Tailgating with the Spirit - Part 1

Well, here we are in what many people consider to be the best season of the year: American football season.  This season brings with it much excitement as the heat of summer moves into the more pleasant air of fall.  Several years ago, I started noticing certain nuances about the football environment that should translate well into our respective church environments.  I'd like to look at these nuances in a series of posts that will take us deeper into football season but hopefully even deeper still into the heart of the Spirit of God. These nuances will also attempt to build a bridge between this secular season of excitement into the sacred perpetual season of joy.  In this week's post, I will look at the nuance of the stadium gathering.

Each week across the country, thousands upon thousands of people come together to rally around their teams  (Who Dat! and Geaux Tigers!).  This is remarkable when we stop to think about it.  Large stadiums across the country hold anywhere from 75,000 to over 100,000 people at a time.  There are cities where these stadiums reside whose populations explode when these stadiums reach full capacity on game days.  This increase in size brings amazing energy, enthusiasm, and excitement (not to mention traffic) to these towns each week.  However, what amazes me the most about these large gatherings is the overall ability of people from different socioeconomic backgrounds, political backgrounds, and faith backgrounds to put aside their differences (whether directly or indirectly) to focus on one common factor: cheering on their teams hopefully to victory.  This ability of people to lay aside their differences for a common purpose gives me great hope for the human race. I do, however, recognize that each fan base has its fair share of instigators who divert from the positive goal of the group.  These instigators simply remind me that we live in an imperfect world that continues to need our help and compassion.  Yet, if we can rally around our football teams in this way, how much better might it be if we gathered around our churches in similar ways?

Now, how does this secular gathering build a bridge to the sacred gathering we call church?  Well, we can start by drawing the similarities between a stadium and a church.  Both are built to accommodate a large group of people.  Both a stadium and a church contain seating that surrounds a central focus (i.e. the field and the altar).  [Note: Since the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, many churches were built in a more circular fashion as opposed to the previous more rectangular design.]  Both, when filled, contain people who contribute to the activity at hand in uniform ways such as participating in cheers or prayers; band songs or choir refrains; and standing, sitting, or kneeling.  This being said, though, maybe we should next ask the following question: if the common factor at a football game is to rally people together in support of their team, then, what is the common factor that should draw people to church?  As a Catholic Christian, I might suggest that our common factor is to rally around the Eucharistic table of God where we celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation (God becoming human) and humbly give thanks with one another for God's blessings and forgiveness in our lives.  I like to think that this common factor should only increase our ability to put aside our differences so that we might love God with all our being and love our neighbor as we love ourselves.  So, as we prepare to celebrate next week with our fellow fans, let's remember that the celebration in church should be even more rewarding than our football games.  Why?  Because with God, we never lose.

Next week, I'll attempt to look at the participation in tailgating vs. the participation in ministries.

May we be ever-faithful, ever-mindful, and ever-joyful.

Stompin' toward the Spirit!

"We are doctors, lawyers, professionals, laborers, students, teachers, and parents. We are different but we’re the same, and we’re brought together..." (from the "About Us" page on 610stompers.com)  When I read this quote for the first time, I thought it sounded very Catholic.  The word "catholic" means universal, so we know that our Christian faith includes everyone.  No exceptions.  As I have come to learn, a wonderful motto of the Catholic Church is "Unity in Diversity."  Think about it.

Ok, so over the weekend I had the opportunity to get home to New Orleans for Labor Day weekend.  I had a great time visiting with family and friends in the days following Hurricane Isaac.  Though many of the New Orleans homes and businesses were still without power, the priest at St. Dominic's said it well when he reminded us at the end of mass on Saturday evening saying, "We may not have electricity, but we still have the power of the Holy Spirit!"  This was certainly true.  In reflecting on this power of the Holy Spirit, I tried to recognize where else I felt this power over the weekend.  Then it hit me: the 610 Stomper tryouts!

For those of you who are not familiar with the 610 Stompers, please see the below video and website to get a better idea.  My words will not do justice to the remarkable energy that this group conveys in its mission, its performances, and its community service.

