Archive for month: March, 2013

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From the Rev: Resurrected

Today is most important day in Christendom. It is the day that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth from the dead. It is the day when we those who have embraced Christ are reconciled to God the Father. It is the day when we are awakened out of spiritual deadness to new life. It is the day that is above all days – until the next coming of Jesus to call to himself all who belong to him.

On this day, I find it compelling to look at my own life and see the places where I need resurrection. Where are the places that need to die, in order to be raised to life in a new, whole, restored way? Where are the places that need to be healed? What parts of me can only be touched by God himself?

I find it interesting to consider this metaphor of death, dying, resurrection, new life played out in the football world where I serve as chaplain. Of course, there are players whose careers are “resurrected” when they join a new team. There are players who have career threatening injuries and receive dead tissue to replace that which has been injured and it “comes to life” again. There are organizations that go through leadership changes and suddenly spring to life with success again. In all of these examples, there is a microcosm worth studying of the necessity of having certain endings, certain “deaths” so that a person (or an organization/institution) can have new life again.

These were words that Jesus himself powerfully spoke before his death as he illustrated the power of a “good death.”

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. (John 12:24)

Jesus was speaking of his own death which was to come and the necessity of dying. We often resist death because of the pain, the suffering, how uncomfortable it is (I am speaking of more than physical death). But sometimes we need to embrace death because of the potential that is held in a life transformed and new being held within it.

A player, traded, must come to terms with the ending of his former team. A player or coach who is fired from his job or at the end of a career must embrace this “death” in order to begin to look for the next opportunity. As Christians, we must put ourselves to “death” in order that Jesus might live through us – his love, his grace, his compassion. And all of us will eventually face physical death. The promise, though, for those who have embraced Jesus, is that we will have a new life. Gloriously restored, we will have been resurrected forever – to never face death again, we will have conquered death, suffering, pain forevermore through the power of Jesus. What a glorious day that will be.

Blessings,

Rev. Brad Kenney

From the Rev: 200,000 and counting

photoThis past week, as I headed into training to spend time with the team, I watched as the odometer hit a  milestone: 200,000 miles. In that moment, I gave a brief prayer of thanksgiving to God, for safety of travel and His grace over the roads traveled and the paths walked over the years of doing ministry for CrossTraining.

CrossTraining chaplains can travel upwards of 8-10,000 miles a year in serving the needs of the professional sports team. Sometimes a road trip to an away game, the weekly trip to the stadium or bible study, the occasional get together with a couple for counseling, helping a player move from one apartment to another, driving a player who has been cut or has recently signed to the airport – all this adds up to a lot of windshield time and miles on the car.

I have experienced these times as a sweet time. In the times when I find myself alone, I often pray or listen to music to prepare my heart to engage people and be a representative of God. In the times when there are others in the car, I still pray that my life, my words, my witness would be honoring to God and moving and meaningful to those placed under my care (and in my car) for that moment.

Now in my 12th season as a chaplain, I imagine that I have hit some 100,000 miles for driving for the ministry. I pray that God give the same protection and blessing for the next 100,000 – wherever those miles end up taking me. Thank you for your prayers, too.

Blessings,

Rev. Brad Kenney

Timothy Project 2013

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Soccer camp in Czech Republic was a 2012 recipient of a Timothy Project award.

CrossTraining announced today that applications are now being accepted for 2013 Timothy Project proposals. The Timothy Project involves CrossTraining allocating resources and connections to those involved in missional endeavors to impact diverse communities around the world using the sport of soccer. Proposals often include requests for equipment, financial sponsorship, and event promotion. Proposals may be submitted from the Timothy Project page where a hyperlink will direct respondents to an online submission form that includes criteria for consideration.

The Timothy Project started in 2010 as part of CrossTraining and START Ministries agreement and partnership in ministry. Founder and Colorado Director, Brad Kenney recalls the beginnings of the Timothy Project,

In dialogue with START, we wanted to join in the amazing vision that they had to support short-term mission work locally and globally. Since God has placed us in the sport of soccer and since soccer (or futbol) is the “global game” we found a natural outlet for supporting START and living out this incredible vision by supporting those utilizing the game to transform communities and really impact the world.

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Young boys in Mongolia are the beneficiaries of a group that has a vision to rescue boys out of a cultural path of alcoholism.

What began as a simple sponsorship has grown over the last few years to include project involvement in places as far away as Mongolia and as close to home as Portland and Colorado.

