Archive for category: From the Rev

You are here: / / From the Rev

Reflections from Rev Brad Kenney, Director of Soccer Chaplains United and the Lead Chaplain of the Colorado Rapids and Valor Christian High School

From the Rev: New Year, New Resolutions

Rapids fans await the new year

Colorado Rapids fans hope the new year will see some different results on the field.

It’s a new year and with a new year, come new resolutions – whether a goal to lose weight, spend more time with family, become a better soccer player, or to win a championship – all sorts of things make our initial list to try and “resolve.” For the Colorado Rapids, they have some new year resolutions on the field and off the field. And, even for this Rev, there are a few “resolutions” that I have been considering myself. To be honest, though, I am not a big believer in making annual resolutions – unless they have some “SMART”-ness to them; SMART standing for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.

New Year, New Resolutions Out of Control?

Of course, sometimes we make resolutions when things are really out of our control. Such is the case for New York City Football Club (NYCFC) who recently revealed that midfielder Frank Lampard, whom had been highly promoted as a premier player for the club, won’t join the team until July at earliest. The pundits and fans, alike, are up in arms about the “false advertising” that the team or perhaps, Major League Soccer (or maybe both) provided about Lampard. So maybe acquiring the player that you want isn’t the best new year resolution to make.

Matthew Doyle

Of course, you could try and make it a priority to name your team as the franchise in Atlanta (set to begin league play in 2017) is attempting to do, but as Matthew Doyle (pictured right) writes, that might be harder than it seems.

Some of these names are trying a bit too hard, while a few others aren’t trying quite hard enough. And some are trying hard to appear like they’re not trying very hard.

Whatever the resolution, we may first want to ask our selves if we are attempting to control something that is really out of our control.

New Year, New Resolutions In Our Control

You don’t hear too many people make resolutions like these:

I resolve to depend more on others.

I resolve to rely upon God and not myself.

We do make resolutions that often are within some scope of our own responsibility and control. I recently entered a 20/20 challenge. Pay $20 into a pool of people working to lose 20 lbs. this year – unfortunately, the challenge began before Christmas and New Year’s so there has been difficulty with the amount of food and sweets that typical Americans eat during this season. While I have lost about 5 lbs. thus far, there is still a long “weigh” to go. While I don’t really see this as a New Year resolution – there are some similarities but more at issue has been how I got to be overweight in the first place.

Dereliction of Duty?

Call it absent-mindedness. Call it busyness. As a writer once said,

Gaining three pounds a year wasn’t significant. Until looking back 10 years…

There is a sense that we try to make new year resolutions about things that show we have been disobedient, poor stewards, or just simply lazy. I have a lot of excuses for my own weight gains – ministry, the children, getting enough sleep, not wanting to sweat, not being 20 anymore, and so on. But there is always a responsibility that we have – first to God, and then to others. Actually, the two are so intricately intertwined that we cannot separate the two.

I was recently gifted an exercise bike – that helps, especially in winter. But we still have to get on the bike – we still have an outworking responsibility. This is the curious thing about faith, too – we have a part in the growth (or death) of our faith.

New Year, New Faith Resolutions

Mustard seed faithMost people that I serve, struggle with their faith at some point or another at life. Maybe it is in the midst of crisis, maybe it is in the dullness of prosperity, other times it is in moment of unbelievability. This is nothing new. At one point in the gospel of Luke (17:5-6), the disciples of Jesus ask,

5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

The faith to do – to uproot a tree, to live out a resolution, to accomplish a task – this faith doesn’t simply go or grow on its own. A mustard seed must be planted, watered, tended. So, too, our faith.

When I sit across from people who tell me that they’ve “lost God” or God “doesn’t exist anymore” for them, I sometimes ask when such a thing happened or where was the last place they “left him.” The loss of God (or faith, or a resolution) usually occurs when there is a departure from Him – they stopped reading the Bible, they stopped being involved in a community of faith or church, they stopped praying, they stopped believing.

Perhaps, in this new year of 2015 we ought to resolve to grow our faith – to start believing in God again, to pray once more, to start becoming involved again in a local community of faith, to begin reading His famous letter. Maybe, just maybe, we will then have the strength and the resolve to see the other things in life – things within and without our control – come to fruition. And, if we don’t, then at least we can settle for God’s peace about it.

