If you've even heard that I'm on this summer project, I'd really, really like you to read this post.
About a week and a half ago, our project directors brought up the fact that there'd be a baptism service. Immediately, I considered going for it. But, after being taught about baptism in Catholic school and seeing baptisms in my church, I never considered it before. So, what was different here?
Honestly, I don't know. Something that God has done in my life here on project must have driven me to desire baptism. It probably helps that I'm constantly in community with awesome, Christ-centered people, whereas I don't know too many people in my church. Think about it - in Acts 8, the Ethiopian eunuch runs into a Christ-centered evangelist in Philip, and their conversation somehow led the eunuch to want to be baptized at the next sight of water.
I didn't seriously commit to getting baptized until last Friday, when I asked my small group leader, Cameron, to baptize me. As it turns out, Cameron's been reading and studying a lot about baptism, and it's a topic he's really excited about. The one-on-one we'd go on to have about baptism really meant a lot to me, as I got a better idea as to what it actually is, what it means, and the implications of it for the future.
If you go back to the Greek that the word "baptism" was based off of, it translates to "immersion". Using that translation makes a very confusing passage in 1 Peter 3 make a little more sense (1), as in the time of Noah, the world was immersed in water. The world as Noah and his family knew it was washed away by the flood. Noah and his family were saved by this immersion, this baptism. It wasn't the action of immersion itself that saved them, but the fact that with a new world after the water receded, the world would be clear of the evil that was there before it.
(1) 1 Peter 3:18-22. Going over this passage in Nebraska last semester took forever because almost nobody understood it. It's worded in a pretty confusing way, and the fact that Noah and the flood randomly showed up in the New Testament took a lot of us by surprise.
Yet, the point of baptism is not to get baptized several times so we can be cleared of our sins prior to each baptism. The grace of Jesus Christ already paid for our sins. But, in baptism, there is a symbolic death - the death of the old conscience, which I think has a lot to do with the flesh. As we come out of the water, we live a new life, like Christ did when he rose from the dead (2).
(2) Romans 6:2-10.
This doesn't mean we won't sin again. I've definitely sinned since I got baptized. But, I can truthfully say that I have a clear conscience in God now. To me, this has nothing to do with my salvation, but this is a public declaration that I am giving my life to Jesus. I see this not as a ritual, but as a choice I made - not necessarily by myself, either. Remember, I feel that God led me to desire baptism, and in a way, it's as if God was asking me to give my life to him. To me, this means so much, as it's something I still can't completely wrap my head around. It's just so different when baptism means so much to you as God reveals its meaning through his Word. On top of that, it was a lot of fun.
The ceremony wasn't much of one at all. 22 of us got baptized that day, and after giving a short, 30-second testimony of why we wanted to get baptized, the people baptizing us prayed over us and we headed out into the ocean at Mission Beach. It was a cool, nice evening, meaning the water was pretty cold going in. Not minding it, Cameron baptized me in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as was a part Jesus's last command in Matthew 28 (3). All of the baptisms happened at pretty much the same time.
(3) Less serious note: I slipped and nearly went into the water before Cameron wanted me to. And, when he baptized me, he slipped as a wave came crashing in and nearly dropped me.
I was blessed to have most of the project community watch all of us get baptized. They cheered for everybody as we got out of the water, alive in Christ. I met these people less than five weeks ago, but I was hugging just about everybody who wanted a hug, which was a lot of people. I think I smiled more that day than I have in several days combined. In the same way, I don't think I've seen Cameron happier than he was during those moments.
One of the guys, Zach, probably said it best. We got baptized in San Diego with 100 of our best friends watching and cheering us on. This was a beach party with a different kind of life than you'd think of when you think about a beach party. This was a celebration of lives in Christ, and as brothers and sisters in Christ, we all celebrated together. As of now, this is easily the best experience I've had on project. I've had many great ones, too.
