand as the Church today.

Some sources today say Christianity has over 38,000 denominations and I would say each one believes they have the full revelation from God. This Church must decide what it will be to the next generation. Whatever it decides, there is one fact that remains: A single individual that lived in Israel in the first century has utterly turned this world upside down with the Good News he brought to us. During this time of change and uncertainty, my prayer is that we rest firmly in this reality.

Pit-iful Experiences by Clint

About two weeks ago, I went to the Foo Fighter’s concert in Dallas at the America Airlines Center. The show was awesome, and I was fortunate enough to land tickets in The Pit. The Pit is the area right in front of the stage on the floor. It’s usually really claustrophobic and hot, but it is a really fun way to see a show. I don’t think they officially call it the pit anymore, though. A few years ago I went to a concert and on my ticket it said, The Pit. This time, on my ticket it just said “Floor.” I was a little disappointed to be honest. Labeling it The Pit kind of encapsulates the experience. I guess they changed the terminology because “pit” just has so many negative connotations. I guess it’s too grungy a term to put on the ticket stub. Besides using it as a label for concert seating, I can’t think of any positive things relating to a pit. Some of the ladies reading this might say Brad Pitt, but that doesn’t count. Pits just aren’t good things. It makes you think of expressions like “bottomless pit.”

I meet with the youth at my church on Wednesday night, and I was trying to relate to them the story of Joseph. I think the point that hit home the most with them was Joseph’s experience of being thrown into a pit by his brothers. It connected with them because we’ve all been in personal pits. We’ve all had moments where we feel like we are at the bottom. We feel as though we are in a place where there is no getting out of. Before being tossed into the pit, Joseph was on top of the world. He was young, had a great relationship with his father, and he was even having dreams of being powerful and successful. Things took a sour turn, however, when Joseph tells his brothers his dream of them bowing down to him. Being the baby of the family may make you a bit spoiled and naïve, but he should have known better than to tell his older brothers about his dream. Some dreams you just keep to yourself, and this was one of those. So one moment Joseph is on top of the world, and the next he is down in a hole, betrayed by his own family.

Something that jumps out at me in this story is that the brothers were going to kill Joseph first and then throw him in the well. They were going to use the well as a grave. They don’t end up killing Joseph, but they still throw him into what would have been his grave. Joseph, in essence, was buried alive. How often do people say things like, “My life is over!” Or, “I’m done for.” It is easy to pronounce ourselves dead when there is still so much living to do, and so much that can happen. Joseph could have easily thought that he was done for. All his plans, his hopes, and his dreams (remember his dreams from Gen. 37:5-9) surely were at the bottom of that well with him, never to get out. It’s hard enough to look forward from ground level, it’s near impossible to do so from the bottom of a hole. Why didn’t God keep him out of that well? Why did Joseph have those dreams that got him into trouble? God, though, was with Joseph at the bottom of the well. God was still working in the life of Joseph. Even when the situation went from bad to worse, as Joseph was taken out of the well to be sold as a slave to Gypsies, God was still working in him. As you may know, Joseph went on to be a great leader in Egypt. He was reunited with his brothers, and he played a major role in the narrative of his people. When life lands you in a pit (and like Joseph, it may even be the work of those close to you), know that God still won’t abandon you. But there aren’t always promises of an easy escape. Some people battle pits their whole life. But the hope is that God can work good out of pit experiences. In faith, no pit has to be a bottomless one. Don’t pronounce things to be over before they are. God is a God of Hesed, meaning He is loyal and merciful. A good parent doesn’t over-protect their child from every scrape, bump, bruise, and hardship. A good parent, though, offers support and concern in those times. God is a good and gracious Father. He won’t abandon you in a pit when you call to Him.

Even More On Hesed by Brady

I have been talking recently about the importance not only believing the right thing, but also doing the right thing when it comes to being a disciple. In my last blog, I talked about how Western Christianity puts more stress on orthodoxy (right belief) than orthopraxy (right practice). I wanted to take an example a little further than I used last time in order to get us thinking about hesed and what it means to become vertically horizontal.

I suggested last time that most people choose their church and decide if they like a preacher based on their orthodoxy rather than examining their orthopraxy. In fact, the majority of churchgoers often wonder what exactly it is that their pastor does during the normal work week. To add to this, our education system has trained us that we must learn by sitting and listening, and that this practice will somehow change the way we interact with the world around us. The only field I can see that does an above average job of continually breaking down this paradigm is science. At least students are forced to dissect actual animals and complete chemistry experiments in order to better understand the study of science.

The funny thing is that we have allowed the Western way of learning to greatly influence how we do church. We turn following Christ into a passive activity such as listening to a sermon and then feel like we are magically further along the road of becoming a better follower/disciple of Christ. I am not sure that you can “disciple” someone in a Sunday School room. Don’t get me wrong, I love preaching and teaching and it is how I make my living, but this cannot be the sum of the Christian life. Jesus was a Rabbi and he used common rabbinical techniques in order to teach about the kingdom of God. He taught in parables and on the streets where all of the action was. Today, it is culturally unacceptable to teach on the streets where people actually live. These types of preachers are seen as condemning and seem to have a social disorder.

