March 2017 - Pastor Craig

 It took Suzanne and I over a week and three separate viewing times to watch this past years Super Bowl. I knew the outcome, I even knew the half-time score, but still wanted to see it. I could not believe that Atlanta did not win. How could they have blown that big of a lead? For the newsletter, I found this quote from Theodore Roosevelt.

 It is not the critic who counts, not the person who points out where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the devotions, and spends himself or herself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and at the worst, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his or her place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.

 This quote reminds us again, that we are just the spectators. We can cheer. We can boo. We can yell and scream and have anguish in the defeat of our team. We get caught up in the commentators opinions. The instant replay and second guessing the officials calls. .But at the end of the day, we can leave the stadium, we can get off the couch, and not have suffered the physical punishment or even break a sweat. We have enjoyed a GAME that others worked and suffered to play. Sometimes we lose that simple fact.

 With the start of Ash Wednesday on March 1, we begin the season of Lent. The season which the journey to the cross and resurrection of our Lord. We are spectators in a drama that happened 2000 years ago. We have the Bible accounts of what happened. We see how the disciples reacted. Denying and running and saving themselves when confronted with Roman soldiers and accusations. We are tempted to second guess their motives and their weaknesses. With the audacity to think If I would have been there, I would not have denied Jesus and I certainly would not have runaway and hid.

 Much like the commentators of our day, it is easy to analyze from the comfort of a desk, but in the moment of action only God knows what will happen. As the football players have practiced and learned the plays and have conditioned themselves to play the game, we as the followers of Jesus have learned the philosophy of His game of life. In a nutshell, when we fail we are forgiven, when we feel unloved we are loved, when we feel alone he is with us. And more than anything else, we can't lose a game that Jesus has already won.

 As we make this journey to the cross know that you are more than spectators. You are in the game.

In Christ,

Pastor Craig