Olympic Trials - First Half Recap

I have the honor of serving as an official at this summer's USA Track and Field Olympic Trials in Eugene, OR. This is the third Trial's that I have worked and it is always a privilege that I don't take lightly. It is an opportunity to help select our Olympic team. Also, there is no better meet in the US than the Olympic Trials and, if you are a track and field fan, you owe it to yourself to attend at least one. But I also don't take this lightly because there are a lot of very dedicated and qualified officials - many of them good friends of mine whom I respect as great officials - who don't get the chance to be here.

If you haven't been keeping up with the Trials, here are a few of the highlights from the first four days. The photos come from a variety of online sources, including the Oregonian and Track and Field News.

Places and Standards - I want to make a distinction that often confuses those don't work in track and field on a regular basis. The common understanding is that the athletes who finish in the top three places in an event will represent the US at the Olympics in London. But that is only true if they hold the necessary Olympic "A" qualifying mark in their event. In some cases, an athlete may finish in the top three but have to stay home. For instance, in the women's 10,000 meters, the athletes who finished first, fourth, and seventh here in Eugene will go to London. The second-place finisher does not have the "A" standard and the third-place finisher (who does have the "A" standard) will run the marathon instead of the 10,000 in London. The women who finished fourth and seventh are highest placers with the "A" standard.

Hammertime - The Trials actually began before the meet officially began with the hammer competitions. If you are not familiar with the hammer, it is a facsinating event. Think of a shot put at the end of a three foot wire cable and thrown over 2/3 the length of a football field. These were held the day before the meet actually started on the Nike campus in Beaverton, OR. The hope was that moving the event to its own separate time and place would generate more attention to the event (and open up more room in Eugene to park television trucks). Hammertime did draw a larger and more enthusiastic crowd than they probably would have in Eugene and the reports from officials and athletes all seem to be positive.

Rain - There really aren't many places better for a major track meet than Eugene, OR. The facilities are great and they draw large, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable crowds. But Oregon also gets rain, and that has been a major story line (especially in the pole vaults) through the first half of the Trials.

Ashton Easton - I love the Combined Events and appreciate the athletes that compete in them. There is a comradery among them that is rare in athletics at this high of a level. But they realize that their primary competition is them vs. the event. So they support and encourage one another in a way that is unique. And the main story of the Trials to this point as to be Ashton Eaton. On Saturday, the 24 year-old University of Oregon graduate broke the world decathlon record (held for the past eleven years by Romen Sebrle of the Czech Republic) by scoring 9,039 points in conditions that were often less than ideal. I also appreciated the acts of sportsmanship demonstrated by some of his competitors as Ashton approached the final event - the 1,500 run. Realizing that Ashton had the victory wrapped up but that he needed to run the 1,500 considerable faster than he had ever run it before to break the world record, the two best 1,500 runners among the decathletes - Joe Detmer and Curtis Beach - chose to run with Ashton, encouraging and "pushing" him. Then, as they neared the finish line, rather than racing ahead (which they could have easily done), they backed off and let Ashton cross the line first with the new world record. It was all a very moving display of sportsmanship by Joe and Curtis and a great display of athletic ability by Ashton. And he is still probably several years away from this athletic peak.

A Dead Heat - During women's 100 meter dash final on Saturday, the unthinkable happened. Two athletes - Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh - tied for third place (and the final spot of the Olympic Team). First of all, to have two athletes tie in a race to the 1/1000 of a second is very rare. But, in most cases, it wouldn't be a big deal. They would be listed as tied for third place and you would move on. But in this case, this also meant who would or wouldn't make the US Olympic Team. There is only room for one of them to go. And USA Track and Field had no procedure in place to break that tie, because this is more of an administrative issue (who makes the team) versus a competitive issue (who finished third, they both did). It took them a couple of days to figure out a tie-breaking solution and they won't actually break the tie until next weekend. The whole process left USATF open to some criticism along the way. By the way, you need to read this interview from Sports Illustrated with my friends Roger Jennings and Bob Podkaminer. It will explain the whole scenario in more detail and it is really interesting.

Come-backs, Young Guns, and the Women's Vault - Sunday found a lot of exciting competition in both track and field. On the track, Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay finished one and two in the men's 100 meter dash. This was a comeback for both of them. Six years ago, Gatlin began a four-year suspension for using performance enhancing drugs. On Sunday, he won a US Championship, a spot in the London Olympics by running as fast (or faster) than he ever has. Tyson, who finished second, did it in just his fourth race back after having hip surgery and not running for almost a year. He should be in even better condition when the Olympics come around. In the men's long jump, "youngsters" Will Claye and Marquis Grissom battled back and forth with Claye grabbing the lead on his final jump only to see Grissom take it back on the very next jump. Both men are great pressure jumpers. Finally, Sunday also had the women's pole vault final. Three women with ties to the Razorbacks were entered. Katie Stripling Tannehill no-heighted while Janice Keppler tied for ninth and April Steiner Bennett (who make the 2008 Olympic team) tied for fifth.

Men's High Jump Final - Though we had officiated the decathlon high jump and the men's qualifying round earlier, our crew had its first final on Monday with the men. We again faced wet conditions, but our crew and the facility crew at Hayward Field did a great job of keeping water off of the apron so that the athlete's could jump without slipping. The wet conditions kept the athletes from jumping exceedingly high, but it was a very exciting competition won by 35 year-old Jamie Nieto. Jamie won the 2004 US Olympic Trials and went on to place fourth in the London Olympics. In 2008, Jamie finished tied for second at the Trials but did not have the necessary Olympic "A" standard (see above) and so he didn't get to go to Beijing. But this year, he has both the standard and the victory and will be going to London, along with Eric Kinyard (a great young jumper from Kansas State) and Jesse Williams, the defending world champion. Jesse actually finished fourth - but the third-place finished didn't have the "A" standard. And one final high jump note: all three members of our men's Olympic high jump squad are coached by Cliff Rovelto, head coach at Kansas State University.