To have been driven to desire baptism more than ever before here on project, to have a small group leader who is very passionate about baptism, and to have so many friends, some of whom I don't know very well, be this excited and genuinely happy for us has to be something orchestrated by God. I couldn't have scripted my baptism any better myself. And, for a death to our sins and a new life in Christ to even be possible, God had to send his son, Jesus Christ, to earth to pay the price for my and all of our sins. The fact that God did that is even greater than the circumstances surrounding the SDSP 2013 baptisms.
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Saturday, April 6, 2013
NHL Trades and The Bible
I'm gonna try to see how good a spin doctor I am.
The National Hockey League's trade deadline was a couple days ago, and regrettably, I couldn't catch all the action live because of class, studying, and more studying. Now, out of all my friends, I can think of about... five that may be interested in reading a blog about that. Now, I like it when people read these, so I don't want to drive people away. So, here's the point...
I get to write for fun about hockey. Two of my favorite things together! Meanwhile, anyone who reads this gets to see me analyze the trades, how the current situations of the players, teams, or general managers affected or will be affected by the trades, as well as some takeaways and Bible passages that go along with those takeaways.
This idea came to me partially from some friends who see important biblical messages in movies. It also came to me probably because I'm tired as heck from the week and the semester, yet it's a tiredness that sleep doesn't fix... and weird things come to my mind when I'm that kind of tired. Seeing as I had no real reason, I thought it'd be funny if I went for this.
Okay, here we go...
Pittsburgh Penguins get: Brenden Morrow, F
Dallas Stars get: A minor league guy and a pick in the upcoming draft
Spin: Brenden Morrow has been a physical presence on the ice for all the years he's been playing. That's led to him becoming very popular in Dallas, but it's also led to his career taking an early downswing. The guy's 34 and he may retire soon because of the taxing his body's taken. And, oh, yeah, the Stars kinda stink. Moving to championship contender Pittsburgh gives him a new lease on life, showing that although his team struggled, Morrow made a name for himself as a valuable individual player and new opportunities came up for him.
Takeaway: When the situation you're in sucks, you can try to improve it, but don't forget that there may be something better down the road. Don't think you'll get something better in the future by mailing it in now, though.
Passages: Genesis 12:1-8, Genesis 21:1-7
Pittsburgh Penguins get: Douglas Murray, D
San Jose Sharks get: A couple picks in the upcoming draft
Spin: The Sharks are a good team that usually finishes with a top record. This year, that seems to have led to some of the players getting comfortable and mailing it in somewhat. To wake the team up, the general manager showed that he wasn't afraid to rock the players' worlds by trading away one of their favorite teammates, Murray, to Pittsburgh.
Takeaway: I believe that God gives and takes away, and can do it at any time. Whether you believe in God or not, know that life may shake your own little world up and it'll be up to you how you respond. The Sharks went on a long winning streak after Murray left. Can we respond that way?
Passages: Job 1, Mark 10:17-22
Pittsburgh Penguins get: Jarome Iginla, F
Calgary Flames get: The contract rights to a couple players nobody has heard of, and a pick
Spin: I swear, not all of these involve the Penguins. Anyway, Iginla was a world-class player who has been on a decline. The Calgary Flames have been terrible since the middle of the last decade, and if they wanted the most value on their future Hall of Famer to rebuild the team, they should have traded him a long, long time ago. Now, they get a couple of C-level prospects and a pick in return for a guy who can still make Pittsburgh a serious Stanley Cup threat.
Takeaway: Be able to let go. It's very easy to get clingy with things, people, and comfortable situations. I struggle a lot with this myself.
Passages: Mark 10:17-22, Matthew 6:19-24
Los Angeles Kings get: Robyn Regehr, D
Buffalo Sabres get: A couple picks in the upcoming draft
Spin: Sabres general manager Darcy Regier's plan to make the Sabres huge failed miserably. His shopping spree, which included big money to players such as Regehr, did not yield results that met his expectations. As a result, the Sabres are a miserable team. That being said, props to the GM for being able to trade some of his big-name players away and look toward the future, even if his future with the team looks bleak (i.e., he might get fired soon).