610 Stompers Video
610 Stompers Website

While at the 610 Stomper tryouts (my brother is auditioning), I watched 20-30 grown men take their shot at a making the group by performing a dance in front of three judges and a large crowd of spectators.  These men ranged in age from 20-65 or even older.  Each of these men risked public humiliation just to show that they have the energy and enthusiasm to be a part of such a unique organization.  One man who was probably around sixty years old said in his post-performance interview that he hadn't felt that alive and energized since he was twenty-five.  Upon hearing that, I realized that this seemed to be a theme in many of the interviews.  Men were reinvigorated to let themselves be free to dance as if they were children again.-- After all, Jesus did say that we must be like children in order to enter the kingdom of God! --These men, who come from so many different backgrounds, cultures, and professions, just wanted a chance to be unified with other men in a group that tries to make a difference in their community through dance, laughter, and general elation.  Is this not the whole point of being Christian?!  If we truly sense the Spirit in our lives, we, too, would feel just as energized to make a difference in both our church and civil communities like these men aim to do as 610 Stompers.  As I hope you have begun to realize from this and my other posts, the Spirit is equally if not more present outside of our church doors as it is inside!

Below is a video that shows a little bit of what the auditions look like each year.  Enjoy.
610 Stomper Auditions

Let the Spirit it move us to action!

May we be ever-faithful, ever-mindful, and ever-joyful.

The Spirit's Comfort Zone

"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of everlasting life." - John 6:68

The apostle, Peter, spoke the above words when Jesus confronted him amid the vacating of many people who had just heard Jesus' call to eat his body and drink his blood as a spiritual necessity for everlasting life.  This was and is a tough call for us to answer because it challenges us outside of our spiritual comfort zones.  As a friend reminded me recently, the act of eating is actually a very intimate and personal action, so when Jesus calls us to receive him in the Eucharist, he is calling us to an intimacy that transcends physical nourishment and enters into our spiritual nourishment.

In light of Jesus' Eucharistic call for us to get out of our comfort zones, I thought about times recently where I have witnessed people stepping out of their comfort zones in ways that have helped them become better in some aspect of their lives.  This weekend, I saw glimpses of this as the cross country season began here in Georgia.  The athletes with whom I work at Clarke Central High School have never really tasted "success" in terms of team championships in recent years, but they have certainly felt some individual success.  This year, however, our coaching staff has tried to challenge the athletes to get out of their comfort zones in ways that they have not done so over the last few years.  The athletes have responded so far to this challenge in the last few weeks as they continue to work hard each day at practice with a more cohesive mindset. This translated well into our first race of the year as our team had the best season-opening cross country meet that I have witnessed in the last few years.  Our kids seem to have a bit more pride in themselves and their team.  The spirit of their positive efforts is contagious.  I believe that this spirit is the same Spirit that should energize us to move out of our comfort zones in all areas of our lives.

A second story emulating a reach out of a comfort zone is one that I saw on ESPN this morning.  This story follows an 11-year-old boy with cerebral palsy as he tries to push himself each day to do new things.  Please take a few minutes to watch the video below.  Note the intimacy and communion that Matthew has around him.  Are we that blessed?

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8296170

So, next time we doubt our ability to pursue life outside of our natural comfort zones, remember to ask yourself, "Lord, to shom shall I go?"  Hopefully, our answer will affirm what we truly believe in the depths of our spirits.

May we be ever-faithful, ever-mindful, and ever-joyful.

Eucharistic Reunion

"Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him."  - John 6: 56.

Last week, I spent some time talking about the idea of our presence in God's life and God's presence in our lives.  This week, I'd like to continue reflecting on the "Bread of Life" chapter in John's Gospel we have been getting at mass over the last few Sundays.  The above verse provides us with great insight into the role God calls us to play in the world. I'd like to "flesh" out that role by drawing a comparison between what we Catholics call the Eucharist and a family reunion that I attended this past weekend.