Blessings,

IMG

 

 

 

 

Rev. Brad Kenney

From the Rev: Divine Providence

keep-calm-god-is-sovereign-2As a chaplain and minister, much of how I see and understand the world relates to Divine Providence, sometimes known in theological circles as the sovereignty of God. It happens when someone loses their job, only to find a better one some time later. It happens when a player is out of contract, but ends up discovering an opportunity that otherwise would not have been open to them. It can occur when one substitution on the pitch provides the game-winning goal or assist. The sovereignty of God has long been the subject of debate (amongst Christians) – not so much whether God is sovereign, but to what extent does His sovereignty extend into the affairs of humankind?

Divine Providence or Human Choice?

A friend recently shared with me long-awaited news – a job in a chosen career field had finally come.

I knew that if I just kept knocking on doors it would come.

I don’t know that my friend believes in Divine Providence, but was it God that opened the door or the fact that my friend ‘kept knocking’? Of course, as humans we are tempted to think that it is the choices and decisions that we make which open doors of opportunity. We believe it to be within our power to control our own destiny. Sometimes the argument between Divine Providence and human choice gets oversimplified – if God is sovereign then that makes humans mere robots; or, the converse – if humans have free will than God’s power is limited. To say the least, there is a degree of mystery as to the relationship and extent of God’s sovereignty as it relates to human choice and responsibility. And, for some, the tension is irreconcilable (as Dan Clendenin relates in the accounting of John Rawls) Divine Providence wasn’t just something, though that Christian believers held – Paul speaks to the sages and poets of Greece (Acts 17:28) that wrote of Providence. In addition, it was a belief held by the early church (Colossians 1:17). But many modern-day Christians, especially in the West, don’t have room enough in their theology for Divine Providence unless it is a quick prayer said to find a parking space at a shopping mall during the Christmas season.

Divine Providence in the Christmas Story

Gifts of the Magi as Divine Providence

Giotto’s Adoration of the Magi – the gifts they gave were part of Divine Providence

Most gloss over the Divine Providence that colors that story of Jesus’ birth on earth (see Matthew 1, 2 and Luke 1, 2). The timing of the census ordered by Caesar Augustus that puts Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, instead of Nazareth. The arrival of the magi from the East and their gifts. How timely was the gold (yes, a gift for a king) that enables Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus to flee from Herod’s ensuing slaughter and survive as refugees in a foreign land (Egypt) until a return home years later. Or the frankincense, used by the Egyptians for certain religious ceremonies perhaps used to barter or trade until Joseph could establish himself within the Jewish communities gathered in refuge in Egypt. Or, the costly myrrh that was used in anointing the body for burial – used at Jesus’ death. This, of course, doesn’t even take into consideration the angelic appearances that occur throughout the story – Divine Providence is visible all throughout the narrative.

Divine Providence For a Chaplain in Sport

So what does Divine Providence look like for a chaplain in sport, or a pastor, for that matter? Divine Providence, honestly, allows me to breathe. Because of Divine Providence, I can relinquish that which, otherwise, I might hold too tightly to. Whether a relationship, a hope or dream, or some moment in time – in ministry, we can hold on to such things and struggle to let go. The impending result can be physically, spiritually, and emotionally damaging.

Divine Providence allows me as a chaplain (or pastor) the ability to let go of a person that I am counseling or helping and allow them to receive help elsewhere. Divine Providence helps direct my vision so that I don’t become consumed with the momentary, small details, but allows me to rest in seeing (or not seeing) whatever it is (that relationship, hope, moment) in a larger view.

Divine Providence also allows me permission to rest from certain labors – knowing that there are limits and points that I have reached where I cannot go on and only God can intervene. Chaplains can tend to have what we term “Messiah complexes” – here is where we must save everyone. We must fix everything that is broken and wrong. We must set people on the right path and make sure they stay there. Divine Providence (and my surrender to it) reminds me that I am only a vessel for working with; a creature in the hands of the Creator – not the Creator, himself; a spiritual physician, but not the Great Physician; a helper of healing but not the Ultimate Healer.

As you reflect on the story of Christmas this week – as you see the ways in which God moves in and out of the story with his Divine Providence, consider the ways that God has moved within your own life and story – to bring you to the place where you currently are. And may you be encouraged to know that God is involved in your life, and with great love.

