Mega

Last week, I didn't something that no red-blooded American male should ever do -- watch something on the Oprah Network. It turned out to be a good thing. It was an hour-long interview and inside look at Joel Osteen, Lead Pastor at what is believed to be the largest church in America, Lakewood Church, in Houston. Now, I go to conferences all the time to hear some big-time preachers speak. I find that the guys leading big churches generally know what they're talking about. I've had some of my greatest spiritual epiphanies listening to some megachurch pastors. However, I've never been a big Osteen fan. I have to say, the inside look changed my mindset.

He came across as very genuine. Not only that. He came across as very spirit-filled. I'm sure we'd disagree on a few theological matters, but not the core stuff. The bottom line is that this guy is touching thousands of people with the Gospel. God is using him and blesses him. His church doesn't pay him a dime. He makes all his income off book sales (similar to Rick Warren). And God is drawing many, many people to his church. He's being blessed and is a blessing. What's the problem?

I've never understood the hang-ups Christians have with megachurch pastors. It's almost as if you're doing something wrong if your church is big. Osteen made the comment that went something like, "What were we supposed to do, not get big or turn people away?" Thinking that a church getting big is crazy, and probably rooted mostly in jealousy. The Church has so much to learn from many of these churches. Could it be that God is drawing people to places like that for a reason? Of course, the size of a church doesn't always equate as a measure of it's faithfulness. But we need to cheer these guys on. We're all on the same team.

There

This past week, we had two young people die in a tragic car crash. One of them was a high school senior at Grayson High School. Both worked at the Kroger where I normally shop. I can't imagine what those parents are going through this week. The world has stopped for them. I know it is a dark, dark place, and it is a tragedy for our community.

I thought this week about how many times I crossed their path in Kroger. How many times they checked me out. How many times they bagged my groceries. Life is fleeting. It can be taken from us in an instant.

I so want to believe that life with God will shelter us from such tragedies. I so want to believe that we'll live free from heartache if we trust God. But it's simply not true. That's not the promise of Scripture. Even when we are right in the middle of God's will, tragedy sometimes happens. The great promise of the Bible is that God is THERE. Psalm 139:8 says, "If I make my bed in the depths, you are there." That's it. God is there. Present. Real. With you. With me. Never leaving. Never turning back. Never absent. No matter how bad it gets. No matter what the heartache...know that God is there.

Am I supposed to root for Tebow because I'm a Christian?

I've been off the blogosphere for a couple of weeks, but I've had this one brewing for a while. Yesterday's events (Denver's OT victory over the Steelers) made me pull the trigger. Let me get some full disclosure out of the way. I'm an evangelical Christian, much like Tim Tebow. We come from very different denominational backgrounds, but we're on the same team. I've said for some time that the worst thing that could happen to American Christianity right now is for Tebow to screw up morally. I also bleed UGA red and black. I saw Tebow play live 4 times in college, all against my Dawgs, in Jacksonville. Therefore, though Tim and I are on the same faith team, I would find it difficult to cheer for a Gator because, you know, he's a Gator. I have many Gator, Jacket, Tiger and Vol friends, church members and, even, family. I love them...doesn't mean I'm cheering for their team. And, in the end, it is all just a game. Friendships, family, and our mission as a church are much more important than what team any of us pull for. Sports are a welcome distraction from the stresses of real life.

However, I'm kind of taken aback by this 'pressure' within Christianity right now to pull for Tebow or you're a bad Christian. The theology and thinking behind it all is terrible, misunderstands the work of God in the world, and really misunderstands sports. Tebow is a neat guy. I'll bet if I met him, I'd love him. I believe he is authentic in his faith. I believe he's real. But he is not the only devout Christian playing in the NFL. He's not even the only devout Christian that's starting at QB in the playoffs. Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers (perhaps you've heard of them and this discussion about this MVP thing) are also deeply devoted followers of Jesus. Brees accepted Christ at a young age and said he felt God called him to New Orleans. Not only did he win a Super Bowl there, he nearly single-handedly rebuilt the city by gathering business leaders and donating millions to the community and schools during post-Katrina. That is what it means to love on a city. Rodgers was also saved as a teen. He still talks with his accountability partners and talks openly about how his faith got him through sitting as a back-up to Brett Favre. He also won a Super Bowl.