Projects that merit consideration will meet with CrossTraining’s goals and vision for the program and more details can be found on the Timothy Project page of the website and on the online submission form. Donations can be made directly to the Timothy Project by marking an online gift or check “Timothy Project” and even designating a gift toward a specific project. Project submittals will be considered until a  date to be determined or until project funds have run out for the year. Keep checking the Timothy Project page for updates on approved projects.

We’re excited to see what projects God has in store for us to work with this year. There will be some amazing stories, to be sure.

– Brad Kenney, Colorado Director

From the Rev: Practicing Patrick

Today is a day celebrated around the world – the achievements of a man in bringing a message to an island are recognized at least in some part by the faithful and even faith-less. The man? Patrick – a kidnapped, slave who endured six years of forced labor before escaping. He later would return to share a message with those who had enslaved and mistreated him. The message? A Gospel of hope, Good News, of forgiveness offered by God for all who would listen and receive.

Saint Patrick, and his celebrated day of March 17, has (as many prominent figures do)  elements of his story that are legendary (some say he and his disciples once were seen as a company of stags and by passed by a chief looking to kill Patrick), some that are fictional (did he really drive all the snakes out of Ireland?), and some that are true (he returned to the people who enslaved him and gave them God’s forgiveness). One of my favorite stories about Saint Patrick centers around his praxis of ministry. It is a philosophy and methodology that CrossTraining and its chaplains seek to employ in the different places where it serves.

 

Saint Patrick and his traveling company would move from village to village in Ireland spreading the Message of God to the people. With Ireland being tribally governed, Patrick and his colleagues did not always receive a warm reception from a village chief or the people. So, Patrick and his troupe would camp outside of a village and then during the day, they would go with the villagers to their places of “work” – here they would offer a blessing or prayer over those places – that God would bring forth His bounty. For those fishing, a prayer that the river or ocean would bring forth fish; for those hunting, a prayer that the forest would produce game; for those planting or harvesting, that the fields would have an abundance of grain. The villagers and chief began to see things change – as God worked through the blessings of Patrick and company the people became curious about this message of God.

In chaplaincy settings (sport and otherwise), much of the chaplain’s work is similar in scope. We enter into the work spaces and places of people and we ask for God’s favor, for His abundance to show forth. Instead of fields, forests, and streams a sports chaplain may ask for God’s favor in victories, achievements, and protection from injury and harm. And there maybe many in these contexts who are hesitant to receive the message – but as they begin to see the hand of God blessing the fruit of their labors, as they experience the compassion and care of a chaplain who is, essentially, an outsider, people become more curious, more receptive to hearing the message of God.

It is a work that, as chaplains, we hope and pray will be as impactful as a simple man like Patrick – who, being transformed by God in turn transformed an island and a people and left an impression that is forever remembered around the world. Pray for chaplains, for those who practice being like Patrick and the various villages and communities we serve.

Blessings,

Rev. Brad Kenney

From The Rev: Snowed Out

Last weekend, the Colorado Rapids season home opener was postponed one day for snow. The build up to the storm had a flurry of comments from sports writers and fans – many proudly encouraging a good showing to the club’s opening game despite the inclement weather. Visions of players slipping and sliding, nicknaming the stadium as a type of “snow fortress,” fans singing full-voice in blizzard-like conditions, and playing with the dreaded “orange ball” (which still has never made an appearance in Major League Soccer) reminiscent of youth soccer games of long-ago filled the Twitterverse and Facebook status updates nearly non-stop until the club finally announced the postponement of the game to the following day.

The storm did leave some 8-12 inches of snow in the Denver metropolitan area. The team and league decided on the postponement for the safety of fans traveling to the game. And, while some fans were disappointed that the Rapids didn’t take the field, there were imaginably others (soccer moms with small children?) who felt relieved for the game delay. In reflecting on the events leading up to the game, I thought through the different times that league postponed or canceled games – there have not been many to my knowledge. Occasionally, a game like the postseason match last year in Washington D.C. is postponed because of inclement weather. And in 2001, the league ended up canceling 10 regular season matches because of the terrorist strikes of September 11. But other than that horrific occasion and the odd weather-related postponement, there has not been too many occasions for a game to not happen.

The snowstorm and delay reminded me of the ancient Hebrew proverb – Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21). I am not suggesting that God had a different intention or design for Saturday (though, He may have had one), but I do firmly believe that we must be careful in how we hold onto the things that we hold to.

A broken ankle forced Dean Ashton of Aston Villa to retire at age 26.