 

Some Olympic Items to Whet Your Appetite

 

My tendency to over-commitment has shown itself over the past month and I apologize for not posting more regularly. Now that the school year is over, I hope to discipline myself to do some more regular writing.

 

I have been stockpiling articles and websites to share, so today I am going to point you towards several with an Olympic theme. We are less than three months away from the Games in London, so here are some things to whet your appetite …

 

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The Guardian out of the UK is running a series called “50 Stunning Olympic Moments.” It is definitely worth your time to read what they are listed (they have listed 1-30 so far) and to keep up with the list.

 

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"Below us on the cinder path were 11 wretched women, 5 of whom dropped out before the finish, while 5 collapsed after reaching the tape."

 

That was the story in the New York Evening Post after the women’s 800 meter race in the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam. Because of that story, and other reports of the race, women were not allowed to run more than 200 meters until the 1960 Games. But were the reports from Amsterdam true? You can read the rest of the story here.

 

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This article lists the writer’s favorite movies about the Olympics. As I started thinking about it, I found it hard to come up with many movies with an Olympic theme. My favorite Olympic movie is – by far – Chariots of Fire. My other top five (in no particular order) would be: Miracle, Cool Runnings, Prefontaine, and One Day in September.

 

What movies am I missing? What would be on your list?

 

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The Bleacher Report has a couple of posts that are interesting. The first is “Five Athletes Who Will Disappoint” and the second is “Six Olympic Teasers for the Casual Track and Field Fan”.

 

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The New York Times recently ran a nice feature on decathlete Ashton Eaton. He, along with 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Bryan Clay and 2009 and 2011 World Champion Trey Hardee, give the US a chance at sweeping all three Olympic decathlon medals in 2012.

The UofA–A Spiritual Heritage Unlike Any Other

 

For golf fans, this week is Masters’ Week – the first of the four major golf events of 2012. And golf fans will recognize the tagline for the Masters’ broadcasts: “A tradition unlike any other.” And that is true. The beauty and history of the event makes it completely unique.

 

I thought of that line this week in a totally different context. Last Wednesday was 4.4.12. Not just the date, but a campus-wide unified worship event. After four months of planning by students and staff from several different Christian organizations on our campus, over a thousand people gathered on a beautiful night in the Greek Theater. We were led in two hours of worship by a band of about fifteen folks from several different ministries. Throughout the night, students shared stories via video of how God had changed their lives while at the UofA. Money was given to help out the Samaritan Center, which provides food to hungry schoolchildren in Northwest Arkansas.

 

It was a great night. It was the result of lots of people following God’s leading and sacrificing their agendas for His glory. But it was also a night built upon a heritage of which very few of the students who gathered on 4.4.12 are aware – a heritage that began in the spring of 1996.

 

In 1996, religious life on the UofA campus was pretty much like it is every where else in the Bible Belt – lots of Christian groups each doing their own thing without any regard for the other groups on campus. Most of us didn’t know the other Christian staff on campus. To be honest, they were often viewed more as competitors than colleagues. Most of us were more focused on building our group than on the Kingdom of God as a whole.

 

But a group of students from a few of the ministries on campus began to pray together. They quietly recruited others to come and pray with them. And the group began to grow. There was no staff involvement. Just students who felt a calling from God to do something.

 

That prayer movement by students culminated in a couple of things.

 

One was an event on April 1, 1996 called “Light on the Hill.” On a sunny Monday afternoon, between 2,000-3,000 folks gathered in the Greek Theater for a time of worship and prayer. And then that evening, a crowd of about twice that size gathered in Barnhill Arena for more worship and prayer. Both gatherings featured Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ and one of the most influential Christian leaders of the last half of the 20th century. They also featured Twila Paris, a Christian singer and songwriter who lived in this area.

 

The other thing that began as a result of that student movement was a weekly prayer gathering of campus ministry staff. When Bill Bright arrived on campus for Light on the Hill, he called together many of the campus ministries at the UofA. He gave us two pieces of advice: First, stay out of the way of the students leading this prayer movement. If we tried to step in and lead it, we would just mess it up. And, second, start meeting together to pray in support of what our students were doing.

 

So we did that. And we have continued to do that ever since. For the past sixteen years, a group gathers each week during the school year to pray for one another, our families, our campus, our ministries, and our world. Depending on schedules, sometimes there will be a half dozen folks and sometimes there will be almost thirty. Gone is the sense of competition. In its place are hearts that desire to see God’s Kingdom expand through His work in all of our ministries. We don’t do things in the same ways and you wouldn’t have to look very far to find areas of theology in which we disagree. But we share common commitments to Jesus Christ, to making Him known, to the Word of God, and to one another.

 

These years of consistent prayer have built a unique spiritual atmosphere on our campus. There is a sense of unity. We rejoice with each other. And we weep with each other. Some of my best friends in Arkansas, and some of the people I most trust spiritually anywhere, are other campus ministers at the UofA. We’ve prayed for each other and our families and our ministries and our campus on a regular basis for almost two decades. That may be why we find such longevity among campus ministers at the University of Arkansas. Warren has been here almost thirty-five years. I’ve been here thirty. Lynn has been here over twenty-five. Ronnie over twenty. Kevin almost twenty.

