Does Mitch Mustain Have a Chance Next Season?

As I post, nothing is official, but ESPN is both reporting (see video) and denying (see article) USC Quarterback Mark Sanchez is going to go pro. If he does, Mitch MuSTAIN, the pride of Springdale, actually has a chance of being the Trojans' starting QB next season.

Of course, to get the start he'll have to beat out Aaron Corp, the next USC stud QB on the depth chart. Good luck Mitch, here's hoping you didn't write a check your talent can't cash.

There's a New Sheriff in Town

Scott Pioli has been selected to replace Carl Peterson as Chiefs GM. Hooray! I can still remember about 20 years ago when King Carl took over the Chefs from Jack Steadman. Steadman was such a bad GM that there was a guy selling T-Shirts that said "Dump Steadman" on the front and "Fifteenth Annual Year of the Rebuilding" on the back. This is what the Chiefs had evolved into.

Pioli has a great track record at New England, and the Pats have a record any team would like to duplicate over the past ten years or so. What this also means is that Coach Herm Edwards and most/all of his assistants will be an unemployment statistic Bush can't be blamed for. Herm, all the best.

It still makes me wonder what will happen to Tony Gonzales. I hope he goes to a winner and the Chiefs make a trade that makes the Hershel Walker to Minnesota deal look good for the Vikes.

When Words Just Don't Fit

Whenever crafting a sermon, one of the best pieces of advice the teachers give is don't try to tell the congregation everything you learned about the passage. Yes, sir, yes ma'am. Always leave 'em wanting more.

Yesterday was Baptism of the Lord Sunday. The sermon was titled "New Beginnings". These paragraphs lasted for a couple of drafts of the sermon, but were edited from for length and because they do not belong to this sermon. I may write that sermon someday. This would have been inserted after the paragraph ending “with whom God is well pleased.”

Just a quick note about our reading, the way this piece of Mark’s gospel is written, Jesus alone sees the heavens torn apart. Mark is very specific about this. Nobody in the valley of the Jordan can see this.

But as for the voice, this sentence is less specific. It would not be too far of a stretch to think that Jesus alone heard this voice. There is no reason to automatically assume that we go from Jesus seeing the blessing alone to everyone hearing the blessing. Still, there is nothing in the writing that prevents us from taking this leap. Did everyone hear the voice that came from heaven?

Different evangelists see this event differently, as we see this presented by Matthew and Luke. Is one more right where the others are more wrong? Well, maybe, maybe not. This is the sort of thing biblical scholars, theologians, and everyday people have discussed since this was first put to scrolls, but that discussion is for another day.

The Yoke I Bear

Scripture tells us to take the yoke the Lord offers. This is my yoke, my stole.

A lovely lady named Mary from Genesis Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas offered to make it for me after I taught a Sunday School class on the role of proclamation in the reformed confessions. When she made the offer, I had to choke back a tear and give her a very big hug.

There was one thing though, she wanted me to design it. I thought about it, and before long, it I decided that I wanted the stole to be green. Green is the liturgical color for the majority of the year, and I wanted to share this gift as often as possible.

The other elements were trickier. Then it came like a lightning bolt. I asked her to put on the viewer's left a font, and on the right a chalice. I wanted to display the vessels of the sacraments year 'round.

Because I wanted his feedback, I asked the Rev. Dr. Stan Hall, Parish Associate at Genesis and Professor of Worship and Liturgics at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, what he thought about the design. It made Stan smile.

The first time it was put upon me, during my ordination and installation service, there was great joy. I still wear it with Joy.

Today is Baptism of the Lord Sunday. Celebrate the day Christ chose the baptism of water not for his sake but for ours. Thanks to Mary for making the offer and the stole. Thanks to Stan for teaching me what to show the people of God in worship and on the yoke I bear.

Thanks be to God for everything.

Busy Saturday Night

Yes it was, busy, busy, busy.

The Berryville Alliance of Churches sponsored a show called "New Beginnings." A sort of a "Faith Based Happy New Year" show at the community building. It was great!

We had about 200 people, free food and music, and received a couple of shopping carts of food for the Loaves and Fishes Food Bank of the Ozarks.

The music was great, the stories were fine, and the skit was on. Char French, the wife of the Rev. Skip French found the skit and Skip and I starred. We got some laughs too, it was pretty fun. Thanks to Miss Yvonne Sutter and Mr. Frank Robertson for my high school drama training. I remembered to cheat (turn so the house can see me, not just my acting partner) and to project.

Thanks must go to the Community of Christ church who urged the Alliance to take this on (and did the lion's share of the work) and the folks from Little Portion Hermitage who did the kitchen.

Thanks to the bands, Dash 33 and Whitehorse.

Thanks to Walt and Acra from Ozark Mountain Jamboree for their skills as MC.

Also a big thanks to the folks from the First Christian-Disciples and Berryville Church of the Nazarine for their hard work too. Above all, thanks be to God who makes all things possible.

Dick Clark & Joe Paterno

Marie and I were in Springfield yesterday for a doctor's appointment, and on the way home I saw a billboard for Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater in Branson, and it got me thinking about Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.

We watched some of it this year, especially around midnight eastern time for the ball drop. Just before it was time, Ryan Seacrest made several cuts to the studio to talk to Dick. Dick Clark has been sick, I am only trusting my memory here, but I think he missed a couple of the New Year's shows a few years ago because of the illness. By the way he was talking, it was pretty obvious he is still recovering from a stroke or some such thing.

It started me thinking about "forced retirement" and people who refuse to go away quietly into the good night. Joe Paterno is the coach of the Penn State football team and I think this year he turned 215. He has not only coached the football team, he and his wife have given a significant amount of money back to the university. At most football power houses, coaches aspire to have some football facility named in their honor. At Penn State, there's a library with Mr. and Mrs. Joe Pa's names on it.

Dick Clark invented new years eve. Joe Pa invented college football. Not really, but go with me here. Dick is recovering, and his speech may not get any better. Joe Pa now coaches from on high in the press box because of his ailments. Should they go? Perhaps, but what the hey, let them go on their own time. They have both given too much to be shown the door. In this day of disposable things and people, let's remember that there are institutions.

Welcome Back John Stewart!

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Ordinary Pupils

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

A hearty welcome back to John Stewart and The Daily Show as they return from their Holiday Break. I still find it refreshing that The Daily Show crew is willing to take on anyone with their tongue firmly in their cheek.

If you think they pick on just FoxNews, check out how they skewer MSNBC.