Madness, "the shot", and lessons learned

I quickly opened a can a worms via facebook by making a suggestion to fans of Kentucky basketball that they resolve some unhealed wounds, namely "the shot".  If you are unfamiliar with rich history of March Madness and NCAA Tournament, 20 years ago an underdog Kentucky squad battled heart and soul, blood and sweat to take the highly favored Duke University team to overtime.  And then with 3 seconds left Shawn Woods for Kentucky hit a huge bucket to give Kentucky a 1 point lead. This set the stage for "the shot".

Grant Hill in bounds and throws a long football style pass to Christian Laettner, who at the time was considered the best player in college basketball.  Laettner catches the ball at the free throw line, turns, fires and drains the winning shot.  In regard to my friends here in Lexington, I know reliving stings.  You can send your counseling bills to UPS for replaying it over and over during this years tournament.  It's termed March Madness for this very reason.

While I was not intentionally taking a stab at my UK basketball loving friends, I was insensitive to their feelings and for that I apologize.  For me it was Sean Higgins put back with 1 second left in 1989 that shattered my 12 year old heart as my University of Illinois, Flyin' Illini were bounced out of the Final Four by an Underdog Michigan squad coached by an interim Steve Fischer.

Yet there are life lessons here to be extracted.  For me, maybe sensitivity training is needed.  There is still, 20 years later, a hatred for that moment and that individual in the state of Kentucky.  It makes me wonder in bigger picture sense, are there more places in our life where for years we have harbored hurt, unforgiveness and bitterness?  Oftentimes, sports is the stage for drama that unfolds in life played out within the rules of a game. So this makes me ask even myself is there a real life "the shot" in my life?  Is there a someone, a something, an event that at the very mention makes me burn with fire and anger?

While sports are the venue that allow us to express that hate towards and opponent or rival without real consequences, in real life, it is less acceptable to publicly displayed such hatred, so in our hearts it remains.  I love a passage of scripture that says that God throws our iniquities into the sea of forgetfulness.  Our faith is the life long endeavor to become more like Christ, who no longer holds our hurts against us.  We are challenged to do the same, to release those that have harmed us.

The unique thing about holding on to unforgiveness is that the person it hurts the most is the person still holding on to the real life "the shot". So take a look deep down, examine your heart and ask yourself is there someone out there who hurt you and that you are still holding on to?  Is there a real life "the shot" that replays over and over in your life and still stings that you need to find some healing on?  All basketball references aside, there is God that longs to heal your hurts, give you peace and free you from the pain that you hold onto.  His name is Jesus, he loves you and died for you to find healing from your hurts.

The Measure of a Cup of Coffee

In the midst of our last LifeGate staff meeting,  this statement was made "for the first time we went through an entire pot of coffee on Sunday".  Now you have to understand, we have a commercial size, industrial coffee pot.  This baby makes a ridiculous amount of coffee.  So I have some theories on why we are drinking more coffee:

1) It was Daylight savings time and everyone needed a little more Java to get going.  This is a worship leader's secret weapon on this Sunday.

2) Our church has become more "mature" and "mature" people drink coffee, moving away from the Capri Sun pouches. respect the pouch

3) This theory is the one I tend to gravitate toward.  I once heard Len Sweet (church futurist) say that people are just more comfortable with something in their hand.  Here is my belief that LifeGate is becoming more interconnected.  Nothing says comfort to me like a warm cup of Joe in my hand.  My belief is that those that gather on Sundays at LifeGate are connecting to one another over the comfort of coffee.

Now we may never move how much coffee we drink into an official KPI (Key Performance Indicator) category.  But I don't think it tells more than we just need a second pot.  I think it tells of growth on two levels. One we are reaching more people, two those people are reaching each other.  I'll take mine with one cream, two sugars please.

Tuesday Tune (Wednesday edition) Ben Rector

I like to be the guy who is first in discovering and liking a musical act before they have hit it big time, but more times than not find myself more of later adoptor than early.  I must confess again, I first discovered the smooth vocals and driving piano melodies of Ben Rector via Pandora.

Ben Rector, a Nashville based artist, falls in line with the likes of Colbie Calliat, Matt Barnes and Matt Wertz.  Rector has had songs featured on TV shows such as One Tree Hill, Pretty Little Liars, and Modern Family.  Ben is currently tour buddies with my favorite band NEEDTOBREATHE who will make a stop through my current hometown, Lexington, KY in April.

Let me introduce to those of you late on the bus to Ben Rector: