Ben Watson on the Rioting in Ferguson

After playing  in a Monday Night Football game at the Superdome, New Orleans Saints' Tight End Ben Watson wrote an reflection about the rioting in Ferguson, Missouri after the Grand Jury handed down the decision on the Michael Brown shooting. 

While Ben Watson was angry at stories of injustice and fearful that stereotypes could unjustly frame law abiding citizens like himself as a threat, he was embarrassed by the looting and law breaking which characterized the demonstrations after the verdict was handed down.

What was remarkable was Watson's hopefulness in seeing how race relations were improving as well as his encouraging expressions of faith that the Gopsel gives mankind hope over sin.  

Admiring the Inner Strength of David Wilson

David Wilson is a 23 year old running back who was a first round draft choice by the New York Giants in 2012. Wilson's dream from the age of eight was to play in the NFL.  Wilson lived that dream for 21 games over two seasons, but had been plagued with a neck injury .

During the first week of the NFL preseason, as Wilson was attempting a comeback from neck surgery, he  ran into the back of one of his teammates during scrimmage. Afterwards, his spinal doctor diagnosed Wilson with diffuse cervical stenosis.  Since Wilson had a disc removed from his spine after his October 2013 injury, the running back was advised not to play football anymore, as doing so would put himself at risk for serious spinal injuries.

After his player received such bad news from the doctors, New York Giants Head Coach  Tom Coughlin was surprised that Wilson still had a smile on his face, but Wilson refused to be pulled down into a state of melancholy. Coughlin marveled that: "There’s a lot to be said about his inner strength right now." 

As David Wilson processed his situation, he remarked: 

“I’m thankful that I can literally walk away from the game and that I am healthy and capable of doing the same things I have done all my life, except play football. I always try to find the positive in everything. I prayed this morning before I went to see [the doctors] that they would tell me what God would tell me. He put His answer in them to relay to me.”

David Wilson's poise of facing such devastating vocational news with good cheer and hope is admirable. Wilson's faith puts his trust in God, which is a lesson worth remembering and emulating. 

h/t: New York Post

Puckish Providence Church Sign Challenges the New England Faithful

Today is Championship Sunday, when the NFC and the AFC determines which teams go on to the Superbowl XVIII at the Meadowlands in New Jersey on February 2nd, 2014.

Ordinarily, football fans have regional loyalties which almost rival religious affiliation.  The Boston Patriots changed their name to the New England Patriots when the AFC team moved to a new stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts (32 miles from the Hub) in 1971 to embrace all of New England.  The Patriots string of Superbowl championships in 2001, 2003 and 2004 under the helm of  Coach Bill Belichick and the leadership of Quarterback Tom Brady has solidified Patriots fans for many years. 

Thus it was surprising to see this photograph of the First Baptist Church in Providence, Rhode Island (20 miles from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough). 

While this church sign was almost certainly put up by a puckish football contrarian, it does elicit some further thought.  The dedication to Roger Williams, the religious leader who founded Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, is significant.  Roger Williams is also well known for the notion that soul liberty and freedom of conscience were gifts from God, and that everyone had the natural right to freedom of religion.   Williams left England and parted ways from the Puritans in  Plymouth Colony in 1634  to not submit to state religion. 

Howard Cosell likened American football fanaticism to being like a secular religion.  The First Baptist Church "sign master" mirrored Roger Williams rejection of state compelled belief in rooting for the Broncos. 

There is no word about the First Baptist Church of Providence's job status at this time.

Butte Blasphemy By Fanatical '49ers Pastor?

Rev. Tim Christensen, Pastor of Golden Hills ECLA Church during one minute Mass

Sunday was the the conclusion of the National Football League's divisional playoffs.  The early game pitted the Carolina Panthers hosting the San Francisco '49ers.   On the East Coast, it was a 1  pm kick-off.  Alas, further inland, the starting time conflicted with some church services.

The Right Reverend Tim Christensen, pastor of the Golden Hill Evangelical Lutheran Church in Butte, Montana, had a dilemma.  Christensen is an avowed '49ers fan and apparently nothing would get in the way of  this priest watching this playoff game, not even his ministerial obligation of an 11 am CST service (1 pm EST).

