SPAIN WINS!!!

Congratulations to SPAIN!!!  As yo may know from looking at the sidebar on this same blog, one of the sports that I follow is soccer. I love MLS soccer which is our own domestic league, but I also like international soccer. I have been following the European Championship all month long and yesterday (Sunday June 29th) was the big final Championship Game. It was Spain vs Germany--two giants of the game. Everyone that follows soccer knows the pedigree of these two national team programs-- Germany has won the World Cup 3 times--the only teams that have done better are Italy with 4 World Cups and Brazil with 5.  Of course this is not the World Cup--this is the European Championship--but the World Cup only happens once every 4 years. On off years there can be no greater honor than a team winning its own confederation championship. In my estimation the Eurocup and the Copa America are the 2 biggest prizes in the national team soccer world in years when the World Cup is not in session.  The Olympics would run a close second. The Olympic soccer tournament doesn't win outright because a team can't use all its best available players for the Olympics--there is an age restriction in place. 

As for Spain--fans of club soccer know that Spain hosts one of the best soccer leagues in the world. Real Madrid and Barcelona constantly reach the advanced stages of the Champions League and the player signings that these Spanish clubs tend to make usually grab world headlines--such as when Ronaldinho signed with Barca or Beckham at one time signed with Real Madrid. The big problem with Spain had always been that even though they had one of the best domestic soccer leagues in the world, they had never been able to parlay their success at the club level into success at the national team level. (think of the NBA and Team USA in basketball in order to understand the difference) Somehow the stars that shined so brightly in the Spanish League (and played abroad in England, and Italy as well)  for their individual clubs, when they got together to form a spanish dream team were never able to get their act together and bring home a major trophy. The Spanish Team's reputation in the soccer world was unfortunately for being big chokers in the tournaments that truly mattered.

There were many favorites going into the start of this tournament---France, Italy, Germany, some were also saying this could be the year when Spain got its act together---but the majority of analysts and fans never truly believed this. I myself was among the doubters. I told a good friend of mine--I'll believe it when I see it. This depsite the fact that SPain had a very long unbeaten streak at the national team level going into this tournament---but those are all just firendlies and EuroCup qualifiers--that's not really serious competition right? Yet slowly but surely the 83 year old coach Sergio Aragones got his very young team to come and gel together and slowly start to silence their doubters.  I couldn't believe it when my personal favorite Holland was eliminated in the quarterfinals yet Spain advanced. In the final playing a super conservative scheme with only 1 striker upfront the Spanish were nevertheless able to put on constant pressure on the German team, which found itself defending more and more as the game wore on. Torres' lone goal of the match was enough to put Spain over the top in a match that was dramatic all the way to the end. What a smart goal it was too!! From a very difficult angle being approached from behind by a defender and being approached from the front by the German goalie---Fernando Torres somehow managed to chip the ball softly over the German Goalkeeper as he dove for the ball in very tight space. It was a goal that will live forever in Spanish and Euro soccer history. Other notable performances for the Spanish team throughout the tournament were David Villa (who missed the final due to injury), Cesc Fabregas, Xavi, Carlos Puyol, Marcos Senna, Sergio Ramos, and Iker Casillas. The refereeing in this final was absolutely horrid--with the ref coming very close to losing control of the match. The ref was allowing the skilled players to get hacked to bits out there.  It only speaks to the great determination of this team that they were able to overcome the refereeing as well as the German team and hold on for the win.

So to the boys from Spain--well done!! As an American of Latino descent I feel proud of what "the mother country" has done. Spain-- enjoy your first major tournament victory in 40 odd years. But don't rest on your laurels--you have an appointment to make at South Africa in 2010!!

PRAISE TEAM GOES TO CAMP BERKSHIRE!!

I am the leader of my church's praise team--more by necessity and circumstance (a story in itself) rather than by talent or being deserving of the spot. There are people in the church who know a lot more about music, conducting, and group leadership dynamics than I--yet nevertheless there I am. It's been an interesting ride--I could be wrong but I think I've now been in that position going on 3 years. The people of the praise team are all my friends, but leading them is quite a different matter than being a friend and I feel that at times the responsibility has been beyond me. However, lest this post turn into all gloom and doom--I should say that even though they can be frustrating, they have also worked hard and have progressed a lot in a short time span.

Anyway--let me get to the point--- About a month ago my church's pastor sat down with me and informed me that we had been invited to conduct the song service for the sabbath school at camp meeting. I was happy and fearful at the same time. Happy because being invited to sing at camp meeting means that the leaders at the higher levels of the local church organization have somehow become aware of the praise team in our church and have deemed it to be of quality. Good enough to lead out in music during a time when all the churches of the area gather together. It is a tremendous honor and a great recognition of the hard work that the people have put in. This was the second time in 3 or  4 years that we have gone--so it was a double honor.  I was fearful because organizing to get the group up there is a true headache--the time and effort you have to put in not only to practice the group for camp meeting (in addition to the normal every week worship practice) but also in organizing all the little details such as coordinating with the pastor in charge of sabbath school at camp meeting, figuring out transportation, lodging, and food, figuring out equipment requirements etc. Needless to say it is a huge interruption in the normal flow of  the praise team.