For those who may not know this, the word Eucharist means "thanksgiving."  If we use the English translation to enhance our meaning of mass, then each time we gather, we do so not just to fulfil a doctrinal obligation, but more importantly, we do so to publicly thank God for the blessings in our lives.  This is why we should sing and respond frequently and energetically throughout the Liturgy (which means "work of the people").  So, between the words Liturgy and Eucharist, we can see just how important our role as community members is to carrying out the message of Christ to one another.  This being said, when we gather each Sunday we are not simply gathering as individuals occupying the same space next to strangers at the same time in the same pew every week.  Rather, we are gathering as diverse yet unified parts of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12: 12-31).  On top of this, though, we have the privilege of receiving the True Presence of Christ through the bread and wine at communion.  If our eating of Christ's body as "true food" and his blood as "true drink" (John 6: 55) does not transform us into more Christlike versions of ourselves, then sadly, I'd say we may be receiving communion in vain.  Similarly though, if we are not aiming to become better functioning parts of the Body of Christ, then receiving Christ in the form of Holy Communion is much less likely to transform us.  As I've learned from Fr. Tom here at the UGA Catholic Center over the last few years, our lives are a "both/and" not an "either/or."  We must both be Christ and receive Christ.

Now, how does this correlate to the Lambert family reunion from this past weekend?  Well, this reunion brought together nearly 50 people who all shared ties to my grandfather and grandmother on my mom's side.  When I was younger, we used to gather several times each year to celebrate the holidays and other special occasions.  Then, as children got older and started families of their own, the net of our family grew larger and larger making it hard to bring everyone together as often.  The widening of this family net, though, is a beautiful thing because this is exactly how living the Christian life is supposed to work.  -- This is probably why some of Jesus' first disciples were fishermen.  They knew how to effectively use their nets for their designed purpose. -- We all share family ties to Christ, and as we grow older, we become capable of casting our own nets farther out. As a result, we wind up connecting more people to the net of God's kingdom.  Mind you, no net is perfect, though.  We all have breaks in our nets that once joined us to others but now those nets may be in need of much repair.  We all have kept our nets to ourselves at times when we should have been casting them out.  We all have "thrown back" people who we did not care to keep in our net for whatever reasons.  The list could continue on for each of us.  Because of these reasons, though, we must continually reunite ourselves with each other through the mass, through prayer, and through communion both with each other and with Christ.  When this is done well, they work beautifully together as one in the same Body. 

To all my family with whom I gathered this weekend: I love you, and I'm proud to be part of your family net in Christ!

May we be ever-faithful, ever-mindful, and ever-joyful.

A Thought on Presence

Well, folks, the Olympics are over.  That's okay, though.  For just as inspiring as the Olympics were over the last couple of weeks,  we know that the Spirit continues to provide us with inspiration and presence in all of our goings-on.  This week, I've tried to give a little insight into a thought I've had recently on the word "presence."  This presence refers to God's presence, our presence, and just generally being present in life.

Each night before I go to sleep, I ask God about presence.  -- By the way, thank you, Mom and Dad, for teaching me to pray before going to bed! -- My usual prayer asks God that I might always feel God's presence in my life.  I enjoy this prayer as it helps me remember that I am a small piece of a much greater work.  However, the other night I mistakenly switched the prayer around asking God to always feel my presence in God's life.  I quickly realized the error of my words and resorted back to my usual prayer because I did not want to entertain words that might put myself on the same level with the presence of God.  But, upon reflecting on the mistaken word order of my prayer, I realized that asking God to feel my presence could be just as powerful a prayer as my wanting to always feel God's presence.  But how?

How could my presence in God's life be equally as important as God's presence in my life?  Well, I believe in a living God.  This living God is not just a supreme being that dishes out miracles and blessings whenever we ask.  A living God is a mutual participant in our joys, sorrows, successes, and failures.  A living God is a savior, a companion, a friend, a confidant, a teacher, a healer, a teammate, etc.  As a result, I think it is okay to want God to feel my presence because if God does feel my presence, then maybe it is a sign that I'm striving to be an equal living part of our relationship.  This is not unlike the bonds we have with family and friends where we want to be present in their lives just as much as we want them to be present in ours.

In the Catholic tradition, we believe that the communion which we receive each time we go to mass is the True Presence of Christ.  Does receiving the True Presence of Christ in our bodies and spirits empower us to be "truly present" to those we encounter on our life journey?  If not, what can we do to become a more recognizable presence of that which we receive through the Body of Christ?

In short, claiming that God is our everything only works if we are also trying to be everything possible for God.

May we be ever-faithful, ever-mindful, and ever-joyful.

Bread of Life in the Olympics

"For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world" (John 6: 33). 