Someone on social media shared a jocular post about Christensen conducting a severely short service and quipped tongue in cheek that unless Catholics could get a "Microwave Mass" done in under three minutes, she would convert.  Prima facia, rushing through a rubric to watch a secular sporting event seems quite misguided. However watching the video made my jaw drop.

Christensen conducted his "service" in less than one minute, giving an abbreviated absolution of sins.  Perhaps it was cute to show his 49ers t-shirt under his vestments at the conclusion of the sham Divine Service.  But kissing his biceps in closing ala San Francisco Quarterback Colin Kaepernick is less than reverend.  More importantly, inviting the congregation to a Eucharistic buffet of bread and wine seems sacrilegious, showing no respect for the sacramental union which is the real presence of the body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in which even Evangelical Lutherans profess to believe.

My own Catholic faith history revels in both prolonged smells and bells masses and shorter services.  In college,  I often went to a Mass where it took me longer to walk to and from the liturgy than the Mass itself.  The "Tower Express" had students in-out-and back on the streets in 17 minutes with 50 people served.  That being said, the service included a brief but thoughtful homily and a full mass without singing (albeit without saying the Creed).   In my youth, I remember a priest having a simple homily for a vigil Mass by simply donning a Detroit  Tigers hat when the baseball team had an evening playoff game.  Once again, it was a quick but full liturgy.

Ordinarily I worship on Sunday evenings.  But on Superbowl Sunday, my normal Mass cuts into the first quarter of the big game. Even though it is the only Sunday evening when it is easy to find a last minute seat for Mass at the infamous Catholic church in Georgetown, I will worship at another time, lest I miss the camaraderie of watching expensive ads with a festive group of friends (interspersed with a football game). 

It is ironic that the iconic ABC-TV sports journalist Howard Cosell once observed that: "The importance that our society attaches to sport is incredible.  After all, is football a game or a religion?  The people of this country have allowed sports to get completely out of hand."

 It seems that rearranging one's schedule to fit in both church and a Superbowl party is one thing and a pastor holding a flimsy pro forma Mass to watch football is quite something else.

There is some suggestion that Rev. Christensen staged this stunt  to go viral as a joke or in an attempt to reach the unchurched through the internet.  If this is the case, then there is no clarifying afterword on the official church posted Youtube video, the Golden Hill ELCA Facebook page or the church's website.  Supposedly,  the Pastor texted "To The Win" that he did not let his congregation off that easily and gave a full homily.   But mocking the Mass without context is not "kosher" for clergy, especially up on an altar.  If it was a 'teachable moment", why was the apologetic also captured on video to put it in proper context?

As I am not a Lutheran, I can not say with surety if this was a valid Divine Service, but it certainly does not seem like the norm.  The Wittenberg Concord from 1536 requires consecration, distribution and reception.  Inviting the faithful to a Eucharistic buffet seems to lack an essential element which should be at the heart of the sacrament.  

Pro arguendo, if this NFL edition of a Lutheran Divine Service is valid, does this de-sacralized service focus on essential truths and graces to help us on our Earthly journey to our eventual divine home?  It seems to me that it is a Butte blasphemy by a fanatical '49ers pastor who pretended to preside over a "Gold Rush" Mass.

Does this keep with the Decalogue's dictat to "Make Holy the Sabbath" (albeit on "the Lord's Day")?  For practicing Christians, does Rev. Christensen's abbreviated service feed the soul or lead the flock off the reservation?

Post Scriptus  01/14/2014-- Per the Montana Standard, Rev. Christensen intended the one minute mass as a prank and then conducted a traditional Divine Service.  His 18 year old son videotaped the tongue in cheek whirlwind worship session as he knew that his Dad would reveal his 49ers t-shirt.

Christensen thought that he would share the video on his personal social media page along with the Church's Facebook fan page, where people would understand the inside joke.

Yet the video went viral.  So let this be a lesson to anyone on the internet--inside jokes posted on the internet NEVER stay private thus they remain on your Permanent Record.

What do you think of the "One Minute Mass" by Rev. Tim Christensen

It fulfills a Sunday Obligation.

It fails to keep holy the Sabbath.

It shows a pastor leading his flock astray.

It makes a mockery of the Mass.

It reflects the day's priorites.

Who am I to judge?

Poll Maker

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