This year was especially frustrating-- due to circumstances that were beyond my control I wound up basically not having any real practices, I had to chase down the conference officials at every turn only to get pushed to the side, ignored, or given the run around (oh you're calling about that? no you have to speak to pastor so and so--once you call him he refers you to someone else etc.) and on top of that I had to deal with praise team group dynamics--everyone wanting to know what was happening (when I didn't even know because no one at the conference would get back to me) and a few in the group wanting do things their own way.  

Things reached a fever pitch when last wednesday I was still waiting to see what would happen regarding meal tickets for the group. I had to call up the pastor I was working with for sabbath school and tell him either this would be resolved or the group was not going. i wasn't rude about it--i knew he wasn't in charge of the food aspect--but I told him I needed his help because I was getting nowhere. I told him that as leader of the group I could not possibly ask the group to get up at 4 am and have them starve the whole day. Faced with the real possibility of us pulling out,  someone got back to me within the half hour. It is a sad but true testament to the lack of organization that exists in the higher levels of camp meeting planning. It should never have come to that point in my opinion.

The group had to get up at 4 am in order to be able to be there on time for sabbath school song service at 9:15 am. 4 am to get ready at home (take a bath, prepare the clothes, get dressed, do their hair etc.--you get the idea) 5 am to start getting to the church from nj and brooklyn respectively, and leave from the front of the church to the camp meeting at 6:15 am. We got there at 8 am, which turned out to be enough time to set up the equipment and eat breakfast. But we had to sing cold--no time to warm up or practice. I was praying that if this was going to be for God that He would help us to lead His people in giving glory to His name. 

The song service itself went well--something for which I can only praise the Lord because I know that it was all Him. It is a tremendous responsibility to lead out such a large group of people in song worship. the only explanation is the the Lord wanted those who came to camp meeting to meet with Him and so He helped us to do a task that could have easily gone very wrong.  The song service went long --because the leaders had a little trouble starting on time. I estimate that our song service lasted about 30 to 35 minutes--8 songs every stanza plus a time to meet and greet. It's a good thing that we came prepared with a list of emergency songs.  Normally song service in our local church is 3 songs. We could have gone 5 more songs after those 8, but after that I would have had to improvise--- thankfully that did not turn out to be necessary.  There was, however, one last surprise in store---the bulletin indicated there would be an opening and closing hymn for the sabbath school, but as to what they were--it was not listed in the bulletin. I went in the back  during the meet and greet and consulted with the sabbath school pastor to see if he knew what they were---he didn't know either, and I wound up having to pick an opening hymn on the spot.  I mentally prayed and we sang Redeemed (the classic one, not the newer one).  The whole assembly belted out Redeemed with much joy and  I felt that it set the correct tone for the rest of sabbath school.  

Our pianist  had to leave for the train station at 10:25 to go back to NYC because she had family coming over to her house that afternoon and she had to be there to meet them. By boarding the train at 10:40 she was ensuring that she would be back home at about 12:40 or 1:00--perfect time to eat sabbath lunch together. Since our pianist had to leave, I told our keyboardist to be ready to play during the closing hymn and he got very nervous at the prospect--but thankfully it did not turn out to be anything to worry about. Because the sabbath school was running late the sabbath school leaders decided to cancel the closing hymn and instead just pray to end the sabbath school and go directly into personal ministries time. 

With sabbath school officially over the praise team was now free to enjoy the rest of the day. The speaker at the Youth and Young Adult Tent turned to be Pastor Sheldon Cooper from southern New Jersey who had a powerful message for those in attendance regarding the dangers of being lukewarm and calling the young people to make a full and wholehearted commitment to God. After eating a very delicious and healthy lunch at the camp cafeteria we went back home this year instead of staying until the end of evening vespers service like in years past. We just felt very exhausted and all of us wanted to get home at a reasonable hour rather than at midnight or 1 am like in past years. Since the trip from the camp to the city is 2 hrs and 30 minutes it is easy to see how if you leave camp meeting at 9:30 pm you might wind  up going home past midnight. Remember that 2 hours and 30 minutes would be just to reach manhattan--after that everyone has to go back to their homes in brooklyn and new jersey.   So we left this year at 3-- and wound up getting home at around 6:30 pm. All things considered it was a good day.

GOD AND POLITICS

This is my first post at my first ever attempt at a personal blog. I want my little place of the internet to be  peace filled place where all can exchange views but ironically, I find myself writing about a topic that is explosive in many circles-religion and politics. I am not posting out of a desire to be controversial but simply because it is what is in my heart right now.

We are in the midst of election hoopla right now. Even as I am writing this I am watching Hardball with Chris Matthews. Politics and government is a topic that is dear to my heart. In college I majored in political science and I then went on to law school. Although many have grown cynical and jaded with our government, I still believe in the goodness of democracy and I still believe that genuine public service is about improving people's lives rather than to serving oneself. I still believe that there are people in public office in this great nation that seek public office out of a genuine desire to serve rather than out of a desire to lord authority over others and I truly believe that one vote can indeed make a difference.

