Football History, Church Future

I love fall. Crisp, blustery winds, pumpkin-flavored everything, and college football! I love the spirited energy that team colors, marching bands, and bigheaded mascot costumes can create. I love the feats of athleticism that seems almost super human. I love the rivalries, the traditions, and the underdog upsets. Legendary high school coach, Harold Jones, said it best, “I love Friday night when you’re looking for a win, and Saturday when you found one!”

And to think that back in 1897, just when organized collegiate football was still in its infancy. It almost came to a screeching halt.

On October 30^th, the University of Georgia played the University of Virginia. Early in the second half, Richard Gammon, an 18-year-old fullback was injured during a tackle. Gammon died the following day on October 31, due to a severe head injury. Both teams were devastated. The state of Georgia was in upheaval. Immediately, a billed passed the Georgia Senate banning the sport of football in the entire state. The only thing needed to convert the bill into law was the signature of the Governor. That’s when something truly unimaginable happened. Gammon’s mother, grief-stricken, decided to write a letter to her representative. In her letter Rosalind Gammon requested that her son’s death “not be used for an argument detrimental to the athletic cause and its advancement at the University.”

As a parent, it’s unfathomable to me that just three weeks after losing her son, Rosalind Gammon wrote, “Grant me the right to request that my boy's death should not be used to defeat the most cherished object of his life.”

Can you imagine the love and respect for her son it must have taken to write those words?

“Please do not let his name be used to destroy what he loved.”

I don’t know a lot about football, and I know even less about the Bible, but I know that God loves me, because he willingly & willfully gave His son to save me. I know the nearest and dearest things to God’s heart are not His laws, they are His people. Laws are to teach, guide and protect. It is the “how”.  Love is the “why”. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

I have considered myself a “Christian” for several years now. But how many times have used my Christianity to validate cause to judge someone, to withhold acceptance, to guard a standard that Christ himself never set.

In the moments where my Christian views might even be legitimate, my criticism might be warranted; I wonder how many times Christ has said, “Please do not let my name be used to destroy what I love.”

I am proud to be a part of a church that reaches out to the un-churched. This doesn’t make church easy. More times than not, “Biblical truth” and “Christ-like grace” appear to be opposing viewpoints. Yet Christ embodied them both.

You might have guessed this already, but upon reading the letter from Gammon’s mother, the Governor of the State of Georgia vetoed the bill banning football.

And out of love and respect for Christ’s sacrifice, as Christians, we are obligated to do the same. We can’t hold onto policies and forget to give grace. We can’t represent Christ and repel the un-churched.

We cannot let His name be used to destroy who He loves.

Much Ado About Nothing

"Nothing"... is a complicated concept to grasp. Especially if you've only been on the earth for three years or so. At this point you're still trying to figure everything out. You want to see things, touch things, taste things. "Nothing" doesn't usually get high priority on the list of things you need to remember. 

Then you learn that "nothing" actually means something! Like when you're mixing paint with your fingers. Nothing can take the red or the yellow away once it's been made into orange. And nothing can separate the fruity, sugar powder from the water, once it's been made into Kool-Aid. 

Nothing is a pretty important thing to remember. That's why we were so excited when a friend sent us this video along with a note that said, "LB blew us away when she started quoting scripture out of the blue. Couldn't help but share."

As this sweet little girl grows up and the world gets bigger than it is now, it is precious and priceless that by heart she already knows the grace in "nothing"...

http://youtu.be/eV3FZ0sLSSk

The Possibility of Maybe

Maybe it was guilt. Maybe obligation. Maybe a temporary lapse in sanity. Whatever the reason, he finally caved in and agreed to start serving in Waumba Land. Most members of his family had already been serving there over the last couple years. He was the lone hold out. And with just cause. He’d already paid his dues. Done his time. All those years, when his own kids (now teenagers) were little, he was there. He had wiped snotty noses and sang the sugary-sweet, wee-worship songs. But there he stood before me, tall and imposing in presence, and said, “I’m here to help.”

He went into the pre-k room to lead with his wife. He quickly learned which kids had allergies, which ones liked Star Wars, which ones liked to be picked up when they were upset, and which ones needed their space.  He liked greeting the kids at the door when their parents dropped them off. He liked hearing his wife’s laugh when the kids asked him where his hair went. He liked listening to his own teenagers share their Sunday stories about the kids in their classes. Sunday had become the most exhausting, crazy, hilarious, day in the week. And he loved it.

Until last Sunday.

The kids that have been wearing him out all year are now getting ready to promote out of Waumba Land and into Upstreet. We brought the K-1 Upstreet leaders into Waumba Land to spend some time with their new small group. A lot of changes take place in the fall for kindergarteners: new school, new teachers, new church environment. We wanted them to become familiar with the faces of their new leaders. One less adjustment to make. Or so we thought.

