"Be the Man!" Week 8

Swing thoughts: A wide take-away. Pausing at the top. Keeping your head still. Hitting the sweet spot. Staying down on the ball.

Every golfer is both helped and bedeviled by hundreds of swing thoughts. The paradox is that the more you concentrate on each component of your swing the less likely you are to actually hit the ball! That’s why golf is so mental. Success in golf, we learn, is indirect. We practice the specifics over and over so that we can forget about them and just concentrate on hitting the ball. Life with God is somewhat like this. We want to go deeper, to be more effective, to improve our discipleship. But laboring at a detailed list of improvements does not yield the life and power we so desire. It is only when we look away from all these pieces and concentrate on the object of our desire that we experience the joy and freedom called new life. 

Roger

"Be the Man!" Week 7

My wife and I once travelled to Vienna, Austria as the first of several stops in Europe. Upon arriving we were to find a person we had never met, and go with them to their home to have dinner and spend the night. Then, in the very early morning, they would take us back across the city to the airport so that we could resume our travels. We were jet-lagged when we arrived, had little energy for conversation, went to bed early, and dragged ourselves to breakfast and coffee that our hosts had lovingly prepared. They were marvelous, extra-mile hosts, angelically entertaining strangers with world class hospitality. We were sleepwalking, drowsy extra baggage they certainly could have chosen not to lift. Between us, however, was one word: a name.  We shared a common, dear friend named Wes. When we came using his name, doors opened. We mentioned his name and smiles broke out. We slept and ate because of his name. We were sent on our way in his name. Because we both knew and loved the same friend, our connection was sweet, effective, and mutually satisfying. Knowing the right person, with permission to use his name, is a powerful door-opener.

Roger

"Be the Man!" Week 6

It’s amazing how fast our media centrifuge hurls today’s celebrities to the fringes of memory, leaving them almost forgotten. Cal Ripken, where are you? What ever happened to David Duval? Where did you go, Mikhail Gorbachev? Whither Alan Greenspan, Pete Roselle, or Tom DeLay? Heroes for a season, and then trivia forever. Notoriety is no guarantee of durability. So, what can we pursue today that will not atomize into dust tomorrow? We can invest in the name, the deeds, the glory and the authority of the One who never changes. We can legitimately boast in knowing and understanding the Master whose every attribute proves itself true and solid in every generation. That is a future that will not be marginalized by polls, or relegated to a trivial factoid.

Roger

"Be the Man!" Week 5

My dad taught me a helpful way to use my body and will to overcome the paralysis of fear. He would take me with him on his occasional preaching forays to the Rescue Mission. It was situated where you might expect: in a very scary, Skid Row part of town. The nearest parking place was usually a couple of blocks away, and the walk to the Mission meant passing lots of loitering, homeless, ragged men on a dark street. Dad would say: “Roger, we are going to walk together, swing our arms and look like we are going somewhere. No one will bother us, and we won’t have any trouble.” Whether his method actually affected any of those men, I’ll never know.  It did, however, fix an indelible picture in my mind about facing my fears: go straight in. Go with purpose. Go with someone else at your side, and don’t get distracted. This method doesn’t trick or ignore my emotions; it supersedes them to accomplish something greater. Swing your arms and walk in a straight line. Your fears will recede on the sidewalk as you arrive at the purpose for your day. 

Roger

"Be the Man!" Week 4

Hanging drywall is a two-man job. It’s not just the weight of it. It’s just so clumsy, bulky, and cantankerous!  Too many operations need to happen with just two hands.  So when Steve offered to help me, not only with his strength, but with his expertise, I jumped at the opportunity. Some helper!  He made it look easy. He knew how to prepare, how to lift, how to make the joints fit, and how to get-‘er-done. I was instantly aware that trying to do this without his help was foolish and ridiculous. What little I had accomplished on my own had been excruciatingly difficult and poorly done. I needed help. I needed wisdom. I needed strength. I needed encouragement. What a metaphor for the great Helper Jesus promised to send us. What are you trying to do on your own? Do you know there is a helper available?

"Be the Man!" Week 3

Way back in the gauzy memory of my track career I was consumed with weight. My body fat index was zilch. I wore the lightest materials on my body. I wanted no extra water or food in my stomach. And, I especially wanted the lightest shoes. My event was the steeplechase, which includes a water jump on each lap. The first time I ran it I was startled at how much water was squishing in my shoes after each jump. So, I punched holes in my track spikes to eliminate those micro-ounces of unwanted weight. All of these details could appear obsessive or trifling if it were not for the goal. I wanted to run well toward the goal, and every ounce of extra weight would compromise my freedom to run. Shedding weight was no sacrifice because the finish line was worth it. Is this not the spiritual principle behind daily confession of sin, and regular worship of our Father? We shed encumbering weight and we re-focus on the race ahead.


Roger

"Be the Man!" week 2

The new healthcare law weighs in at 1100 pages. Who has read it? The U.S. Government regulations on the sale of cabbage entails 26,911words. Who wants to read it? The Lord’s prayer, in contrast, is 66 words. Millions have memorized it.  Which of these documents will change your life for the better? It isn’t the weight of the document, but the heft in the words that makes the difference.  Your Father has a few weighty words for your day today. His word will constantly refresh you about His character and His will. His Spirit will bring the just-right obedience to mind when it needs to be enacted.  Simply apply those few words, without deviating, and watch them guide you through the thickets of confusion. 

Roger