 

There is a spiritual heritage at the University of Arkansas of which the administration is probably unaware. It began with a group of students back in 1996. It was the foundation on which the 4.4.12 event on Wednesday was built. And it, along with this current generation of students and campus ministry staff, will continue to make the UofA a unique place – a place where God moves, calls people to Himself, and raises up leaders from around the world who will seek first His Kingdom.

The Royals, Me, and God–Revisited.

 

Today is the REAL Opening Day of the Major League Baseball season. (Sorry, Jim, but I don’t think those two games in Japan last week between the Mariners and A’s should really count as the season openers.) Those who know me know that I believe this should be a national holiday. Businesses and schools should be closed. Everyone should attend a ballgame or watch one on TV! But, alas, that will not be.

 

For the past few years, three of my best friends from high school and I have tailgated and attended the Royals’ home opener. We’ve done this with hearts confident that this will be the year the Royals finally make it back to the playoffs! We’ve endured nasty weather and the embarrassing “Baked Bean Incident of 2011.” Unfortunately, a scheduling conflict will keep me from being there on April 13 this year.

 

There are so many things I love about the game of baseball …

 

* The pace of the game. There is no clock. The game will take as long as it will take, so relax and enjoy it!

 

* The intricacies of the game. Moving the outfield. Setting up pitches. Sacrifices. I could go on and on.

 

* The history of the game. In no other sport are the heroes of past years and their statistics and accomplishments so well known.

 

* The generational nature of the game. Parents taking their kids. (My girls had great times at Razorback baseball games when there was still grass we along the foul lines for blankets and room for them to roam. Now the Razorbacks are so popular, it’s all bleachers and luxury boxes.) Playing catch. “Eating for the cycle” (which my oldest daughter did last night at a college game in Omaha.)

 

So take some time today to watch a game today. Or maybe even better, listen to one on the radio or internet. I really believe it is the most enjoyable of the sports to listen to.

 

Below is a baseball-themed "re-post" from a few years ago. Sometimes I need to be reminded of this. Maybe you do, too.

 

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I'm a Kansas City Royals fan. There. I admitted it. I have been since they played their first game in 1969. There really isn't much reason to be a Royals fan now-a-days. Especially in Arkansas. This is Cardinal country. It's easy to be a Cardinal fan. They spend a lot of money. Have a lot of good players. They win. They are easy to love.

But it's not easy to be a Royals fan. They haven't won anything since about 1985. They have lost 8 of their last 10 games. (They didn't lose tonight! But then, they had the night off.) They have more losses than any other major league team. I probably couldn't name five players on their roster. The Royals aren't an easy team to love.

But I'm a Royals fan. This summer I'll probably head to Kansas City and watch them play (and probably lose) a couple of games.

Sometimes I'm sure God thinks of me like the Royals. I'm not always easy to love. I can put on a good show sometimes. But you don't have to watch too long before my failures begin to show. I am often self-centered. I'm impatient. I'm not loving. Not pious. Not zealous. Distracted. The list could go on. I'm not an easy person to love. But God is a Mike Armstrong fan. He loves me in spite of my inconsistencies and failures and sin.

And he loves you, too. Sometimes it is easy to forget that. Sometimes we get distracted by our failures and forget that we are loved. Regardless of our test scores. Regardless of our "relationship status." Regardless of how we rate on the financial scale or the looks scale or whatever other scale people measure each other by.

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."

I John 4:9-10

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:38-39

 

Back in 1982, a Christian singer named Bob Bennett released "A Song About Baseball." The song never mentions the name of Jesus. Never mentions the name of God. But it is all about his love for us "no matter how we play." It's a great song. I bought the CD just for this one song. Stop by my office sometime and I'll play it for you.

Walking While Black

 

Like many, the shooting of Trayvon Martin has had my attention and has raised a lot of questions. If you aren’t familiar with the case, its details, and the issues it raises, you need to take some time and familiarize yourself with it.

 

The purpose of this post isn’t to give my two cents on the shooting. (Though I think there needs to be a thorough investigation of the incident and the police’s procedures following it. And I do think that the Florida self-defense law probably needs to be re-visited.) I don’t have the training and I’m not in a position to address those issues with any kind of expertise.

 

But in response to what happened in Florida, Frances Cudjoe Waters, wrote an article entitled “Walking While Black”. What she wrote broke my heart. She starts off this way:

 

“I still remember the first time it happened.  I was dropping off my 17-year-old cousin at a friend’s house in the wealthy, white Massachusetts suburb in which I lived and where my father is still a professor. We knocked on the wrong door. Minutes later, I was pulled over by the police. Slight, young and scared, I was interrogated about my activities, whether I was delivering drugs and what I was up to.

 

I remembered. My parents had sat me down months before when I got my license.

 

It doesn’t matter that you’re female. It doesn’t matter that you’re an honors student. It doesn’t matter that you’ve never been in trouble a day in your life. It doesn’t matter that you are leaving to start attending Stanford this fall. When most of these police officers see you, all they will see is a young black girl and that can be dangerous. So, when you are harassed — and you will be — try to stay calm. Try not to be afraid, and call us as soon as you can.

 

A black teenager’s rite of passage.”

 

As I read her article, I started thinking of friends of mine from around the country. Good friends. More than I can attempt to name here. Men and women I trust and respect. Men and women of color.

 

And I wondered if this has been their experience. The experience of their children. My guess is that for many of them, it has been.