Blessings

IMG

 

 

 

 

Rev. Brad Kenney

From the Rev: The Shepherds of Advent

Shepherds of Advent at the Christmas creche

We discover the shepherds of Advent in Luke 2:8-20. You will recall that Advent has to do with waiting; Advent has to do with living in expectancy. And, as the shepherds of Advent journey to the creche at Christmas their hearts are filled with awe and wonder. The shepherd’s story has long captured the imagination of many throughout the years – whether in church Christmas plays and dramas with young kids hitting each other with paper staffs or in the professionally-made films and productions with robed and burly-looking men playing the part. Who were these men, these boys (perhaps), who were visited by an angelic messenger, serenaded by a host of angels, and sent on their way to discover a baby in a manger? What special place do the shepherds hold in the heart of history and the nativity narrative? Why them? And who are the shepherds of Advent to us today?

ShepherdWho Were the Shepherds of Advent?

Simply put, the shepherds were quite low in society during ancient times. Their occupation of tending and guarding sheep was not highly sought after – it was a task usually reserved for single men who had no family, no children – no inheritance or future, to speak of. The task of shepherding also often fell to the youngest child in the family because that child would have so little share of any future family inheritance.

In addition to being childless and without an inheritance, shepherds would have generally been considered “unclean” (at least according to Jewish ceremonial law) by the nature of their work in the outdoors. Any incidental contact with a dead carcass of an animal, or certain bug and creatures would make shepherds need to undergo an extensive process of becoming physically and ceremonially clean, before being able to worship in the temple. This made the life of a shepherd incredibly lonely and isolated.

Some other characteristics of shepherds in contrast with farmers (who had better social and economic standing in ancient times). Shepherds usually were tenants – renting land from the farmers. Of course, with little or no power, the shepherds were at the mercy of the farmer who had land and wealth. The farmer could designate which land was for grazing (typically, it was land ill-suited for any real purpose of growing crops). The farmer could set the price and could ask the shepherds to leave at any time.

Shepherds, because of this, tended to be nomadic and migratory kinds of workers – they had to move constantly. Wherever they could find suitable land for grazing, they were constantly on the move (almost daily) to find grass for the sheep to graze on. This meant that shepherds had no homes to speak of – nothing stable, tents if they were lucky, but usually they were exposed to the elements with, literally, only the clothes on their backs as their earthly possession.

Shepherds also had to live off their flocks – bartering milk, cheese. Sometimes, if the shepherd didn’t own the flocks themselves, they had to make do with whatever could be gained. It was a constant work of finding the best deal. Looking for leftovers, fighting for their survival.

Nativity window angel appearing to shepherds detail by PowellWhy the Message Meant so Much

The shepherds response to the angelic message might seem foreign to us today – especially, those of us in the West who have or come from affluence – what, with all the running around and hurrying off to see a baby in a manger. Most of us do not appreciate the challenge of being a shepherd. Most of us have not know the hard work, the instability, the fragility, the lack of a hope and future. But knowing the shepherds and how they lived life and the hardships they bore, maybe we can see a little bit more clearly why the angel’s message meant so much to them.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

These men – marginalized, on the fringe of society, with no hope of future inheritance (monetarily) or legacy (lineage and line); to these men is born. Those two words change everything. Those two words mean the world. Those two words turn the hopeless, futureless occupation upside-down. This is why the town of Bethlehem is besieged by the racing shepherds who practically invade a sleepy village and raise a ruckus with a joyous story rising among them.

The Shepherds of Advent and Professional Sports

Of course, as a chaplain to a professional sports team, I often reflect on the biblical narrative amongst the context of ministry where I find myself – what does a shepherd’s journey have to do with professional athletes?

Greg Dalby (former Rapids midfielder)

For Greg Dalby (former Colorado Rapids midfielder) the professional soccer journey was often lonely and full of many transitions.

Forgive me if you feel that some of my pondering is a stretch, but consider for a moment:

  • Many in professional sports are constantly tenants, migratory moving from city to city and team to team
  • Many in professional sports have failed or failing marriages and families – often leaving many single
  • Many in professional sports, while earning a range of money* make poor financial decisions and sometimes are left with bankruptcy and in poverty
  • Many in professional sports, because of their jobs are excluded from typical communities of worship by virtue of the days and times that they play and perform
  • Many in professional sports lack a moral or spiritual hope or future because there is such an emphasis and pressure on physical performance and results
  • Many in professional sports have followers and fans that listen to their voice and hang upon every action and activity of their “shepherd” but often feel alone

*Major League Soccer’s minimum salary is $36,500; view this visual comparison chart to see a breakdown of MLS salaries from 2014 based on teams and individual players.

