Ya Gotta Have Faith!

One of the greatest innovations in the true spectator sport of ‘channel surfing’ is the availability of the “Info” button.  The magical ability to know, by the simple press of a button, what a particular episode or movie is about is truly awesome!  Maybe you take this ability for granted.  But I, for one, grew up on rabbit ear antennas and changing channels by twisting a large knob on the front of the TV.  So I love being able to find out exactly which one of the 178 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation we’re watching.

"Bones and Brennan investigate after a man is found dead."

I bring this up because of a recent description I ran across while channel surfing last week.  I imagine many of you have at least a passing familiarity with the FOX television series Bones.  This particular show has been around, according to my exhaustive Wikipedia research, since September of 2005.  So maybe you, too, will see why I thought the following episode description was amusing.  After hitting the “Info” button on a Bones episode one evening I read the following:

Bones episode description:  Booth and Brennan investigate after a man is found dead.

A New Holy Week?

Earlier today I saw a post on one of my favorite blogs that said it’s officialy Holy Week here in America.  And I confess that it took me a second to get what he was saying.

Ah.  SuperBowl.  Gotcha.  Okay.  (or “the Big Game,” as the NFL would rather me say since I haven’t paid them.)

The post that followed that not-so-subtle ‘dig’ at American culture dealt with sport and religion.  And it had several good points.  Some went a little too far, in my opinion, but overall I found it interesting.

Now this here being MY blog and all, I thought it an interesting enough topic (sport & religion) that I’d throw a few thoughts out there, myself.

Let me begin by stating that I love sports.  I’m definitely not the biggest sports fan to ever walk the earth.  But I am, however, a HUGE baseball fan.  I ‘live and die’ with the Atlanta Braves at certain times of the year.  I can talk baseball for HOURS… and I have.  On many occasions (just ask my wife).  I really enjoy football, too.  College and Pro.  I am not, nor have I ever been, anti-sport.  And, just for the record, this blog post is not ANTI-sport.  But more on that later.

Next up… some of my firsthand SPORT & RELIGION experiences:

“Oh for grace…”

I want to start by sharing some selected thoughts today. Take them in… as snapshots of life. Don’t over-think any of it. Don’t “think ahead” of any of it.

Just let the images float through your mind. Insert yourself into the picture.

peace… with my Lord so near

my path grows brighter every day

I am safe. I am secure. From anything that would frighten or disturb me.

Fellowship, joy, blessedness and peace… just by relying on him

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Sign me up for THAT ride, friend!

Contractually Obligated

Confession time:

I’m unemployed.  And so is my wife.

Now, this isn’t actually news to regular readers here… (see previous posts like this one).  But I mention it to again frame up the situation.  This same framework that makes up our “situation” isn’t exactly completely of our own construction, of course.  One doesn’t usually design your life around being asked to resign a few days before you get married.  That’d  be weird.  And likely detrimental to the overall health of your marriage (or even your life, depending on your wife’s temperament).

So we find ourselves in this situation.  We didn’t really make it, but we’re here, nonetheless.  We also both feel very strongly that God is calling us to another place (honestly, it’s a completely different state, but more on that later).  And as we wrestle with this and try to leave, we learn that we’re locked into a lease that the owner (not the management company!) .  Which says we have no right of early termination.

Our Holiday Playbook

Okay. Next step… Where does the playbook (see previous post) say we should draw the aforementioned ‘battle lines’ when engaging our world as Christians? Great question.

I’ve come up with some broad categories. And some of the “fights” we pick fall under more than one of those categories, so I had to (arbitrarily, at times) simply pick one. With that in mind, here are some of the ‘official battle lines’ from our usual tactics and methods for engaging our culture.

Straight from the playbook…

We engage with our culture on holidays.

Tactics & Methods

“A stock of usual tactics and methods.”

In case you’re wondering, that’s the definition of the word playbook.
(You’re welcome!)

AND WE HAVE TO TRASH IT.

No, no… not the word playbook and its definition (those are actually quite handy!).  We have to trash our playbook.  As in:

WE NEED TO TRASH OUR USUAL TACTICS AND METHODS.

I originally intended to make some sort of really lame joke here (Interestingly enough, ‘really lame jokes’ make up a significant portion of my own personal humor playbook…) like reduce, reuse, recycle, think green, save the whales, and maybe use the recycling bin instead.  But I decided not to say anything that might imply that we should rehash, reuse or, God forbid, recycle any of those same tactics and methods.

Everywhere a sign…

According to the internet (the “go-to” source for incredibly reliable information):

SIGNS are everywhere…

If we only knew how to recognize them!  Or interpret them!  Or would just pay attention long enough to even see the signs!

Seriously, folks.  We’d all be so much better off if we only knew and understood the signs!

You would know:

• whether you have irritable bowel syndrome
• if the stars are correctly aligned in your astrological calendar to start a new job or new relationship
• whether your child is on drugs
• if you are watching “too much television”
• whether your spouse is cheating
• if the guy (or gal) you’re dating could be THE ONE!
• if your next door neighbor is dealing drugs
• what type of “personality” your cat has
• when it’s time to quit your job
• the world will end on May 21, 2011  October 21, 2011. never mind.
• how much fun I had researching for this blog post

There was even a movie called Signs.  Yes, it was about signs like crop circles.  But it was also about more metaphysical things.