 

And that saddens me.  It saddens me that in 2012, in a nation built on the premise that “all men are created equal”, people still face prejudice, suspicion, and stereotyping based on the color of their skin. That they aren’t even given the chance to demonstrate the strength of their character because of the blindness of others.

 

If any of my friends, or others of color, read this: I ask for your forgiveness. Forgiveness on behalf of those of us in the majority that have failed to live and love as Christ commanded. And forgiveness personally if I have ever treated you in a way that reflected less than love and respect, that was less than what Jesus would have wanted.

 

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”   John 13:34-35

Dots and Lines

Dots and lines.

Of all the lessons and sermons I've shared with students over the past 30 years, more remember dots and lines more than anything else I've said.

Of course, like most things, this thought is not original with me. I heard Tommy Oakes talk about dots and lines at a National Student Conference almost 20 years ago.

Dots and lines are concepts from geometry. If I remember what Miss Tucker taught us back in 1974-75, they are defined something like this:

• A dot (or point) is a zero dimensional figure. It is just a point on a plane. It doesn't go anywhere.
  
• A line is a two-dimensional object that has no endpoints and continues on forever along a plane. It is formed of infinite points.
  

Life is made up of dots and lines. Things that are just here and now and things that go on forever. The key to life is to know the difference and invest in lines, not dots.

Jesus put it this way:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21

Most of what our culture (and the people in our lives) considers important are dots. Possessions. Financial security. Degrees. Grades. Houses. Cars. Championships. But if we pour our life into these things, we will be disappointed. Most students on our campus will be disappointed. They will get degrees and not get jobs or hate them when they do. They will succeed in the classroom and fail in their marriages. Their bank accounts will rise, but their children will fail. They will be popular this weekend but lonely in ten years.

Many are like Calvin, the kid in the comic strips a few years ago. One day at the table, Calvin told his mom, "I've decided to save all the snot I sneeze and donate it to hospitals for mucous transfusions."

We live in a world full of people who are investing their lives in things that are no more important and no more lasting than a jar full of snot.

Compare that to Jesus. He invested in people. He pursued his Father's priorities. Through acts of compassion, he demonstrated God's love to those in need. He sacrificed for the sake of advancing the Kingdom and purpose of God.

Our culture, friends, and family - and even our churches - fight against this. We are entrenched in investing in dots. We are emotionally attached to our dots. We have measured success and significance and security by dots for too long.

This is one of those areas where following Jesus goes against the real values of both our society and much of our religious culture.

What we choose to value, we will invest in. If we value dots, we will invest in dots. And the reward is now. It's temporary. And it is a waste of what God has given us.

If we value the line, in things that are eternal - people and the Kingdom of God - we will invest in the line. And that will be eternal.

The words that Jim Elliot wrote more than 50 years ago still ring true: “That man is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

 

Thinking About Leadership: Harbaugh, Hedgehogs, Movies, and Young Leaders

 

Here are a few things I’ve read recently that have some great leadership information. If you’re a leader and are influencing younger leaders (and all of us lead in some realm, whether it be in a job, on a team, in our family, in our church or ministry), you will find some helpful insights among these stories. So read on …

 

Jim Harbaugh has proven himself to be a successful coach at both the NCAA and NFL level. I saw this story just today. I love the way that Tom Crean – his brother-in-law and head basketball coach at Indiana – summed it up:

 

"I think it goes to show why he's a very successful leader as a player and certainly now as a coach, because there's no job above him and there's no job beneath him and it's all about winning.”

 

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I was pointed to this post on organizational culture that develops young leaders by my friend Tim Casteel’s blog. Tim is the Director of Cru on our campus and a great leader. If you are in campus ministry, you need to be reading his blog.

 

So the question is: is your organization giving young leaders a chance to flourish? Or are you stuck in an organizational culture that keeps them bound – and frustrated?

 

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Jim Collins is one of the best business/organization/leadership writers of the past few years. In this post, Mark Howell does a great job of summarizing some of Collins’ main concepts. It will just take you a few minutes to read the post, but you should really spend several hours thinking through and implementing the ideas.

 

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Finally, Tim Elmore came up with this list of the greatest leadership movies. If I had to choose my top few from this list, the would be (in no particular order):

 

The Last Castle

Braveheart

Remember the Titans

Dead Poet’s Society

Miracle

Hoosiers

Twelve Angry Men

Apollo 13

 

What are your favorite leadership movies? Why?

John Wayne vs. Jesus

 

One of my favorite John Wayne movies was his final one – The Shootist. In it he plays an aging gunman who is dying of cancer. In one scene, he’s asked how he came to kill so many men. In part of his response, he refers to a code he lived by:

 

“I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.”

 

That’s the American way. The way of John Wayne. Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson.

 

But it is not Christ’s way.

 

We’ve been teaching this semester on what life looks like when we live as citizens of the Kingdom of God. The more we study, the more we realize that this kind of life is counter-cultural to both our society and much of the religious (even Christian) world. This week’s passage included these verses:

 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:43-48

 

The response of a follower of Christ is the complete opposite of John Wayne’s character. Our response to those who hurt or injure us – or who are different – should be noticeably different than the attitudes of those around us.

 

For most of us, however, this is all theoretical. We may have people who hurt our feelings or treat us unfairly. But we don’t face much persecution and would be hard-pressed to find someone we could call an enemy.

 

But as I mentioned in my last post, that is not the case everywhere. David B. Barrett, Todd M. Johnson, and Peter F. Crossing, in a 2009 report in the International Bulletin of Missionary Research (Vol. 33, No. 1: 32), estimated that approximately 176,000 Christians would be martyred from mid-2008 to mid-2009. Though there isn’t a way to verify those numbers, even if they were less than half right, there are thousands of Christians who are learning to apply these verses in a very real way.

