100-0

"We played the game as it was meant to be played. My values and my beliefs would not allow me to run up the score on any opponent, and it will not allow me to apologize for a wide-margin victory when my girls played with honor and integrity."
Thus said the former coach from Covenant School of Dallas after his girl's basketball team won 100-0 over Dallas Academy (a school that specializes in helping kids with learning differences that happens to have been winless for four years). Teams lose, people lose. I personally lost my third ever varsity wrestling match in under 15 seconds (which almost takes talent to lose that fast). People get embarrassed in sports. But a coach who has his team play full-court press and shoot 3's after a 59-0 halftime lead has crossed a line. As a parent it would have been more palatable if my daughter were on the losing team, than the winning team because afterwards you cannot feeling guilty for being a bad basketball player, but you can feel guilty for having bad sportsmanship.

Power and Violence from MLK

Here is more Dr. King from the same speech-

Now a lot of us are preachers, and all of us have our moral convictions and concerns, and so often we have problems with power. There is nothing wrong with power if power is used correctly…
What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive, and that love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at is best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at is best is love correcting everything that stand against love.

I’m concerned about a better world. I’m concerned about justice; I’m concerned about brotherhood; I’m concerned about truth. And when one is concerned about that, he can never advocate violence. For through violence you may murder a murderer but you can't murder murder. Through violence you may murder a liar, but you can’t establish truth. Through violence you may murder a hater, but you can’t murder hate through violence. Darkness cannot put out darkness; only light can do that.

Room at the Top

From MLK's speech "Where Do We Go From Here?" in 1967

“With all the struggle and all the achievements, we must face the fact… that the Negro still lives in the basement of the Great Society. He is still at the bottom, despite the few who have penetrated to slightly higher levels. Even where the door has been forced partially open, mobility for the Negro is still sharply restricted. There is often no bottom at which to start, and when there is there’s almost no room at the top. In consequence, Negroes are still impoverished aliens in an affluent society…”

Today, we as Americans have made a loud declaration of the availability at the top of our country for all. And I hope, as President Obama said, we will put away childish things.

Seriously, How?

Seriously, how do you possibly say no to Girl Scouts cookies with the tiny little Girl Scouts asking?

Seriously, how does a dog lover watch the movie Marley and Me knowing full well that they are going to cry like a school girl at the end of the movie? Personally, I still haven't gotten over Paul Walker's Oscar worthy performance in 8 Below.

Athletes and Faith

Recently someone asked, "How is God glorified through athletes and their professions of faith?" Here's my take, I would like to hear your take.

Our society has an odd obsession with athlete (and their wider category-celebrity) endorsements. I can understand why athletes can endorse athletic gear, but I don’t understand why Derek Jeter should influence my choice of facial razors (or cars from Tiger, cereal from Jordan or cell phone coverage from Phelps). And I really don’t understand why Tom Cruise should influence someone’s choice of postpartum medicine or any celebrity’s political views should influence anyone. But since these are the cards that we have been dealt in our culture, we might as well play them. For one of best examples of people using celebrity faith endorsements check out the I am Second campaign and (and for MMA fans check out the slightly out there Fighting with God conference).
My assumption is that celebrity endorsements don’t lead to conversions for many people, but people will allow these endorsements to validate their already established beliefs. I know if I had a football-loving boy I would be extremely grateful to show up at my in-laws church in Austin and see Colt McCoy there every week just as I would be thankful for Tim Tebow’s example and the obsessive/stalker tendency that FOX’s commentators displayed during the BCS championship of Tebow. Some might complain about many athletes peculiar use of scriptures (most notably Phil 4:13), but I am grateful for any person doing what they think is encouraging to other people and honoring to God.

The Denton Project's 1st meeting

On Tuesday night the Denton Project had her first meeting. As we left our house to go up to Denton I reminded myself that John Burke who planted The Gateway Church in Austin had three people show up for his first meeting. I was prepared to have that many show up, but luckily that was not the case. It is great to see how God continues to provide. We still have about 8 months until our weekly launch, but this is an exciting beginning to a long journey.

Please be praying for us as we continue to seek people to join our launch team, prayer team and funding team.

Not so PG Noah

Lindsay and I have been reading Avery a story every night before bed from her Karyn Henley Bible (thanks Mrs. Jane).
Last night as I read to her the mildly morbid story of Noah and the Ark, I was reminded of the words of Frederick Buechner.

"This is really as dark a tale as there is in the Bible, which is full of dark tales. It is a tale of God's terrible despair over the human race and His decision to visit them with a great flood that would destroy them all except for this one old man, Noah, and his family. Only now we give it to children to read. One wonders why."

Any ideas why a seemingly sad story is such a popular kids story?