While on the outside, those in professional sports may not seem to be the shepherds of our day, there are similarities within their lives and stories to the ways in which the shepherds live. It is to these similarities that, as a team chaplain, we must sometimes speak.

Chaplain to the Shepherds of Advent?

As a chaplain, the historical charge and commission of our vocation, necessitates that we serve as messengers of hope – much like that angel of the Lord that appeared in the middle of the night to the shepherds of Advent. As guardians of that which is sacred, we remind those that we come in contact with – that we:

bring…good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

And somewhere, in the shadow side of all the “glory” of being in professional sport – where the hurt and pain and loneliness are like 10-foot giants in a land threatening to destroy these people – there is a dawning of a new day. There is a glimpse of a distant, yet, expanding light that promises something true, a future, against the oppressive cold of night.

As a chaplain to those in professional sports – whether it is working with the athletes, coaches, executive staff, or even the fans – we are always encountering people that are in a state of expectancy and anticipation. Much like Advent, they are waiting fro something to happen – a championship, a new contract, a skilled player or coach acquisition. Always waiting, always hoping – but nothing satisfies. Sometimes there is a great message or “good news” for the club but it doesn’t have that eternal quality or value that the message did on that night some 2000 years ago. As a chaplain, we carry that message. As a chaplain we re-present that message. As a chaplain we give that message away – daily – whether silently through our service or in other ways through our words, our counsel, or our love.

Whatever field or vocation you find yourself in, if you are a Christ-follower, if you have bent the knee at the Christmas creche, then you, too, have a duty to go and share the Good News – to share this message of hope to the marginalized, to the futureless. If you have lived, at all, a fraction of that nomadic, tenant-like shepherds of Advent life, then you know what I am talking about.

Let’s hike up our robes, and go tell some other people.

Blessings

IMG

 

 

 

 

Rev. Brad Kenney

 

From the Rev: Living In Expectancy

Mary and Elizabeth live in expectancyKey themes for the Advent season include expectancy and expectations. Mario Albertinelli’s The Visitation captures the one and leads us to reflect on the other. As you observe Mary and Elizabeth, in this poignant depiction of the narrative found in Luke 1 – perhaps you can anticipate the senses of expectancy and expectation that both women carry.

Reflections on Mary and Elizabeth

Consider, that both women are pregnant for the first time – Mary in her young age as a virgin and Elizabeth in her old age as one who has been barren. Both women have been divinely told that they will have sons. Both women have been given a glimpse of their son’s future. Both women are alone – Mary is not married to Joseph and has not been with a man; Elizabeth, while she made love to Zechariah, he has been a mute ever since returning from the temple. Both women now live with an eye of scandal cast about them – Mary because she is a virgin and was betrothed to Joseph is seen as an unfaithful whore and Elizabeth has born the shame of childlessness for so many years, it is unclear the present condition of shame, but either past or present she has lived with much shame for so long.

As the children grow in side the wombs of these mothers to be – this is an entirely new experience for both – there is sickness, discomfort, feelings of hope and elation, there is perhaps disappointment, and of course, there is an element of shame and feeling alone. Both women are expectant. Both carry expectations. We see, only briefly, each women’s response to what they carry within.

As I reflected this past week on both women’s circumstances, attitudes and responses I was encouraged by another person to consider the importance of living in the expectancy and not the expectations. As I considered his direction, my eyes were illuminated – it can be very dangerous as human beings to live in the expectation. As Christians, we must necessarily live with a sense of expectancy – this is part and parcel of our faith and our hope. When I live with expectancy, I am waiting for something to happen – there is a level of preparedness and readiness. When I live in the expectations, the danger becomes that I can become consumed with or disappointed by or depressed when the expectations are not met or are met in an entirely different way.

Consider, again, Mary and Elizabeth – in their day, women did not know whether a child was a boy or a girl. They had to wait – 9 months, before that truth be made known. In those days, male children were valued above girls for many reasons – including having a legacy or leaving an inheritance. Can you imagine the disappointment for a childless woman who gave birth to a daughter instead of the hoped for son? Living deep within the expectation of having a son, closes off the joy and beauty of simply being blessed with a child. I know this for myself, as for the birth of one of our daughters we didn’t find out the gender before she was born. I was hopeful, eager to find out, “Will it be a boy?” And, I felt sheepishly guilty when I discovered that it was not a boy. I felt guilty because I had gotten too caught up in thinking it might be my first son and I feel that I missed something.