 

In a recent issue of Newsweek, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, writes:

 

Since 2003 more than 900 Iraqi Christians (most of them Assyrians) have been killed by terrorist violence in Baghdad alone, and 70 churches have been burned, according to the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA). Thousands of Iraqi Christians have fled as a result of violence directed specifically at them, reducing the number of Christians in the country to fewer than half a million from just over a million before 2003. AINA understandably describes this as an “incipient genocide or ethnic cleansing of Assyrians in Iraq.”

 

Recently, Michael has started worshiping with us. He is a grad student from Baghdad. He is also a Christian. On Sunday, he shared with our gathering about his experience as a Christian in Iraq. About not being able to leave his home at night because of the possibility of attack. About his family having to leave their home and move to another city where it was safer for Christians. About friends who were killed when their church was attacked by insurgents.

 

But he also talked about walking in faith and not in fear. He talked about the choice to respond in love. To forgive. To reach out to their attackers. To let their light shine before men so that they could give glory to God.

 

And their Muslim neighbors noticed. They saw the counter-cultural way of Jesus.

 

“Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:9-21

Being Aware of a Global War

 

How easy it is for us in the US to slip into the comfort of the unaware. For the most part, our lives are comfortable and easy. We are indeed blessed – and not because of any special righteousness that we possess. Mostly, we enjoy these blessings because of where and to whom we were born and the sovereignty of God. Yes, we deal with our share of financial, physical, and personal struggles. And there are times when living as a Christian can be inconvenient. But for the most part, our lives are comfortable and easy and blissfully ignorant.

 

Rarely do we suffer as many in the world do. Few of us are starving. Few of us are homeless. And few of us ever suffer for being Christians. There may be some inconveniences on account of our faith. But not persecution.

 

But that is not the case in much of the world. The cover of this week’s Newsweek carries the banner: “The War on Christians.” In the issue is an article by Ayaan Hirsi Ali entitled “The Global War on Christians in the Muslim World.” After describing some of the persecution that Christians face in Muslim-majority countries, she says:

 

“It should be clear from this catalog of atrocities that anti-Christian violence is a major and underreported problem. No, the violence isn’t centrally planned or coordinated by some international Islamist agency. In that sense the global war on Christians isn’t a traditional war at all. It is, rather, a spontaneous expression of anti-Christian animus by Muslims that transcends cultures, regions, and ethnicities.”

 

What should be our response to this? I think it should involve at least two steps. The first is to respond as Jesus commands and not as our culture, or our human nature, would suggest. Jesus said:

 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”   Matthew 5:43-48

 

The second step is to pray for those who are facing this persecution. Pray for their safety. Pray that they will respond in a way that points their oppressors to Christ. In fact, I would encourage you to check out this website and take the challenge to pray regularly for those parts of our global Body who are suffering.

 

A third step would be to encourage your Senators and Congressional representatives to take this issue seriously and move the US government to speak up and act on behalf of those who are oppressed.

Thoughts on Thinking

The Winter 2012 issue of Leadership Journal included this quote from Jon Dyer:

"As we cultivate the skill of scanning screens, many of us find it more difficult to read a book word by word and line by line. We seem to cultivate either the skill of deep reading or the skill of scanning ... but it is difficult to to maintain both skills.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt publicly worried about the effect of this kind of reading - and about the impact of the internet as a whole: 'I worry that the level of interrupt, the sort of overwhelming rapidity of information - and especially stressful information - is in fact affecting cognition.

A good portion of the Christian life requires the ability to concentrate and focus on ideas over long periods of time. Spiritual depth requires the ability to pray for more than a few minutes, to read and memorize Scripture - not to search for it online, and to love God with our hearts and our minds. This means that we must be careful to cultivate and retain the skill of deeply reading and deeply contemplating the things of God, something the internet and digital technologies do not seem to foster."   Jon Dyer, From the Garden to the City: the Redeeming and Corrupting Power of Technology

l admit that I love technology. It can make life easier and more comfortable. And technology can provide a lot of entertainment. I also believe that my computer, iPhone, and iPad are useful tools professionally and even spiritually. 

But they are also distractions. 

Our first action in the morning or when we get home at night is to turn on the radio or television. Anything but silence. We get our news and form our political convictions based on fifteen second sound bites on a thirty minute newcast. Our authority becomes the "group think" of Wikipedia. 

Technology doesn't promote meditation. It doesn't encourage deep thought. It doesn't provide for contemplation. Technology specializes in the quick and the shallow. It often provides surface answers that masquerade as wisdom.

We don't read deeply.

We don't think deeply.

We are content with shallow. But I don't know that I've ever heard shallow used in a positive context - especially when it refers to people or thoughts or opinions or faith.

Years ago, Richard Foster wrote:

"Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.”   Richard Foster, The Celebration of Discipline

Centuries ago, David wrote:

Blessed is the one

who does not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,

and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither—

whatever they do prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3 NIV)

Jesus told us:

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matthew 22:37, 38 NIV)

At the heart of our discipleship is to not just love God with our hearts and emotions, but with all of our mind and thought. One of the key factors for a life that is stable and productive and strong is meditation on the things of God and the Word of God.

But you are going to have to fight for that. It is not our natural bent. Our world will fight against it. Other people won't understand it. But it will be worth it. And we need people who read deeply, think deeply, and meditate deeply on the things of God and their application to the needs of our world and the Church.

Howard Hendricks once said, "The secret of concentration is elimination." So what will you eliminate so that you can concentrate? What will you do to make room in your life to read and think deeply?

One of the things I am going to try to do in 2012 to make room in my life is turn off the TV at 9:00. This will give me more time to read and write, helping me to go "Deeper" and "Wider". (Those are two of my words for 2012. You can read about them here.)

I don't always get it done. It is still a discipline I am learning. But it is one I need so that I can get out of the shallow waters and into the deeper and more enriching places.

Thoughts on Solitude

 

During the first half of this week, I was able to get away for a time of quiet and solitude. It was a chance to spend some extended time in prayer and reflection. The television wasn’t on much (I did watch part of the LSU-Alabama game). There was no internet access. Just a quiet view of the lake and time to pray and think and read and plan.  I could think back over the past few months and do some evaluation. I could think ahead to the coming months and do some dreaming and planning. I try to do that a couple of times a year.

 

I believe we all need some time of solitude and quiet. Maybe you can’t get away for a few days, but finding a few hours on a regular basis can keep you balanced and focused and in connection with God. I don’t think we can walk closely with God without some times of quiet. Maybe you just set some “quiet hours” at your house in the mornings or evenings when the TV goes off. Maybe you find some time each week to go walk in a park. Maybe you schedule a monthly day of solitude or a monthly hike. We all need times of quiet and solitude to talk to and hear from God.

 

These times won’t come by accident. They won’t just fall into your calendar. Our world and our lives will fight against them. So we need to become convinced of their importance and carve time in our lives to spend in solitude and quiet with God.

 

“Anyone who thinks that his time is too valuable to spend keeping quiet will eventually have no time for God and his brother, but only for himself and his follies.”   Dietrich Bonhoeffer

 

“A public man, though he is necessarily available at many times, must learn to hide. If he is always available, he is not worth enough when he is available.”   Elton Trueblood

 

“Be still, and know that I am God.”   Psalm 46:10

 

“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.”   Isaiah 30:15

 

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”   Luke 5:16

Thoughts on Excellence

 

 

"It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why he does it."   A.W. Tozer

 

“The quality of a man’s life is in direct proportion to his commitment to excellence, regardless of his chosen field of endeavor.”   Vince Lombardi

 

“The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he’s always doing both.”   James A. Michener

 

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.”   Ecclesiastes 9:10

 

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”   Colossians 3:17

 

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”   Colossians 3:23-24

Four Words for 2012

A clock and a compass are both valuable tools, but serve two very different purposes. A clock measures where you are right now, without regard to the direction you are heading. A compass is all about direction. It's not so much about where you are at this moment, but about the direction in which you are heading.

 

The older I get, the more value I see in the compass. Destination and direction are vital. Destination and direction are more important than what is happening at any given time. A clear sense of destination and direction will help us focus on that to which God has called us, on what we really want our lives to be about. A compass makes sure you are heading in the right direction (or at least in the direction you want to go).

 

I need the focus that a compass gives. In a world ruled by full inboxes, crowded calendars, and over-flowing "to-do" lists, it is easy to lose sight of where I want to be and wander from the direction that will get me there.

 

The beginning of a new year is a good time to check your compass.

 

A few years ago, I came across this blog post by Chris Brogan. He writes about a different way of thinking about a new year. He thinks in terms of words that set the direction for the year rather than specific resolutions about what you are or are not going to do. His idea resonated with me. So each year, I spend some time with God – seeking direction on priorities and choosing three or four words to give direction to the coming year. All of these will have specific tasks, because even if you know your destination you won’t get there unless you take some steps. But the words (which will be at the top of each day’s calendar) will help set the direction for the year. 

 

Here are my words for 2012:

 

Deeper – This is about deepening my relationship with God through set and focused times in His Word, prayer, fasting, journaling, etc. But it will also happen as I learn to discern more clearly the Holy Spirit’s work in my life and follow His leading. Richard Foster begins his classic book, The Celebration of Discipline, with these words:

 

“Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.”

 

Wider – This is really about writing. I told my staff last month that I want to do more of that. There is no guarantee that anyone will want to read what I write. But I do want to be more purposeful in the discipline of writing.

 

Higher – This is about making other people better. This applies to my family, my staff, our students, my friends, folks in campus ministry, the people with whom I work in track and field, or others God brings across my path. I want to be purposeful in sharpening them.

 

Lower – This is about my weight. I told my wife last night that 2012 is a year no fried foods and no sweets. She was not excited about that idea. And I’m not sure that I can completely do that. But I do want to commit myself to a better diet – better foods, smaller portions, fewer calories – and more exercise.

 

So those are my words for 2012. What are yours?

Three Stories Calling Us to Better Lives

I intentionally left the word “sport” out of the title of this post because, though each of these stories come from the world of sports, the issues highlighted go far beyond something as temporary as an athletic competition. They are stories about higher virtues than winning or losing. They are about things like valor, courage, generosity, compassion, and fairness. I found each of them moving and challenging. I believe each are worthy of your time and thought. Let me know what you think …

************

Ashton Eaton is one of the greatest athlete’s in the world. He was a three-time NCAA decathlon champion outdoors, a two-time NCAA heptathlon champion indoors (where he holds the world record), the defending US national decathlon champion, and he won the silver medal at the 2011 World Championships in South Korea. I have had the chance to officiate Ashton on a number of occasions and he has always conducted himself with class. He is one of the US stars in track and field that you need to keep your eyes on in this Olympic year.

