WoW

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ti-hamiltongingerale101210

A few weeks ago the Texas Rangers clinched the American League West. Josh Hamilton is the center fielder of the Texas Rangers and chose not to partake in the celebration after the Rangers won the game to clinch the playoff birth. The reason he chose not to join in the celebration is this: He returned to baseball about 3-4 years ago after a serious bout of drug addiction. He was drafted first overall in 1999 and a few years later fell into drug addiction. He was suspended by baseball and continued to struggle. He has an amazing testimony that you can see on youtube if you are interested in the full story.

A few weeks ago I read an article that spoke on his choice to not join his teammates and how it was too bad his demons from the past kept him from joining his teammates. My initial reaction to that was,"No, too bad they did not realize that Josh and his sobriety is more important than some champagne and cigars!" I wondered to myself,"What would it have looked like if his teammates decided not to have champagne and cigars and did something else." That would have been one hell of a story and a beautiful glimpse into the Kingdom come. Some of the comments people made about Josh were flat out sick, selfish, and mean. I thought of 2 scriptures as I read the first article. One comes from 1 Peter 4 and I will give you the Bryan version of what is being said: The time already past was sufficient for you to carry out the lusts of the gentiles who pursued a course of sensuality, debauchery, drunkeness, carousing,orgies, drinking parties and abominal idolalitries. They are surprised that you do not run into the same excess of dissipation and they malign you. Another version says that they heap abuse on you. Another scripture was 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except was is common to man and God is faithful, He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide a way of escape so that you can stand up under it. I found that verse especially fitting. Faith day "just so happened" to be the same day that Josh had a decision to make: Partake of the festivities or choose the way of escape. Praise God that his way of escape was faith day. Come on now, faith day the same day?

At the top of this paragraph is a short story of what just recently happened. His teammates decided to have gingerale instead of champagne this time around. His team just won the AL division series and they considered him more important than themselves. Josh said,"It meant a lot to me. It just says a lot about my teammates, them understanding the sensitivity of my situation."

There is something about seeing other people sacrifice for other people that touches our soul. I especially like how most of these guys are most likely not following Jesus, yet they acted in such a way in line with the Kingdom. Someone on the team or a group of guys realized after the first celebration that they are a team(body) and having one guy absent was not acceptable. They sacrificed in order to make Josh feel welcome, loved, and included in the group. The celebration the first time around was not an intentional exclusion, yet I imagine that Josh felt excluded a bit by not being able to join. Sure he was able to join, but he would have been stupid to do so. Take it from someone who has been in a similar situation as him. It is wise to just not go.

It has been a month....

It has been a month since I last blogged. Where did the word blog come from? Anyways. Training school has been good and I imagine that it is serving it's purpose in each one of our lives in it's unique personal way. I call it an it because it kind of takes on a life of it's own. Larry does a brilliant job of directing conversation, articulating his ideas, and often times asking questions that, at least for me, leaves me francticly wracking my brain for the answer. I often say to myself," Dude get it together, you are a christian and you are supposed to know this stuff." Most of the stuff I do know, or I at least get the idea of the flow of conversation, but articulating a well thought out answer is not my forte and especially not in a short amount of time. One thing I have absorbed from our short time together is that it is acceptable to not know the answer 100% of the time and that everything is not as concrete as I thought it had to be. The phrase black and white comes up quite a bit in class. I like to look at a guy like Mark Driscol as a black and white kind of guy and a guy like Rob Bell who recognises the black and white, respects it, but is not afraid to hang out in the realm of "grey." The grey areas are almost taboo. I won't get into specifics, but we talk about the grey area quite a bit in class and it is refreshing and freeing. It is not easy to wrestle with your theology and ask why, what, how, ect...about scripture and doctrine. It can actually be pretty uncomfortable, but the mental stimulation is a thrill for me. I have ideas about scripture, doctrine, and of who God is. I have been told some things, taught some things, and read some things, but I have rarely picked up the shovel and dug into why I believe what I do and if I do believe this about that, then is it safe to dig a little bit deeper? Meaning to me, is there more to this than the depth I have gotten and what people have taught me, or does God continue to reveal more the farther we are willing to dig? When I read Systematic Theology or listen to Driscoll I get this feeling in my spirit like I have to agree with this dude or I am out of the circle of God and the body of Christ. Or that God has been put into this massive book and here is what you are to believe, believe this and you will be safe, we got it figured out. When I listen to or read a book by Rob Bell I am inspired to know God, serve God, love on the lost, serve the poor, and I feel like my imagination is stoked into searching the Father. Rob doesn't spend much time bashing with doctrine and convincing people they have to know this or they are doomed. I could write forever on this. I like both of them. They both serve their purpose in their community, love God and people, and are great for my walk with Christ. I will end with this: I hate it when Rob is called a heretic or that others won't listen to him because Mark said he wouldn't let him preach at his church unless he saw some real repentance in his beliefs. Come on dude, you are behind the pulpit consistantly putting others down and making jokes about other pastors on a public platform.....