So, the question I'm asking is: Is God not pulling for Brees and Rodgers, too? And what about Troy Polamalu, the safety on the field for the Steelers during Tebow's 80 yard TD game winner. Polamalu is an outspoken Christian and fierce competitor. Isn't God cheering for Polamalu?

And how come my college team, UGA, can't get over the hump since we have the most outspoken and devout Christian coach in all of college football. I mean, isn't God on Mark Richt's side over Nick Saban's? You see how these conversations get ridiculous. There are great Christian men all over the NFL. Tebow is not the first and won't be the last. He is a lightning rod for the media, for whatever reason. However, part of the reason is because how he has chosen to carry himself, which is fine. It just is what it is. He's going to be a lightning rod because of his public displays of faith on the field, i.e., Tebowing. Maybe that's why Jesus said something about 'going into your room to pray' (Matt. 6:6). I'm fine with it. In high school, I knelt behind the goalpost for a prayer before running onto the field with my teammates. But there are other ways to do it. In a recent interview, Rodgers said this on 540 AM out of Milwaukee:

“Well I started playing before Tim, so these are things I’ve thought about
for a long time, and I think one thing that I try to look at when I was a
younger player, and I mean, in high school, junior college, and Division
I, I was always interested in seeing how guys talked in their interviews,
talked about their faith, or didn’t talk about their faith. And then the
reactions at time, I know Bob Costas at one point was critical about a player
thanking Jesus Christ after a win, questioning what would happen if that player
had lost, or do you really think God cares about winning and losing. That’s all
to say that I feel like my stance and my desire has always been to follow a
quote from St. Francis of Assisi, who said, ‘Preach the gospel at all times. If
necessary, use words.’ So basically, I’m not an over-the-top, or an
in-your-face kind of guy with my faith. I would rather people have
questions about why I act the way I act, whether they view it as positive or
not, and ask questions, and then given an opportunity at some point, then
you can talk about your faith a little bit. I firmly believe, just
personally, what works for me, and what I enjoy doing is letting my actions
speak about the kind of character that I want to have, and following that
quote from St. Francis.’’

Now, one can make a really good argument that perhaps Rodgers should use the tremendous platform he's been given to try to spread Christ's message more effectively and vocally. But this is a man who has prayed about it and and thought about it since he was in high school and has taken an approach that is in line with who he feels God has made him. He feels like he's following God's call on his life. And I'll bet Tebow does, too.

And all that's well and good, but God's not cheering for any team or player. God's on the side of every person in humanity. God's cheering for everyone because Christ died for all. This is what rubs me the wrongest about this issue. This is why the unchurched world does not understand Christians and thinks we're weird -- because we change our team allegiances and claim God is cheering for a player because he's a Christian. Do you know how crazy that sounds? I love Drew Brees. Great man. But I was cheering like crazy for the Lions to beat them on Saturday night. It didn't work out. I think I know why: Drew Brees is really, really good.

To say that we know what God's doing or what His plan is is ridiculous. Maybe God wants the Broncos to lose and Tebow to fail because every day he spends in an NFL roster is another day he's not in the mission field doing what he was called to do? I don't think that's true, but it could be. We have no idea. God's ways are not our ways. Had Mark Richt made it as an NFL QB, chances are he wouldn't be molding countless young men today as a coach. Maybe God has a plan like that for Tebow. Or maybe God wants him to continue as a QB and continue to use his talents as a platform for ministry. Either is fine. But you and I don't know. What I do know is that God isn't pulling for the Broncos. God is pulling for humanity. And God can use a Broncos victory or defeat to bring Him glory.

If you want to cheer for Tebow (or Brees or Rodgers, for that matter) because you like them, you want to see good guys win, you respect them...then go for it. But please, please don't tell the world that God is on his side or the Broncos (or Saints or Packers) side or tell other Christians that they should cheer for him, too. The Kingdom of God simply doesn't work that way, and, then, we've got some explaining to do when they lose. It's football. It's a game. It's fun. It gives guys a great platform to influence people for good, whether they win or lose. Let's let it be just that.