Takeaway: If you made a mistake, own it, confess it (this is tough, but making a pact with yourself to not do it again never works), learn from it, and improve from it. Don't be a blockhead and refuse to admit your errors - in Regier's case, plenty of Sabres fans could have angrily pointed them out to him.
Passages: James 5:13-20, Proverbs 28:10-14
Vancouver Canucks get: Derek Roy, F
Dallas Stars get: Some guy I've never heard of and a pick
Spin: Roy is an oft-injured forward who never established himself as a great player in Buffalo or in Dallas, yet he kept turning contract offers from Dallas because of money issues. Yikes. So, Dallas traded him to Vancouver, where Roy will get more playing time and a chance to play on a playoff-caliber team (remember, the Stars kinda stink).
Takeaway: If people whine enough, they might get what they want. Seriously. It's easy to see that happen to somebody else and think about how unfair that is. But, if you ever feel that others are getting an unfair break, think of the times in life you've gotten an unfair break.
Passages: Luke 15:22-32, Matthew 27:50-54
Columbus Blue Jackets get: Marian Gaborik, F and a couple other guys that never make the lineup
New York Rangers get: Derek Dorsett, F; John Moore, D; Derick Brassard, F; and a pick
Spin: The trade is pretty fair, I think; Gaborik is easily the best player in this trade. However, with the Rangers, Gaborik could never find his identity. He was just a misfit - an offensive player with a coach that wanted him to focus on defense. Meanwhile, Dorsett, Moore, and Brassard were with the Blue Jackets through years of failure, and although the Jackets have been playing well this year, years of failure is hard to mentally overcome. You think a change helps? Well, Dorsett is currently injured, but the other three guys scored goals in their first game with their new teams.
Takeaway: Don't be egocentric. Not everybody thinks the same way as you. I'm not saying that everybody's opinion is right - I hate that mentality. I'm actually saying that you might be wrong, so meet people where they're at.
Passages: Luke 10:38-42... and I can't think of any else. I would think that some passages on discipleship would work well here.
Toronto Maple Leafs get: Ryan O'Byrne, D
Colorado Avalanche get: A pick in the upcoming draft
Spin: O'Byrne with the Avalanche was slow, took dumb penalties, and was slow. Like, really slow. Like, forwards could get around him like a traffic cone slow. Thank goodness the Avs traded him away (remember, I'm an Avs fan), and they actually got a decent pick for him.
Takeaway: Sometimes, miracles do hap- ehh, actually, I think I'm taking this one a little too far.
Passages: Okay, this one was a joke all the way. Miracles certainly happen in the Bible, though.
Washington Capitals get: Martin Erat, F and some other guy I've never heard of
Nashville Predators get: A minor league forward who has the potential to be really, really, really good
Spin: Some people sacrifice the present for a happier long-term. Others sacrifice the future for a happier today. Capitals GM George McPhee is evidently in the latter group, shown by him trading his top young prospect for Erat, who has been a longtime Predator and is starting to decline at 31 years old. McPhee is sending the message that he intends to make the playoffs this year by grabbing Erat and not trading Mike Ribiero, who could have gotten him a lot of value back as a valuable center. Meanwhile, Nashville could have a big-name forward in a few years.
Takeaway: I can't say that putting all your energy and resources toward the present or the future is right or wrong. I have no idea how the Capitals are going to do here. Maybe the right answer is not to completely eschew one for the other.
Passages: I'm going to use Matthew 6:19-24 again. I never came to a conclusion for this particular takeaway because I couldn't find much biblical evidence for this one.
Minnesota Wild get: Jason Pominville, F
Buffalo Sabres get: A minor-league goalie, a prospect forward, and a couple picks
Spin: Minnesota paid a lot to grab Pominville, who's a very good forward and can help the team immensely. Lots of fans say they overpaid, even though by the numbers, I think this trade is fair. Here's why fans say they overpaid - Pominville was a horrible captain for the Sabres. He could score, play defense, everything, but he just didn't lead his team well, and that was an stain on his and the team's identity. And the Sabres need a leader badly - they haven't had a good captain since Chris Drury left in 2007. The Wild don't care about that, because they have a great captain.
