L'affaire Cutler

For the last couple of weeks, I've been following the Jay Cutler story with great interest. This is, of course, Jay Cutler the QB for the Denver Broncos, not Jay Cutler the professional bodybuilder. I'm not sure if anybody outside the sports media or the Denver area (or a Broncos fan) is as interested in the story as I am.

And that's what I don't get. Why, exactly, am I so interested in the story? I have no particular stake in the Denver Broncos. I'm not a hardcore fan, but I don't wish them a losing season. They're a classy organization in the NFL. And I like Jay Cutler. I think he's a fine young QB.

I've posted (shared) at least 1 or 2 stories a day on Facebook and Twitter. The above clip is from ESPN's "Around The Horn" program a couple weeks ago. You can find all these articles out there on the web. My Facebook friends are probably getting annoyed with these postings.

So, I was reflecting on why this story is so fascinating to me. It really shouldn't be. It's your basic "I'm being disrespected" story. It's also a story where I truly can see every side's point. I think that's 1 reason I find this story so compelling. Each side in the dispute makes some valid points. Each can make the argument that they are "right". That makes for some interesting observing.

But, when all is said and done, it comes down, really, to 1 thing. I miss football season. I love football. I love the NFL. I love spending Sunday afternoons and evenings watching America's real game. Since there's no more drama on the fields right now, I have to settle for drama off the field. And you have to admit that this story is way more interesting than pre-draft manufactured hype.

The Pundits List

I've been a fan of the op-ed column since high school. These little essays are usually a good way to get a good discussion going. And, with the advent of blogging, it seems like everyone is a pundit (myself included)these days . But here's my list of my fave pro pundits. Some are political and some are sportswriters. As always,. the list is in no particular order.

1. Robert Scheer
2. Joe Conason
3. Greg Freeman (RIP)
4. Jonah Goldberg
5. EJ Dionne
6. TJ Simers
7. Bill McClellan
8. Kathleen Parker
9. Kevin Blackistone
10. Jason Whitlock

Just Made Me Wonder

I came across this a couple seconds ago as I was bringing in today's mail.

I susbscribe to Newsweek. As you might expect, the cover shows a picture of the new president and first lady. Up at the top of the cover it reads, "Private Inauguration Photos".

So, if they're private, how did Newsweek get them? Just wondering.

Guns and Pants Revisited

Back in December, I posted a very brief commentary on the Plaxico Burress incident. Here's a follow-up to that story.

This video clip is directly from the good people at ProFootballTalk.com. This is my most trusted source for NFL news. Plenty of good issues to think about in the clip.

I hope this is OK, PFT guys. I link to your site at the bottom of the blog. Plus, I give proper credit.

Kurt Warner: PDF

The above clip is nothing unique. It's Arizona cardinals QB Kurt Warner being interviewed by Terry Bradshaw after the NFC Championship game. It's interesting how Kurt answers Bradshaw's question. He starts off by saying that we are tired of hearing about Christian faith. But, he also said that he never gets tried of talking about it. So are Warner and society at an impasse?

This, as I aid, is nothing new. When Warner was the QB of my beloved St. Louis Rams, he was just as open about his faith there. And this, I think, kind of grated on people after a while. I always wondered about that. Even I had issues with his theology at times.

But here's the rub. We, as Americans, and as Westerners, have been conditioned to believe, teach, and confess that religion and faith are private matters, best kept out of the spotlight of our lives. Or worse, relegated only to the house of worship we choose to attend. As a result, society has taught us to be uncomfortable with PDFs. That is, Public Displays of Faith.

Many people engage in PDFs. It's just that most are understated and easy to do. Examples of this would be wearing a religious symbol on your neck or lapel, certain types of clothing or attire, a bumper sticker. Stuff like that. It's easy, and predictable. In my job as a Pastor, my PDFs fit into this description. No one bats an eye when they see me in my clergy collar or my vestments on Sunday morning. Even when I tell someone that Jesus loves them, or we'd love to have them join us at church, they expect it. Some might even say, "Well, you're paid to say that." And yet, when we see Kurt Warner (or other high-profile people) so blatantly on fire with their faith, it produces all sorts of reactions in us.

It's easy to be cynical in this case too. It's easy to say, "Yeah, I'd probably be that happy about faith too if I was playing in the Super Bowl." But God is with us whether we are pro athletes or not. Whether our experiences and daily lives are going well or it seems like we are at the end of our ropes.

What do you think?

Guns & Pants

The headline in the Yahoo! article reads: "Guns, pants seized at Burress' home". Is that really a phrase you want to see in a headline about yourself? This, of course, refers to the recent travails of NY Giants WR Plaxico Burress. Still, though. Would you want a headline about yourself to have that phrase? Just trying to find a bit of humor in sad situation.

Here's the link: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=ApkYqQX4GPHtou7GgLRRpXM5nYcB?slug=ap-burress-searchwarrant&prov=ap&type=lgns

Inauguration Invocation

So, I see that president-elect Obama has selected Rick Warren to be one of the speakers at his inauguration. This has upset many Americans in the gay and lesbian community. Obama defended is choice, saying he is simply respecting the diversity of American viewpoints.

My question is, why are people surprised at this? After all, Obama is a Christian. He's made that perfectly clear. People are upset that Obama has invited a member of a Christian church who has a fundamental disagreement with a certain segment of the population.

Again we have to ask why people are surprised? Here again, Mr. Obama is not being dishonest or traitorous. He said in his acceptance speech and other places that it's OK to have an America where people disagree.

Were people so unrealistic that they thought the end of George W. Bush's tenure would bring about an end to religion in the public square?

Where was this public furor and outrage when Bill Clinton tapped Billy Graham for the same service?

See the story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081218/ap_on_go_pr_wh/inauguration_minister

Luther Night Pics

Sunday, 10-26-08, was Reformation Day (observed) in most, if not all Lutheran churches across the country. My church, Trinity Lutheran (LCMS) partnered with our neighbor, Zion Lutheran (ELCA) to show the film "Luther". It was the one that came out a couple years ago. We opened it up to the community and charged no admission. We had a great turnout. Hopefully it will be the first in an ongoing film series. We also had a freewill offering, the proceeds of which goes to Lutheran World Relief.

Anyway, some big "Thank Yous" are due:

My friend, colleague, and co-planner: Rev. Katie Yahns
Everyone who came
Everyone who donated stuff
Other churches who advertised for us, especially Christ Chapel Wesleyan
God

The pictures all take place prior to the showing of the film. Enjoy!

More Lutherans in the News

This was from the Buffalo News dated July 30, 2008. It's a piece about Camp Pioneer's involvement in the Operation Purple Camp. It's for kids whose parents are deployed in the military.

Camp Pioneer is such a wonderful place! I've been doing some volunteer chaplaincy work with the staff this summer. It has really been quite rewarding for me. Maybe I'll get some pix and post them in a future post.

2 members of my congregation are quoted. That's exciting!

Check out the story: http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/403001.html

Barack and The New Yorker

On this post, you'll see a picture of the most recent cover of The New Yorker Magazine. There's been a controversey of late regarding whether it is simply satirical or offensive. Admittedly, as a supporter of Sen. Barack Obama, I was a bit taken aback. But, as a fan of both political cartoons and free speech, I don't have that big of a problem with it.

On this post, you'll also see a clip from The Daily Show which, I believe, sets the record straight, and says it a lot better than I could.