Sunday was one of those days that held a myriad of things. First there was church and a message about peace. At the end I told the people gathered of my plans to retire at the end of this year. I turn 75 in December and I am sure I am hearing God correctly that it is time the church has a new pastor that has the anointing and energy to lead The Way to the next phase. My part there is coming to a close … and I’m getting excited to see what “new thing” God has for me.
In the afternoon I headed off to get my first COVID-19 vaccine. I was glad my primary care had enough vaccine for me (Bob got his last week). I want to go to California in late May to see my grandson graduate from high school. This is the first step to making that happen.
Then in the evening I watched the Super Bowl. I have loved watching football for as long as I can remember. I love the game. Maybe because I love the game so much is why I was disappointed in the Super Bowl. I was so disappointed in just about everything that I got a bit snarky on Facebook while watching.
I did not like the rendition of God Bless America, or the National Anthem. Most of the commercials were dumb. The halftime show was ridiculous. I thought the officiating was horrible. Lost in all that nonsense was the game I like watching.
I am old enough to remember watching Super Bowl I … Green Bay and Kansas City. I think I have watched everyone since. I have seen them go from a game to an event to a dazzling money-driven around-the-world spectacular. And in that evolution, something has been lost. The core event has been overshadowed by fluff and flash.
It was not difficult as I prayed this morning to translate all that into my thoughts about the church. It had me wondering if we too have lost sight of the core event and given into fluff and flash.
John 3:16-18: “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.” [HCSB]