Takeaway: Whether you think somebody's a "born leader" or not, leadership of anything is hard. Appreciate a good leader when you have one - not everyone is that lucky. If your leader struggles, consider either gently confronting him/her; of course, meeting him/her where (s)he's at.
Passages: Exodus 4, 1 Samuel 8-10, 1 Samuel 13, 1 Samuel 16, probably both 1 Kings and 2 Kings, and that is totally not an exhaustive list.
And to finish this, a non-trade...
Vancouver Canucks don't trade Roberto Luongo, G
Spin: A couple years ago, Luongo was the starting goaltender in Canada's heartbreaking gold medal win in the Olympics. He had also just gotten started with a 12-year contract paying him an average of $5.33 million a year. Just think about that - job security for 12 years as well as making millions. Yet, Luongo wanted to be traded because he struggled last year and this year and has lost his starting job to the Canucks' other goalie. The problem is, no other team would take that massive contract upon themselves, so Luongo ended up going nowhere. Luongo's response? The very contract that gave him a high-paying, secure job is now an albatross - he said himself that the contract sucks and that he'd rip it up if he could. He's got nine years left on it.
Takeaway: Money, job security, job quality... all of those have their limits and shortcomings. If you get them, you'll want something else that those things can't give you. If you truly want your desires fulfilled, you'll have to pursue something ultimate.
Passages: Galatians 5:16-24, Romans 7:1-6
Three Really Little Notes At The End
- This brunt of this took me about an hour to write, and a couple five-minute looks at it to edit. Once I get going on hockey, I can go fast and for a long time.
- The idea of finding Bible passages came later. That took me about half an hour.
- I got some big news - I was accepted on a Summer Project to San Diego, CA, and guess what - my one page support letter seriously took me longer to write than this blog post. I am dead serious about that. But anyway, I'm thinking about doing some Facebook stuff and what not, and if we can blog during the project, I'll probably do it here. More details to follow!
The National Hockey League's trade deadline was a couple days ago, and regrettably, I couldn't catch all the action live because of class, studying, and more studying. Now, out of all my friends, I can think of about... five that may be interested in reading a blog about that. Now, I like it when people read these, so I don't want to drive people away. So, here's the point...
I get to write for fun about hockey. Two of my favorite things together! Meanwhile, anyone who reads this gets to see me analyze the trades, how the current situations of the players, teams, or general managers affected or will be affected by the trades, as well as some takeaways and Bible passages that go along with those takeaways.
This idea came to me partially from some friends who see important biblical messages in movies. It also came to me probably because I'm tired as heck from the week and the semester, yet it's a tiredness that sleep doesn't fix... and weird things come to my mind when I'm that kind of tired. Seeing as I had no real reason, I thought it'd be funny if I went for this.
Okay, here we go...
Pittsburgh Penguins get: Brenden Morrow, F
Dallas Stars get: A minor league guy and a pick in the upcoming draft
Spin: Brenden Morrow has been a physical presence on the ice for all the years he's been playing. That's led to him becoming very popular in Dallas, but it's also led to his career taking an early downswing. The guy's 34 and he may retire soon because of the taxing his body's taken. And, oh, yeah, the Stars kinda stink. Moving to championship contender Pittsburgh gives him a new lease on life, showing that although his team struggled, Morrow made a name for himself as a valuable individual player and new opportunities came up for him.
Takeaway: When the situation you're in sucks, you can try to improve it, but don't forget that there may be something better down the road. Don't think you'll get something better in the future by mailing it in now, though.