But he’s not necessarily the real hero in his family. Track and Field News shared a link to Ashton’s blog where he told the story of his brother, a Gunnery Sergeant in the Marines who was recently awarded the Silver Star – the third highest combat medal than can be given. It is worth your time to read Ashton’s words. His brother is just one of thousands of men and women who have risked, and given, their lives to make our world a safer place. They have demonstrated valor and courage on behalf of people they have never met and, for the most part, will never know what they did. We will never know most of their names. It is nice to be able to put a face and a story with one.

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One of the football coaches on the hot seat in the SEC (at least at the start of the year) was Mark Richt, the head coach at Georgia. Fortunately, after on 0-2 start, the Bulldogs turned things around and had a great season – winning ten games in a row, the SEC East title, playing in the SEC Championship game, and earning a trip to the Outback Bowl. I say fortunately not because I’m a Georgia fan, but because the SEC (and all of the sports world) needs people like Mark Richt, who has a reputation of being a man of character. As this story also demonstrates, he is a man of generosity. I may not always cheer for Georgia, but I will be a Mark Richt fan.

************

Finally, I came across this story today (again, thanks to Track and Field News). It resonated with me because for the past year we have been dealing with a student in our ministry who found himself in a similar situation as this young lady. One of the things that I have learned from this process is that it is easy to speak from a podium or to a TV camera and dictate policy until you know people who are personally affected and whose future’s are in the balance. Illegal immigration is an issue that needs to be faced and dealt with, but it has to be done (especially in the cases like Ayded’s and Jonathan’s, who were brought to the US as children, have been raised here, and are contributing to making our nation better) with a sense of fairness and compassion.

God con Carne, Part 2

 

Yesterday’s post began to scratch the surface on the incarnation – of God becoming flesh and dwelling among us. He did that to demonstrate his glory in a way we could comprehend – in grace and truth – and to go to the cross, taking our sins upon his sinless person.

 

But the incarnation is not just a piece of theology. It is a practical way for us to live, to manifest God to the world that we live in.

 

Jesus’ friend, John, wrote:

 

This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. I John 2:5-6

 

We are to be the physical, personal manifestations of God in our world. There are at least a couple of reasons for that. One is that we who are Christians have the Spirit of God dwelling inside of us. The other is that we are the Body of Christ to the world and each other.

 

And just as Jesus demonstrated the glory of God to the world through grace and truth, we are called to do the same.

 

But it does carry a cost

 

(Jesus), who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

Philippians 2:6-8

 

Jesus is not an assistant to God. Jesus is not the Joe Biden of heaven. Jesus has never been a junior partner to God but equal with the Almighty Father in every way, shape, and form. But he did not regard that position of equality a thing to be held on to.

 

It is almost impossible to grasp the impact of that statement. Jesus, who experienced the worship and adoration of the universe, voluntarily relaxed his grip on those privileges to put on human flesh, live a life of grace and truth, and die on a Roman cross.

 

Incarnation is costly. It was for Jesus. It will be for us. If we are to demonstrate grace and truth to those in our world who most need to experience them, we are going to have to lay some things aside.

 

Our positions. Our privileges. Our preferences. Our prerogatives. Our comfort. Our fear. Our selfishness. Our possessions.

 

We won’t best demonstrate the glory of God by doing church with our friends, who all think and act and believe like we do.

 

We will best incarnate the glory of God – his grace and truth – when we engage the world as Jesus did. Hugging the diseased body of a leper. Showing acceptance and love in the home of a despised tax collector. Gently calling to repentance a shamed adulteress.

 

Incarnation isn’t just theology. It is a practical way to live and serve others. It is to be our posture before the world.

God con Carne, Part 1

 

I’m a carnivore and proud to admit it. If I get to choose a last meal, it’s going to be steak. I will occasionally order a salad, but it will be a salad with lots of meat on it!

 

Once a week, Gina and I have “cheese dip night” – dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. When we sit down, they don’t bring us a menu. They just bring our meal because it is the same thing every week: diet cokes, chips and salsa, a small cheese dip, and tacos carne asada. Steak tacos.

 

Every year, I make chili for our Christmas party. (I only make it once a year because it is too spicy for Gina, but most of our students seem to like it.) Of course, what most of us call chili is actually chili con carne – peppers with meat.

 

This is the time of year when we celebrate the incarnation – the reality of God in the flesh.

 

God “con carne.”

 

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him.   Colossians 1:19

 

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.   Colossians 2:9

 

Christ is the self-miniaturization of God, the visible image of the invisible God. The omnipresent one was downsized to the confines of a human womb. The all-powerful one became a baby that had to be fed and nursed and burped. The omniscient one had to learn reading, writing, and arithmetic.

 

But here was the miracle: when he became human, he was no less God. 100 percent God and 100 percent man. I can’t explain it. I can only marvel at it.

 

In 1995, Joan Osborne recorded a song that asked the question, “What if God was one of us?” Christmas tells us that is exactly what happened.

 

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,

Hail the incarnate Deity.

Pleased as man with man to dwell -

Jesus, our Emmanuel.

Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn king!”

 

But it keeps getting better.

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made…. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth…. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.   John 1:1-3, 14, 18

 

When Moses wanted to see the glory of God, the answer was , "No." When Moses begged, God hid him in a corner of a rock. He could only see the aftermath of God passing by. He could only handle a portion of the glory of God.

 

But John tells us that when God became flesh, we could see his glory. When you read through the biographies of Jesus, where do you see his glory? Maybe it is not what we tend to look for. Maybe it is:

 

… when Jesus kneels beside the woman caught in adultery and says, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” 

… when Jesus puts his arm around a leper, both healing and loving him. 