We heard this gospel passage in mass yesterday.  In listening to the homily and conversing with people about this gospel, I gathered two main points I think are worth sharing.  The first point is actually a question: Where do we find the "bread of God" in our midst on a daily basis?  The second point is a response to that question.  We find the bread of God in the pains, joys, depressions, and motivations of our fellow human beings.  These points affirm for me our need for God's bread from heaven for nourishment regardless of our current state of being.

As I mentioned last week, the Olympic Games reflect the gospel, but more specifically, the athletes, through their examples of fortitude, courage, and sportsmanship, have the ability to be the bread of God in our midst and give life to the world.  Anyone who wins a medal in the Olympic Games has withstood the physical and mental tests that come with training hard to be one of the greatest in the world.  However, many more athletes do not win medals, and their stories of passion and motivation are just as capable of "giving life to the world" as those of the medalists.

One such story comes from a group of women.  This year three countries participating in the Olympics (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Brunei) allowed a combined total of four women to represent their countries for the first time in the history of the Olympics.  Not only are these women bravely venturing outside the gender restrictions on women in their countries, but they are also representing primarily Muslim countries that often face unjust scrutiny based on others' religious ignorance.  These women, regardless of the outcomes of their athletic performances, are giving life to the world through their actions and presence in the Olympic Games.

Another story you may have followed up to this point in the Olympics is the story of Oscar Pistorious who is a double-amputee 400 meter runner from South Africa.  Pistorious has faced much praise and criticism for his efforts to compete on the same level as his "able-bodied" competitors.   Pistorious, who credits his mother as his major influence on his life, was not a "one and done" competitor this week.  He defied the odds and advanced to the semi-finals in the 400m, but the turn around between races seemed a bit too much for him as he did not qualify for the final.  His efforts, though, to succeed not only for himself but for all those who doubt their capabilities, truly exemplifies the bread of God that gives life to the world.  According to Wikipedia, Pistorious' "sporting motto is: "' You're not disabled by the disabilities you have, you are able by the abilities you have."  I hope we can all appreciate our own abilities to leave our mark on others in this world.

Below are a few resources for extra reading/listening.  I heard the song "Hall of Fame" this morning on the Today show, and I think it is a fitting source of encouragement for us to strive to be great so that we are truly giving the kind of life to the world that only comes from God.

New York Times articles:
Countries sending women to the Olympics for the first time

Oscar Pistorious

Youtube song and lyrics:
The Script - "Hall of Fame"

"Hall of Fame" Lyrics

May we be ever-faithful, ever-mindful, and ever-joyful.

The Gospel of the Games

In light of the summer Olympic games , I'd like to draw some comparisons between this past Sunday's Gospel, John 6: 1-15 (the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish), and the spirit of determination found throughout the Olympic games.  In the Gospel story, Jesus asks his disciples to help him gather food for the crowd so they will not go hungry.  The disciples are doubtful that this could happen, but one boy gives the five loaves and two fish that he has to help.  As a result of his giving, the people are fed, and there are enough leftovers to fill twelve baskets.

Keeping in mind the primary characters of that story (Jesus, his disciples, and the boy),  see how the Gospel comes to life through the "characters" found in the Olympic games.  Jesus represents the coaches who work hard to teach their athletes and mold them into great competitors.  The disciples, then, represent the people who have trouble believing in the coaches' ability to help those athletes succeed as well as those who may even question the athletes' reasons for training in the first place. Lastly, the boy represents the athletes who give their talents and efforts or "loaves and fishes" so that their coach can help them and their team mates blossom.  When athletes trust and believe in their coaches, they tend to get more out of their sport than they ever could have imagined in the first place.  This is where their "twelve baskets of leftovers" come in to play.  In light of this, I would say that these athletes then have an obligation to share their "leftovers" with others so that the Spirit of the Olympic Games, which is one of humility, honor, pride, and unity, continue onward.

The similarities between the Gospel and the Games can be quite inspiring if we allow our spiritual imaginations to embrace the beauty of this Gospel story that we continue to watch unfold throughout the remainder of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.  Remember, the Spirit moves where it will and can be found anywhere in which we take the time to look.

May we be ever-faithful, ever-mindful, and ever-joyful.