With Super Bowl XLIII, being played this weekend, millions of people will be watching the Cardinals vs. Steelers on their big screen HD televisions. It is the big game! But a few people have noticed that a possibly bigger game was played on November 7th in a high school stadium in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex. It pitted two private high schools against each other; Faith Christian Academy versus Gainesville State. One school was Christian high school. The other was a juvenile detention facility and high school that included football in its rejuvenation program.
Several weeks prior to the game, Kris Hogan, the football coach at Faith Christian challenged this team and the student body to do something unique for a football game. He challenged the student body and the people who attend their games as fans to put their faith into action. He wanted them to fill the visitor's side with fans to root for the Gainesville State team when they came to play against his team. Gainesville State had very few fans attend their games. There was no band, no cheerleaders, only a few fans and security guards to support the team.
On game day, the visitor's side was filled with fans with signs and noisemakers. There were cheerleaders on the sidelines and every time a Gainesville player made a good play, the fans cheered and called out their name. Though Faith Christian won the game, the real winners were the players on Gainesville State team. They were deeply moved by such a selfless act of compassion by the opposing school. It was their Super Bowl.
Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated caught wind of the story and wrote a column. Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the NFL read the story and was so moved, that he invited Hogan and his wife, to be his guests at the Super Bowl.
"At the beginning," Coach Hogan said, "I was really surprised because I feel like it shouldn't be that big of a deal that Christians take action and do things like this."
It shouldn't be a big deal, but when Christians seriously choose to act self-lessly and serve others, it shouldn't surprise us that the world takes notice. Didn't Jesus say, "Let your light so shine before men, that when they see your good works, they will glorify our Father which is in heaven."
Well done, Faith Christian Academy and Coach Kris Hogan... it is more than a game!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Our "Children in the Faith"
During the Christmas holidays, I discovered "Facebook." I know some of you are thinking "Where have you been?" Unfortunately, I have been slow to embrace the internet world of the computer generation. "Facebook" has been a blessing on several levels. It's allowed me to re-connect with friends from high school and college days. I've caught up with former staff members and their families. But the greatest joy of my newest discovery is the opportunity to reconnect with some of my "children in the faith."
The apostle Paul referred to Timothy as his son in the faith. (1 Timothy 1:2) Though he was not a biological child of his, Paul was like a father to Timothy, as he served as his mentor in the faith.
In my 30 years of pastoral ministry and the 10 years of youth ministry prior to that I have been privileged to lead many to faith in Christ and have been privileged to help them grow in their relationship with God. They have been my "children in the faith."Over the years, as they have moved on to other places or when God moved me to another assignment, we would become disconnected. I would often wonder where some of my "children in the faith" were and how they were doing. You can't imagine the joy when I got the email saying "Alison and John _______ have requested to be your friend on "Facebook." It had be almost 15 years since we have seen or heard from them.
Alison and John were a young newly married couple from the Northeast. John was in the Air Force and was stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, LA where I pastored. I had the privilege to be their pastor during their short stay in Bossier City. They were such a blessing to me and my wife, they weren't much older than our children, so we saw them as our kids. We spent some wonderful times together. I baptized them and watched them grow. Then they were gone. The Air Force gave John another assignment and we lost touch. Until Facebook...."Yes, it's really me!" was Alison entry on the email. She found us...and we have found her and John. They are happily married, with 3 children of their own. Alison is a professional photographer and John has a great job as well. They live in New Hampshire. But more importantly, they are still faithful followers of Christ continuing what began many years ago. God is now using them to touch lives where they live and work. Nothing brings greater joy to my heart.
As I am in the autumn of my life and ministry, it is great to see that God occasionally allows us to see the fruit of our labors. Alison and John are "my children in the faith," and they are continuing to pass the faith in Christ along to their children and to others that I will never meet. It is just a reminder that my job is to faithfully serve the Lord, and leave the results up to Him. But it sure is neat to see the faces of your "kids" on your "Facebook," and know that God is still at work.
The apostle Paul referred to Timothy as his son in the faith. (1 Timothy 1:2) Though he was not a biological child of his, Paul was like a father to Timothy, as he served as his mentor in the faith.
In my 30 years of pastoral ministry and the 10 years of youth ministry prior to that I have been privileged to lead many to faith in Christ and have been privileged to help them grow in their relationship with God. They have been my "children in the faith."Over the years, as they have moved on to other places or when God moved me to another assignment, we would become disconnected. I would often wonder where some of my "children in the faith" were and how they were doing. You can't imagine the joy when I got the email saying "Alison and John _______ have requested to be your friend on "Facebook." It had be almost 15 years since we have seen or heard from them.
Alison and John were a young newly married couple from the Northeast. John was in the Air Force and was stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, LA where I pastored. I had the privilege to be their pastor during their short stay in Bossier City. They were such a blessing to me and my wife, they weren't much older than our children, so we saw them as our kids. We spent some wonderful times together. I baptized them and watched them grow. Then they were gone. The Air Force gave John another assignment and we lost touch. Until Facebook...."Yes, it's really me!" was Alison entry on the email. She found us...and we have found her and John. They are happily married, with 3 children of their own. Alison is a professional photographer and John has a great job as well. They live in New Hampshire. But more importantly, they are still faithful followers of Christ continuing what began many years ago. God is now using them to touch lives where they live and work. Nothing brings greater joy to my heart.
As I am in the autumn of my life and ministry, it is great to see that God occasionally allows us to see the fruit of our labors. Alison and John are "my children in the faith," and they are continuing to pass the faith in Christ along to their children and to others that I will never meet. It is just a reminder that my job is to faithfully serve the Lord, and leave the results up to Him. But it sure is neat to see the faces of your "kids" on your "Facebook," and know that God is still at work.
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