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Monday, October 24, 2011

Best thoughts happen........where?

.............in the locker room / restroom of the recreation center! Go ahead and admit it, you know you do your best thinking in the shower etc. Well, the same was true this morning at the Rec Center.

This morning I was talking with one of our consistent guests of the Rec Center. We passed by one another in the locker room area and greeted each other. My friend had been out for the past month and was now back working out. After little talk, he asked me a question....."What is the meaning and significance of baptism?" (how ironic that we were only a few feet away from the showers if a quick dunking was needed). But back to the conversation. In an effort for him to help guide one of his friends, he was wanting to understand baptism and it's meaning. So, for the next twenty minutes we engaged in a great discussion of the picture that baptism represents for the follower of Christ in obedience to symbolize the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It's a testimony to our faith.

The other side of this story is that Monday is my day to refresh after a week and weekend of recreation sports leagues and ministry. With the fall and winter leagues on us, I decided a day in the office was in order for this Monday....and that's where and when it happened. Just like the scriptures show us, interruptions or times where our expectations are low, prove valuable for sharing and investing in others.

Who would have thought a routine trip to the locker room would have provided so much reflection and investment.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

A Trip with Ministry Reminders

Today was a great day of travel. Kelly and I left the Richmond area by car and headed to Canton Ohio for a meeting with other members involved with Church Sports and Recreation Ministers Association. It was an eight hour drive that provided great views and insights. While we could have taken a plane (and it still would have been eight hours), we chose the car ride together. Here are a few positives of the trip that you could not get from the air:

* Fall Foliage everywhere and in every state we went through (VA, MD, WV, PA, and Ohio). It was great to put on my thinking music (Bach style) and weave in and out of the mountains with the bright colors all around. It was a time of silent reflection and detailed conversation.

* The opportunity to see the heart of our country - the small mountain towns, large family farms being worked by fathers and sons, iron built cities, and working rivers. It's amazing to see the creativity of God and how a variety of different people living in one nation use it (or abuse it).

* Tim Horton's !! - great coffee and a variety of donuts and "timbits."

* Seeing the Pro Football Hall Of Fame and the stadium in which the Hall of Fame Game is played in.

We arrived at our final destination tonight on the grounds of a 1923 Ohio classic golf course (Brookside) for dinner and the kick off of our meetings over the next few days. As we gathered around, through conversations and stories being told, I was reminded of these truths about ministry (particularly my life in sports and recreation ministry):

1. We are called to ministry. At one point in my life, I sensed God calling me for a specific purpose and we need not forget that moment in our spiritual timeline.

2. We are challenged in ministry. Yes, serving Christ and others will always provided challenging circumstances and people. But it's those times that we can look back on and see growth.

3. We have been and will be influenced by others in ministry. There are several people in my life that have left lasting impressions throughout various stages. Allowing people to invest in you will stay with you for a lifetime.

4. We need to be encouragers in ministry. Be someone who desires to offer others with the opportunities you have been provided. It's part of discipling and equipping others for the work of the ministry.

What a trip! And I am thankful for the eyes (physically and spiritually) to have seen it.

Thursday, October 06, 2011

Agent of Change

Recently Sports Illustrated had an article by Alexander Wolff entitled, Sports Saves The World. This was a year long study of his travels through various countries who are suffering from HIV epidemics, gun/gang wars, and societal/governmental issues. His findings revealed the obvious to me: when you provide a specific program that introduces life principles and accountability, you then see change. Sports is a tool that can be used as a change agent across the globe and I applaud those within the article who are using soccer, basketball, and rugby to foster healthy lifestyles and alternatives to the hard ships and temptations they face each day.

One of the reasons I applaud this effort is that I believe in this investment. I had the opportunity to use sports as a tool for change in a third world country for several years. While I spent time teaching and developing the game of basketball for boys and girls, table tennis for females suppressed by government, and athletic administration for local schools, I saw the hunger they had for an outside activity that allowed for with-drawls from their daily struggles. Through these recreation activities we were able to not only teach sport, but to teach sport from a biblical world view. From sportsmanship to character, from selfish gain to teamwork. Yes it is essential that we play the games being offered and provide release from circumstantial issues, but we also have to provide the greater element of change - the life changing message of Jesus Christ.

Sports is a "tool" that has been given to us to use for a greater purpose. It is through sports that we can teach the virtues of Christ and attributes of His love that will enable a life change. Physical needs and circumstances will always allow for spiritual needs to be discovered and approached. That's the heart of recreational and sports ministry. It allows involvement in a global challenge while offering God's provision from a global perspective.

Be a part of change. Find ways that you can interact through your passions (let me know if it's recreation and sports) and assist in the development of physical needs while showing the love Christ when faced with spiritual needs.