One In Jesus

So I went nearly a week without writing anything at all. Travel, reading, funeral, chuch work, work work, etc., etc. It was easy. Too much other stuff to do. Too worn out. Too emotionally drained.

But things got better (notwithstanding Alabama’s loss to LSU). Things are settling down, and these posts keep popping into my head. But I find it’s kind of nice to be posting every other day rather than every day. I enjoy the slower pace, but it bothers me. You see, I wrote a post regarding a series of comments on sola scriptura, and it has lots of quoted material. I thought I should break it up into three posts, for the sake of size and all. But that means it’ll be the only thing posted for 6 whole days! And I’m afraid that gives greater prominence to the article than it really deserves. In former times, I’d have posted over three days and thrown in some lessons on Ephesians for good measure!

And I really have to catch up my Ephesians posts, because I’m teaching Ephesians and really need to be prepared. I’m about to delve into chapter 5 in class, and preparation will really matter on that chapter!

So I’m not sure I can keep up the slower pace. But I think I really ought to try. (Maybe I should re-run posts from the past in the off days? I got a million of ’em …!)

All of which is to say I’ve not had a vision or any particularly clear sense of direction, other than the fact that I find myself drawn inexorably toward the keyboard once again, and my fingers keep typing when I get there. God doesn’t always work on my time schedule. He can be quite annoying that way, you know. But I would definitely prefer to be typing away while awaiting further guidance, if further guidance there is to be. And maybe it’s enough to know that I’m not out of ideas, the fingers still insist on typing, and I still enjoy this. At a slower pace. For now.

Alabama’s football team lost to LSU yesterday. And we lost to South Carolina a few weeks ago — the same South Carolina Gamecocks who just laid an egg against Arkansas. There is no consolation. We have zero chance at a national, conference, or divisional championship. The best we can hope for is to win the state championship — by beating Auburn

And we hate Auburn. The thought of losing to Auburn and seeing them in the national championship game is unbearable to the typical Alabama fan, you know. I know it’s not healthy to feel that way. I know that Auburn isn’t evil or the incarnation of Satan. I know that. But it’s hard to shake a lifetime of tradition and conditioning. You see, the natural order of things is that Alabama wins national championships — and Auburn does not. And I really don’t want my paradigm shifted. I like my paradigm.

But Auburn gets to be in the BCS championship game if they just beat Georgia, Alabama, and the winner of the SEC eastern division — a division all six teams are trying desperately to lose. From here, Auburn’s path to national championship glory looks very easy. We look terrible. Auburn looks unstoppable.

And Oregon looks pretty good — amazing really — but that’s against Pac 10, West Coast competition. I think Auburn beats them by two touchdowns. Alabama, meanwhile, will miss the Sugar Bowl, too (LSU is a shoe in), playing in some forgettable bowl in Florida. I forget its name and don’t care to look it up.

I’m inconsolable. And, yes, I have a son at Auburn. And, no, that doesn’t make it any easier. Now I have to live with whole thing. Life has lost all meaning. There is no hope. There is no balm in Tampa or wherever we wind up playing. Oh, the pain of dashed high expectations!

You know, life was better when we were lousy and struggling to get better. Then any victory was wonderful and the losses were expected and didn’t hurt so much. Watching the team get better and occasionally win unexpectedly was great, great fun! But, oh, the misery of losing unexpectedly!

Thank goodness, basketball season is here! We were lousy last year. Winning just 50% of our games would be ecstasy! Going to the NCAAs would be beyond our wildest dreams! Oh, the bliss of low expectations. Maybe God really does bless those who mourn. Maybe God really does cause the last to be first. Maybe you need the lousy years to appreciate the good ones. But it’s hard being philosophical when Auburn is about waltz into a national championship.

I’ve just added a new page called Ministers Looking for Churches / Churches Looking for Ministers, which can also be found under the “Jobs and Blogs” link at the top of the page or via the Page listing on the left of the screen. I hope it helps churches and ministers find each other.

(The listing of progressive Church of Christ blogs is also found under “Jobs and Blogs” now.)

A reader has asked for a recommendation for a non-legalistic congregation in Orlando, Florida. While I’m very familiar with DisneyWorld (my wife is an addict and refuses all interventions), I’m not familiar with the congregations in the area. Any suggestions?