 I have to believe this--because to believe otherwise is to accept the complete and utter failure of the human soul and of American society. As a Christian I freely acknowledge that people have a bent towards sin, selfishness and evil-- but people for the most part are not completely rotten to the core, there is a bit of good or basic decency (humanity) in all of us. If this were not so we would not be able to be reached by God.  Like many Americans, I am not blind. I know that our society and government are far from perfect and have committed many mistakes in the past (supporting dictators that abused human rights in Cold War, Slavery in our early history etc), however even acknowledging this, I still believe that America is still  a better place than other places out there and that it has been blessed especially by God. This country was founded by  pilgrims seeking religious freedom and sought God's blessing as it was established, and for the most part God's blessing has indeed stayed with us. Go to the midwest and see the acres of corn and wheat--we are the breadbasket of the world. God has given to us that we may be a blessing others.

One thing that bothers me however, is that every election cycle when it comes near this time we see the body of believers deeply divided between political parties. America is unique in that it has a 2 party system, so people don't have a lot of choices politically. You are either for one candidate or the other. Although we are all Americans, and in the church we are all united in Christ--political differences tend to run deep.  It is ok to be a part of the political process and to be for someone--but we must not forget that first and foremost we are part of the body of Christ. Unfortunately In some congregations it seems that if Mr. X doesn't vote Republican (in mostly conservative evangelical churches) or Ms. Y doesn't vote Democratic (in mostly liberal mainline churches)  they are looked down upon and proclaimed to be less than Christian by others in the congregation. In my opinion we have become victims of  a culture of American party politics, we are manipulated by party machines that seek to get our votes. Instead of seeking to spread the lifesaving gospel of Christ to others- we seek to convert others to the gospel of partisan politics--having somehow confused the two.

If we are believers our authority must be the Word, and to me at least, it seems clear that God is above being a Democrat or a Republican. God is neither--He is instead the supreme ruler of the universe--he puts on the thrones of men those whom He wills to carry out his plan for humanity. That is the cornerstone behind biblical prophecy. God works out His will through history. When He was here on earth Jesus was asked if he was a king-- when pressed by Pilate to answer the question, Jesus  simply responded "my kingdom is not of this world." (John 18:36) Yet some of us act as if party politics is about bringing the kingdom of God to earth. It is not-- neither party has a monopoly on godliness. 

There is no such thing as God's party, there are only fallible human institutions. Republicans stand against many of the things we view as being wrong in our society such as abortion on demand, gay marriage etc.  yet this same party is also the party that openly supports the greed of Wall Street and believes that helping the poor and elderly is best done by cutting social services to those who need it most. The Democrats have a soft heart for the downtrodden in our society and stand for things like universal health care and aid to the poor however  they are also the party that supports the increasing ungodliness of our society. Both parties have been involved in their fair share of political corruption, sleazy backroom deals and manipulation for political benefit, payoffs by PACS and other special interest groups, and immoral sex scandals. Every time Congress announces a new investigation into something the executive branch has done (something going back all the way to Nixon) I roll my eyes and say "what now?" Yet I am strangely relieved knowing that despite the malfeasance and bad faith of some, the political process IS working and correcting itself.  Ethically speaking however, the point is that it shouldn't happen in the first place.It is clear that both these parties fall far short of the gospel as it was preached by Jesus Christ and His Apostles.

So what is a Christian to do? Should we withdraw from the political process? No, Jesus said Give unto Ceasar what is Cesar's and to God what is God's. (Mark 12:17)  In this case what we owe to Ceasar is what any citizen owes to the American democracy--their vote. If no one were to vote our system of government would fall apart. So how are we to vote? Well this is where we come full circle  to the beginning of this post. We are to vote our conscience. We have to believe that there are still honest people that seek power in order to do right by the American public. We must believe there are modern day Daniels and Nehemiahs (Nehemiah although not a politician was the king's confidante and used his influence correctly) We must use the moral sense God has given us and examining the issues come to what we think is the best choice. We must vote for the person and party who we think will lead us in the way we need to go.  It is an imperfect process but the only one we have. We are responsible to God and to each other as Americans to vote our conscience. To let anybody else make that choice for us by telling us what to think, be it the media, the local party campaigners or the church pulpit, is tantamount to dereliction of a sacred duty. We will be responsible before God not for how Joe or Frank or Mary voted but for how we voted. Once we cast the ballot and someone is elected --whether we win or lose we are to pray for the leaders of this nation in accordance with the overall spirit of the principles enunciated in Romans 13 and Titus 3.

So go on--enjoy your political news show (i know i do!!), discuss the issues with your next door neighbor, go to your local political rally--but don't make how someone votes in your church a litmus test of their faith. It is something deeply personal between them and God and they may in fact have very God fearing reasons for voting for a party you wouldn't. Each person knows why they vote the way they do even if we don't agree with them. And remember that in the long run-- we are citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom. The eyes of the world will be upon us to see if God's body is indeed defined by its love for each other or whether we are simply like everybody else.