… when Jesus goes to the homes of Levi and Zaccheus, ostracized tax collectors, to demonstrate God’s forgiveness and acceptance.

… when Jesus weeps with Mary and Martha over the death of their brother. Or even more when he stands and says, "I am the resurrection and the life … Lazarus, come out." 

 

Jesus' glory was full of grace and truth. Grace and truth. Grace that offered acceptance and forgiveness and entrance into God’s Kingdom. Truth that called to repentance and change and a life that sought first God’s Kingdom and righteousness.

 

Christmas should be the awe-filled celebration of God in the flesh, his glory in a body, grace and truth lived out among us. And alive in us.

Some Sports Highlights: Creative Traditions and Tebow Mic’d Up

 

One of the great things about sports of all kinds are the traditions that surround them. For my high school in Kansas, it was the entire team leaving the stadium and jogging across the street to ring the Victory Bell in front of the high school after a home victory. (Unfortunately, we never got to ring the bell at our final home game of the season. We lost the state finals, quarter-finals, and semi-finals at home in my sophomore, junior,and senior years.)

 

Here are couple of traditions that I’ve recently seen that seem to be a lot of fun. The first is from Taylor University and has a Christmas theme to it.

 

I would love to know where they came up with this idea, but Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, MA has a great pre-game tradition.

 

They also are pretty cool with the post-game celebration.

 

Finally, most of America is aware of Tim Tebow and the way that he has led the Denver Bronco’s to some great comeback. Of course, a big part of Tebow is his faith and the way he lives his life. No matter what people think of his quarterbacking skills, they have little doubt about what he believe or the kind of person that he is. During Denver’s game against the Chicago Bears a couple of weeks ago, they had Tebow mic’d up. I found it interesting to listen to what he said to his teammates, coaches, opponents, self, and God during the game. At least three things are for sure: He desires God to be honored, he is a great competitor, and the dude cannot sing.

Miscellaneous Christmas Items: Christmas Music, Seryn, and a Provocative Christmas ad

 

Christmas tends to feature some of our favorite music. My favorite songs have always been Joy to the Word and Silent Night, and I love listening to the Messiah. But there are so many that I love. But there is also some bad Christmas music. I know this is a matter of taste, but you can keep your Little Drummer Boy and Away in the Manger. So what songs are your favorites? And least favorites?

 

Here is a list of 11 Christmas songs that never took off. It won’t take you long to figure out why.

 

A few days ago I mentioned a new favorite band – Seryn. They have a new Christmas album. You can check it out here.

 

St. Matthews-in-the-City Church in Auckland, New Zealand has a history of putting up memorable billboards around Christmas time. Here is this year’s ad – not quite as provocative as some years, but still enough to make you stop and think. Of course, their stated goal is to move beyond the “sentimental and trite” and “spark thought and conversation.” What is your response to the ad? Does it accomplish their goal? Is it too much?

Items of Interest: The Coldest, the Most Stolen, a great UK Christmas ad, and Seryn

 

A few items of interest from the past few weeks:

 

Here is a list of the 25 coldest cities in the US. Sympathies to my friends who live in these places!

 

Here is a list of the ten most frequently shoplifted items. Filet mignon? Axe? A razor? Really?

 

Here is a beautiful Christmas ad from Great Britain.

 

And, to top it off, a video from one of my favorite new bands – Seryn. Just today, Paste named them one of the top new bands of the year. Enjoy.

A Life Too Short

Last night I attended a candle light vigil with about 2800 others in memory of Garrett Uekman. Many of you already know of Garrett’s death. He died in his University of Arkansas residence hall on Sunday morning. Garrett was a nineteen year old sophomore and a tight end on the Razorback football team.

Being in the service last night brought a lot of thoughts to mind. I’m in my thirtieth year of ministry to college students and I have set through or spoken at more of these services than one might think. Many faces passed through my thoughts. We have had student deaths that have been the result of disease or accident. Others have been the result of violence, either at their own hands or the hands of someone else. None have been easy and all are reminders that life is fragile and temporary and not to be taken for granted.

I also thought about these truths.

We need to live life thoughtfully. I love these words of Paul:

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.   Ephesians 5:15-16

The idea behind these words is not to live fearfully, but purposefully. The image is of a tightrope walker, making sure each step is precise – right where it should be. It is the image of intentionality, of purposefully making the most of every opportunity, not letting any slip by because we aren’t paying attention or are distracted by the lesser things around us.

We need to live life fully. Jesus told us:

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”   John 10:10

Jesus’ intent for us is not a life that is dull, boring, monotonous, and meaningless. Life as Christ intends it is to be full of joy, purpose, and meaning. It is to be a life that is lived in faith, that pushes the edges, that doesn’t settle in to the status quo of society or our religious culture.

We need to live life lovingly. Again, the words of Jesus:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”   John 13:34

Ultimately, what we leave behind is what we have invested in the lives of others – the love we have shown to them. Money and success have their advantages, but the investment we make in the lives of others – the love we share, say, and demonstrate – is what will shape the lives of others.

We need to live life with a bigger perspective. One final thought from Jesus:

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”   Matthew 6:33

Invest yourself in the things of God, in the things that last. So much of what we value is temporal and won’t last the next ten years, let alone into eternity. Invest yourself in the things of God, in the lives of people, in the things that will leave a mark on eternity.

Ultimately, this kind of life can only be lived by being in a relationship with Christ and abiding in him on a daily basis. That is the starting point for the life that God desires for us, for the life that our hearts desire.