In professional sport, many times athletes and coaches make “plans” – it may be a simple as the game plan for a particular competition to something more long-range (for example, how much money one plans to make or how long one plans to play a sport). In life there are so many things that are not within in our control. The interruptions to the plans we have might come by way of injury, as a matter of preference (i.e. one coach or management’s philosophy or style, or for another reason). There are several warnings in scripture that remind us to be mindful of the transience of life – let alone our vocational pursuits. Life, career, fame, success – all of these things we must hold ever so lightly and we must realize Who is the grantor and giver of all good things.

In my work as a chaplain, I have watched many men struggle with when a decision was forced on them. It has been those who have a strong faith in God and a relationship with Jesus who have been able to weather and accept the changes to the “plan” that have come. Those without, struggle and continue to hold onto those plans – sometimes until the shame or embarrassment of trying to hold on becomes greater than any measure of success attained. Consider the multiple retirements of some of the most prolific athletes in our time (Brett Farve, Michael Jordan, etc.) and the immense criticism that they sometimes endured for their inability to accept the end of their playing careers.

So what is the antidote for “making plans” unwittingly and holding on too tightly? James 4:13-17 offers the needed serum for our hearts and attitudes:

13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

Taking on an attitude which relinquishes control to God is how we ought to approach not only nature’s snowstorms but life’s other storms that we might face. And in doing so, we will save ourselves from disappointment and false pride and boasting and sin. It will ultimately go better as we give those things to God.

Blessings,

Rev. Brad Kenney

From the Rev: New Beginnings

If you went away a couple years ago, from Major League Soccer, and came back just yesterday, you might be surprised at the new look uniforms that many teams are now wearing. The Colorado Rapids (the team I chaplain) have a new kit look (see below), but not only is the look new on the outside, but on the inside as well. There has been a tremendous amount of turnover in the player personnel from two seasons ago and as some have declared, this is truly a different team, one that second-year head coach, Oscar Pareja, can truly call his own.

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New beginnings, while not always easy in football or life, are often necessary. Living in a digital age, most of us are familiar with the keystrokes for restarting the PC (Ctrl+Alt+Del). That functional way of starting the computer over can help us get out of the quirky log jam that we sometimes never know how we got into in the first place. In football or other professional sports, such a hard restart may not be as simple or quick as keystroke combination, but sometimes it can be just as necessary. Life, too, and our faith is like that – we cannot keep going on with the old life style and the old habits and ways of doing things – we must be given over to a new beginning, a new way of living and experiencing life.

History has always been marked (though some debate how) with a beginning. The Bible begins, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…” (Genesis 1:1). That beginning started with beauty and purity, but soon the conditions of the fall of man set forth a world in motion toward the necessity of a new beginning.

That new beginning has yet to happen (again enter in more debate and controversy) – but the Bible again declares that there will come a time when a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21) will be made. In that new beginning, we will see that a new order of things will be our reality, a new order to life will be true – here there is no more death or mourning or crying or pain. This is something that all of humanity looks forward to and many are hopeful for even today.

But while new beginnings bookmark both ends of history, there is often a “third” new beginning that is sometimes overlooked or neglected. This is the new beginning that happens within the interior of a person, in the deep recesses of the heart. It is a beginning of change and transformation at a spiritual level. It is the words of the Lord which declare the removal of the cold, stoney heart and replacing it with a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36). This personal transformation, this new beginning is promised when we embrace and abide in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is like the athlete who has surgery to repair dead or destroyed tissue – a new tissue is implanted and it comes to life!

The new beginning that happens inside of us is not merely comfortable or easy – it is often painful and hard, but it is necessary. Part of the work of the chaplain is to help open people up to see the importance and necessity of the new beginning. Often the athletes and professionals that we encounter carry around a “deadness” of the soul. Whilst chaplains, themselves do not implement the new beginning, we do sometimes introduce or make plausible the new beginnings in an individuals heart, mind, and soul. It is a delicate work, but one that is so very needed in a day and age when the soul is so neglected and malnourished. In a culture where physical and mental training is so highly revered – here the spiritual training, the training for godliness is nearly forsaken. Yet, it is the spiritual piece that is so central and key to the life of a person.

Some people that I meet often mistake “CrossTraining” as an elite physical fitness program – but what a great opportunity to share with them that there is another kind of training that is CrossTraining and it is a training that has value for this life and the life to come. It is a training that starts with a new beginning – one that happens on the inside.

Blessings,

Rev. Brad Kenney

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