Passages: Genesis 12:1-8, Genesis 21:1-7
Pittsburgh Penguins get: Douglas Murray, D
San Jose Sharks get: A couple picks in the upcoming draft
Spin: The Sharks are a good team that usually finishes with a top record. This year, that seems to have led to some of the players getting comfortable and mailing it in somewhat. To wake the team up, the general manager showed that he wasn't afraid to rock the players' worlds by trading away one of their favorite teammates, Murray, to Pittsburgh.
Takeaway: I believe that God gives and takes away, and can do it at any time. Whether you believe in God or not, know that life may shake your own little world up and it'll be up to you how you respond. The Sharks went on a long winning streak after Murray left. Can we respond that way?
Passages: Job 1, Mark 10:17-22
Pittsburgh Penguins get: Jarome Iginla, F
Calgary Flames get: The contract rights to a couple players nobody has heard of, and a pick
Spin: I swear, not all of these involve the Penguins. Anyway, Iginla was a world-class player who has been on a decline. The Calgary Flames have been terrible since the middle of the last decade, and if they wanted the most value on their future Hall of Famer to rebuild the team, they should have traded him a long, long time ago. Now, they get a couple of C-level prospects and a pick in return for a guy who can still make Pittsburgh a serious Stanley Cup threat.
Takeaway: Be able to let go. It's very easy to get clingy with things, people, and comfortable situations. I struggle a lot with this myself.
Passages: Mark 10:17-22, Matthew 6:19-24
Los Angeles Kings get: Robyn Regehr, D
Buffalo Sabres get: A couple picks in the upcoming draft
Spin: Sabres general manager Darcy Regier's plan to make the Sabres huge failed miserably. His shopping spree, which included big money to players such as Regehr, did not yield results that met his expectations. As a result, the Sabres are a miserable team. That being said, props to the GM for being able to trade some of his big-name players away and look toward the future, even if his future with the team looks bleak (i.e., he might get fired soon).
Takeaway: If you made a mistake, own it, confess it (this is tough, but making a pact with yourself to not do it again never works), learn from it, and improve from it. Don't be a blockhead and refuse to admit your errors - in Regier's case, plenty of Sabres fans could have angrily pointed them out to him.
Passages: James 5:13-20, Proverbs 28:10-14
Vancouver Canucks get: Derek Roy, F
Dallas Stars get: Some guy I've never heard of and a pick
Spin: Roy is an oft-injured forward who never established himself as a great player in Buffalo or in Dallas, yet he kept turning contract offers from Dallas because of money issues. Yikes. So, Dallas traded him to Vancouver, where Roy will get more playing time and a chance to play on a playoff-caliber team (remember, the Stars kinda stink).
Takeaway: If people whine enough, they might get what they want. Seriously. It's easy to see that happen to somebody else and think about how unfair that is. But, if you ever feel that others are getting an unfair break, think of the times in life you've gotten an unfair break.
Passages: Luke 15:22-32, Matthew 27:50-54
Columbus Blue Jackets get: Marian Gaborik, F and a couple other guys that never make the lineup
New York Rangers get: Derek Dorsett, F; John Moore, D; Derick Brassard, F; and a pick
Spin: The trade is pretty fair, I think; Gaborik is easily the best player in this trade. However, with the Rangers, Gaborik could never find his identity. He was just a misfit - an offensive player with a coach that wanted him to focus on defense. Meanwhile, Dorsett, Moore, and Brassard were with the Blue Jackets through years of failure, and although the Jackets have been playing well this year, years of failure is hard to mentally overcome. You think a change helps? Well, Dorsett is currently injured, but the other three guys scored goals in their first game with their new teams.
Takeaway: Don't be egocentric. Not everybody thinks the same way as you. I'm not saying that everybody's opinion is right - I hate that mentality. I'm actually saying that you might be wrong, so meet people where they're at.
Passages: Luke 10:38-42... and I can't think of any else. I would think that some passages on discipleship would work well here.
