A win is a win, right?

A win is a win is a win….right? Or so the Minnesota Vikings say about their nail biting game on Sunday. One missed 44 yard field goal in the last seconds of the game and a Brett Farve who couldn’t even watch ended up gleeful as the Viking won 33-31.

A win is a win—right? I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to live in a society rooted at what it means to “win”-- you know a society based upon competition. You know the phrases:

• “I won—you lost!”
• “We’re winners—you’re losers!”
• “I’m right—you’re wrong!”
• “We’re stronger—you’re weaker!”
• “The bible says this—the bible says that!”
• “I’m really saved—you’re not!”

A win is a win—right? But at whose cost?

All of a sudden a sense of superiority takes hold and good fun turns ugly and someone ends up getting hurt. Ok—I am not bashing sports or good healthy competition but I do wonder how this pervasive message is playing out in life around us.

So let’s just talk:

•  How is this culture of winning influencing our lives?
• What does this say about our culture?
• What does this say about our churches?
• And does God have anything to do with this anyways?

As always I look forward to hearing what you have to say. The older I get the less interested in winning I become and am more interested in playing the game. So let’s just talk!

Are we Spiritual Yet?

The Parade section in the Sunday, October’s 4th paper yesterday posed the question “How Spiritual Are We?” I found the results very interesting.

     • 69% of people believe in God,

     • 77% pray outside of religious services

     • 75% believe that it is a parent’s responsibility to give children a religious upbringing.

Yet, 24% of people say they are “religious, not spiritual” and 45% of people who consider themselves religious do not participate in organized religion. Wow, how the landscape of religious life has changed. There is not an expectation of being a part of a church, there is no longer the fear of God that once dominated religious belief—So what does this mean as we “rethink church”?

Let’s just talk:

     • Are these statistics surprising to you?

     • Does your local community of friends and relatives reflect this information?

     • What does this mean for the local church?

There are people in my own family who say the same things—church just isn’t relevant anymore. They believe in God and are comfortable practicing their faith in their own way. I am really interested in what you think—so let’s just talk!