I caught a glimpse of the once-reluctant leader as he walked through the hallway away from ‘his kids’. I could see them standing at the door and hear their cries for him. I could see the redness in his eyes. I gave him a sympathetic smile. He paused before opening the gate to his new class, looked at me and said, “I didn’t expect to feel this. I didn’t expect to get this attached. I guess I’m a softy, at heart.”

Maybe it was a moment of weakness. Maybe it was a temporary lapse in emotion. Whatever his reasons were a year ago, he walked in hoping to help serve. He walked away knowing he had loved.

If You Give a Mouse a Sticker

This is Mouse. Mouse is ready to go to Large Group to hear a Bible story and to sing some fun songs about Jesus. 

Guess who Mouse's teacher is. A two-year-old.

As you know, in Waumba Land we use these stickers to help kids remember what class they're in and to organize the tranistion from large group back to the small group classrooms. 

But for this future small group leader, one large group experience a week just isn't enough. And if you want to do something fun with your best mouse friend during the week. What's more fun than church?! And chances are, if you give a mouse a sticker... he's going to want to go to Waumba Land with it :)

Always Never the Same

I took my daughter to the doctor last week. Just a check up. But my mind was on the million other things I needed to do after the doctor, so even as I checked in, I was ready to leave. The receptionist asked me the usual questions, "has my phone number changed? same insurance?"

"No... same..."

"I see we don't have your place of employment listed", she commented.

"Oh, Wiregrass Church.”

"WIREGRASS CHURCH!" she exclaimed, "My husband and I just went there on Sunday and let me tell you, we. were. BLOWN. AWAY. I mean it, blown away! At first we thought the video preacher was gonna be weird, but he's like, LIFE SIZE up there!" 

By now the other receptionists are listening in as she very enthusiastically went on. "I have an 18 month old, and we were nervous, so we didn't put him in the nursery...”

My mind was frantically searching for the right things to say at my first opportunity. Should I talk about our incredible small groups? The engaging large group production? Share our mission and vision? Ask her to volunteer? But before I could settle on a subject, she joyfully continued.

“... But we went by the Waumba Land area after the service and WOW! That place is awesome! There was a guy in a green shirt right by the doors. He showed us around and told us how y'all use curriculum even for 2-year-olds. And we looked in the classes and it was just A-MAZ-ING! That place is incredible! And that guy, who is he? He was so nice to give us a tour! We are SO going back! So, what are ya’ll doing for EASTER?!”

Being the well-trained professional I am, I wanted to seize this powerful moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for this stranger’s admiration of our laborious effort to provide an entertaining, engaging, safe place for her family to worship and connect with God.

But what did I come up with?

“Same thing we do every Sunday!”

Here are some pictures of just another amazing Sunday:

Have a bad day!

One of the things that makes me smile is when a child is standing outside his classroom, crying at the top of his lungs, and resisting his parent's best efforts to leave him with a new leader. Some people might walk by this situation and think, 'Waumba Land is having a bad day!'


For example, a leader was out because her son was sick. Unfortunately, one little boy in her two's class missed the memo about the unexpected substitution in his class. Two-year-olds just aren't as sensitive to other people's problems as they should be. They tend to express their dissatisfaction, loudly if necessary. That was the scene on Sunday. 

I happily listened to the sound of a sweet two-year-old cry and holler about how he 'wanted his teacher'. He even called for her by name SEVERAL times. It was precious! Because in all the commotion, what I heard was a child who valued and trusted his small group leader. And a leader who had connected and made an impact on the child entrusted to her. 

In my book, that's not a bad day. Not bad at all.

Reading and Writing

 I have a story to tell you.

Once upon a time there was a little boy who came to a strange, but interesting land called Waumba. (Pretty original stuff, I know. Just stay with me.) The little boy met other people the same size he was. They seemed nice, but he wasn't sure how to act around them. He met very kind big people, but he wasn't sure if he could trust them. In this new land, they spoke of Love and Gentleness. He did not know these words, he had never seen what they were. He knew Anger and Frustration. These he had seen. They were familiar and he knew them well.

This new land was not at all like the land he came from. It made him feel confused. The new land seemed happier, but the other land was where he lived.

Now I wish I could tell you that this story goes on to a "happily ever after' ending. But the truth is, I don't know how this story ends. Because it's still being written. What I can tell you is that this story is true. And, that you are part of it.  Sometimes the story you're in, makes you want to close the book. The story is too complicated. There are too many plots and the characters are less than appealing. No one would blame you for shelving this story. 

But the Author in this story is very good. And you know that He would want you to continue to turn the pages in this book.  

Whether you know it or not, every week you are making a significant impact in, not just the life of a child, but in the life of a family. With every smile, every hug, every song... you are influencing the outcome of someone's story. Thank you for making that first impression of who God is in the lives of children.
And thank you for having the courage to keep reading.