But Jesus taught on the streets to the common, everyday person and he used genius techniques in order to get his point across. Even his teaching was the embodiment of hesed, perfectly blending the horizontal and vertical. He used ordinary and tangible examples in his parables when he preached. In fact, the illustrations he would use would sometimes be so “earthly” that the people would get confused on what the heck a seed has to do with God (see Matthew 13:1-23). Another example is the famous parable known as “The Good Samaritan,” when Jesus left the crowd baffled with a normal, universal story about what it means to be an actual child of God (see Luke 10:25-37). In fact, Jesus ends the parable in Luke 10:36-37 by using the Greek version of hesed, which is eleos. ““Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him eleos.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.””

The truth is that you should judge a preacher on their orthodoxy and what they believe. In fact, I believe that the more technology plays a dominant role in our lives, the harder it is to maintain the attention of the congregation. This means we preachers are going to have to use more creative methods to teach the proper orthodoxy in coming years. But, I have a suggestion for you before you choose a new church, buy a Christian book, or watch a preacher on TBN: Find out if they live out their faith daily! Too many prominent pastors are getting busted living lifestyles that no more reflect Jesus than I reflect Tom Brady on the football field. The reason these “pastorpreneurs” can have thousands upon thousands of people reading their books and listening to their sermons and then get busted embezzling money, doing drugs, or having an affair is because we don’t take the time to check out their faith in action. In some cases, we would rather not know if they live their faith out as long as we can benefit from their teaching.

Is it possible that we have put too much emphasis on our vertical relationship with God that we have reached an unhealthy balance when it comes to faith and practice? Is it possible to be spiritual but not be right with God? When do we reach the point that we have checked out on those around us in the name of “serving God”? It is probably when we reach the point that Jesus describes in Matthew 23. “Now Jesus turned to address his disciples, along with the crowd that had gathered with them. “The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God’s Law. You won’t go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don’t live it. They don’t take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It’s all spit-and-polish veneer…Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next. They love to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking in the most prominent positions, preening in the radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting called ‘Doctor’ and ‘Reverend.’” (Matthew 23:1-3; 6-7 from The Message) We must decide if the state of the Western Church is maintaining a proper balance when it comes to the call of embodying hesed. May we all become Hesed Now.

An Atheist and A Flood by Clint

I have no business immersing myself in the world of Psychology. I know little to nothing about the field; however, I was a psych major at Baylor, so I do feel entitled enough to read Psychology Today magazine occasionally. Some of it’s outside my interest –or maybe just over my head- but a lot of it is really fascinating. In the recent issue there was an article entitled, “Atheist in the Pulpit.” Naturally, being in ministry, I grabbed the magazine and flipped right to the article, very curious as to what the article would say. As I read, I found the account of a minister who had been struggling with his belief as he continued to preach, pastor, and comfort people in the hospital. He finally got to the point where he renounced his faith, and now he is in “recovery” from religion. In reading his words, his loss of faith was a slow process. I could tell that it began with his loss of touch with God. You’re probably saying, “Good work Sherlock. Of course that how loss of faith begins!” But I couldn’t stop thinking about how the former minister talked of the way that this loss of faith crept up on him. He was even still preaching every Sunday after he had personally renounced his faith. He expressed that all of this happened over an extended time, though, and it started with his loss of passion in relation to God. It is easy to fall into the trap of going through all the motions with the programmed form of a robot. It’s like muscle memory: I had a baseball coach tell me that if you do the same thing 20 times, 20 times a day for 20 days, your muscles will store that action and you can do it without even thinking about it. And going through that form may look good, and you may think you’ve got it down pat. In worship, however, getting into a pattern of always just going through the motions isn’t good enough for God. God wants spontaneity. God wants heart. God wants true passion and loyalty. Think about it in terms of relationship- if you did something nice or seemingly heartfelt for your significant other, and they asked, “What is this for!?” How would it go over if you replied, “We are in a relationship. I am supposed to do little things to make it seem like I care. I got this idea from a commercial.” That would probably land you back into the dating world, and with that level of sensitivity, good luck! But being perfectly honest, how easy is it to pass off our relationship with God by going through motions.

Back to the preaching Atheist- he lost touch, and he started going through the motions. A relationship just cannot survive without the true heart behind it, especially a relationship with God who is pure love. So, when God tells the Israelites that he is sick of their burnt offerings (Hos. 6:6), he is telling them that the robotic stuff just isn’t working. In Genesis, Noah makes an offering to God after the flood, and the aroma is pleasing to God. After landing on dry ground after all the trauma and devastation, I’m sure Noah’s offering was passionate and honest. The flood account has been on my mind lately because I feel like there is trauma and devastation all around us now in 2008. It is difficult to read the paper or watch the news. Few things are more chaotic and uncontrollable than a flood. Things seem pretty messy and uncontainable right now, kind of like a flood. In all that, don’t become jaded. Don’t become a worship robot just going through the motions. Show God Hesed- covenant loyalty. Show the people around you Hesed- mercy. Amongst the floods in your life, let your offering to God be fragrant.