Toronto Maple Leafs get: Ryan O'Byrne, D
Colorado Avalanche get: A pick in the upcoming draft
Spin: O'Byrne with the Avalanche was slow, took dumb penalties, and was slow. Like, really slow. Like, forwards could get around him like a traffic cone slow. Thank goodness the Avs traded him away (remember, I'm an Avs fan), and they actually got a decent pick for him.
Takeaway: Sometimes, miracles do hap- ehh, actually, I think I'm taking this one a little too far.
Passages: Okay, this one was a joke all the way. Miracles certainly happen in the Bible, though.
Washington Capitals get: Martin Erat, F and some other guy I've never heard of
Nashville Predators get: A minor league forward who has the potential to be really, really, really good
Spin: Some people sacrifice the present for a happier long-term. Others sacrifice the future for a happier today. Capitals GM George McPhee is evidently in the latter group, shown by him trading his top young prospect for Erat, who has been a longtime Predator and is starting to decline at 31 years old. McPhee is sending the message that he intends to make the playoffs this year by grabbing Erat and not trading Mike Ribiero, who could have gotten him a lot of value back as a valuable center. Meanwhile, Nashville could have a big-name forward in a few years.
Takeaway: I can't say that putting all your energy and resources toward the present or the future is right or wrong. I have no idea how the Capitals are going to do here. Maybe the right answer is not to completely eschew one for the other.
Passages: I'm going to use Matthew 6:19-24 again. I never came to a conclusion for this particular takeaway because I couldn't find much biblical evidence for this one.
Minnesota Wild get: Jason Pominville, F
Buffalo Sabres get: A minor-league goalie, a prospect forward, and a couple picks
Spin: Minnesota paid a lot to grab Pominville, who's a very good forward and can help the team immensely. Lots of fans say they overpaid, even though by the numbers, I think this trade is fair. Here's why fans say they overpaid - Pominville was a horrible captain for the Sabres. He could score, play defense, everything, but he just didn't lead his team well, and that was an stain on his and the team's identity. And the Sabres need a leader badly - they haven't had a good captain since Chris Drury left in 2007. The Wild don't care about that, because they have a great captain.
Takeaway: Whether you think somebody's a "born leader" or not, leadership of anything is hard. Appreciate a good leader when you have one - not everyone is that lucky. If your leader struggles, consider either gently confronting him/her; of course, meeting him/her where (s)he's at.
Passages: Exodus 4, 1 Samuel 8-10, 1 Samuel 13, 1 Samuel 16, probably both 1 Kings and 2 Kings, and that is totally not an exhaustive list.
And to finish this, a non-trade...
Vancouver Canucks don't trade Roberto Luongo, G
Spin: A couple years ago, Luongo was the starting goaltender in Canada's heartbreaking gold medal win in the Olympics. He had also just gotten started with a 12-year contract paying him an average of $5.33 million a year. Just think about that - job security for 12 years as well as making millions. Yet, Luongo wanted to be traded because he struggled last year and this year and has lost his starting job to the Canucks' other goalie. The problem is, no other team would take that massive contract upon themselves, so Luongo ended up going nowhere. Luongo's response? The very contract that gave him a high-paying, secure job is now an albatross - he said himself that the contract sucks and that he'd rip it up if he could. He's got nine years left on it.
Takeaway: Money, job security, job quality... all of those have their limits and shortcomings. If you get them, you'll want something else that those things can't give you. If you truly want your desires fulfilled, you'll have to pursue something ultimate.
Passages: Galatians 5:16-24, Romans 7:1-6
Three Really Little Notes At The End
- This brunt of this took me about an hour to write, and a couple five-minute looks at it to edit. Once I get going on hockey, I can go fast and for a long time.
- The idea of finding Bible passages came later. That took me about half an hour.
- I got some big news - I was accepted on a Summer Project to San Diego, CA, and guess what - my one page support letter seriously took me longer to write than this blog post. I am dead serious about that. But anyway, I'm thinking about doing some Facebook stuff and what not, and if we can blog during the project, I'll probably do it here. More details to follow!
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