Reflections on Major League Soccer

This past week in Major League Soccer, there was a lot of movement and action. A short trade window, an Expansion Draft to help two new teams coming into the league fill out their rosters, another trade window, another draft to allow teams to sign players that had been released from other teams, another draft to allow teams to sign out of contract players – for many players and their families there was a great sense of expectancy and expectation.

Christ Wingert expectancyOf course, the experts around these times often postulate what will happen and to whom. Such as in this mock draft done by league writers and experts Andrew Wiebe and Matt Doyle for the MLS Expansion Draft. Of course, the real draft results didn’t quite match up to the expert ideas, but there were some players that knew that they were in mix for consideration and perhaps even began to develop their own “expectations.” Consider former Real Salt Lake’s Chris Wingert (whom also played for the Colorado Rapids for two seasons) – even in the midst of the opportunity to go home to native New York, the loss of being with the club and players he has spent a majority of time and won a championship was also difficult.

Back to Mary, for a minute, what were her expectations? There were many as she pondered and puzzled perhaps over the Christ-child being born to her. There were angelic messengers, there were strange prophecies including one who said “A sword will pierce your own soul” (not exactly what a new mother wants to hear about her child), a midnight leaving and fleeing in the night to a foreign country, moving here and there, losing her child in a major city, being rejected by her own son when he was older – and many other events in the life of Jesus – all culminating in Mary standing before a Roman cross with her naked son exposed for all the world to see and dying the death of a criminal. In that moment – had Mary been living in the “expectation” rather than in “expectancy” I believe that she would have been destroyed (reference Judas whose expectations of Messiah were not met and he killed himself).

Back to the athletes that we work with at CrossTraining – so many of them live in the expectation. As athletes and coaches, and staff in an entertainment environment where results matter and the is a constant pressure to perform and achieve and win – it is difficult to not get trapped in living in expectation. Whatever the end-goal is – whether making the playoffs or defeating an opponent or player development – expectation rules. While sometimes language of expectancy bubbles to the surface, “We are in a rebuilding process…” it is rare to find those in our sphere of ministry that understand and value life with expectancy.

Just Business?

It might be said that this is business – expectations and demands rule the day, here. But what often happens is that the expectation blurs into life and character. The rash of professional and collegiate athletes committing suicide is Nick Firchauperhaps an indicator that there is something not quite right here. A few weeks ago, MLS Senior Editor Nick Firchau wrote an extensive article on the issue of mental health amongst athletes in MLS and Landon Donovan’s legacy. Much was spoken about the need for psychologists and therapists to help athletes cope with the mounting pressures. But nary a word was spoken about team chaplains or chaplaincy around the league. This might be understood in a couple different ways, either Firchau isn’t familiar with the presence of chaplains (and thus, didn’t include them in his interview or research) or the effectiveness of our presence is limited.

True, there are different types of chaplains around the league – some are trained chaplains, some are evangelists, others are pastors who volunteer their time – but the message that we carry, that we must carry to those we work with must be about living in the expectancy.

What Does Living in Expectancy Look Like?

peregrinatio and expectancyWith expectancy, I do not get caught up so much in the details (i.e. expectations) rather, I ready myself for something much more simple – that something is about to happen. Many times as a chaplain when I drive into the training ground, I do not know what to expect for the day. I often use the Celtic/Latin term peregrinate to describe this way of living and moving. To capture this essence, an illustration: Celtic monks used to travel by boat to different villages. Peregrinatio was a form in which they would travel understanding that their journey was Divinely-led. The monks would push off from shore, but then pull in the oars and let the wind, waves, and tide take them to their destination. They would pray that God would lead them to the village or people that they needed to minister to that day. They were expectant that God would lead them to the right place, at the right time and would provide for all they needed (wisdom, strength, patience, etc.). When they arrived at the place that they felt God had led them – they would get onto shore and begin to minister and work and live amongst the people – all the while realizing that they had been prepared by their time in the boat.

As a chaplain and as a pastor at a mega-church, much of my role is about leading people into understanding the differences between expectation and expectancy and encouraging them to live in the latter. Even for myself, as I lead this ministry of CrossTraining, it is hard not to get caught up in the expectations. But God is calling us to live in the place of expectancy where we leave the details up to Him. If He should choose to work in a particular manner, that is what I must surrender to Him. If He should choose, even, to not use me – I must be okay with that and surrender that to Him. When we do that, when we let go of the expectations and live in expectancy we can take greater joy in the journey. We can see the wonderful way that God is shaping and forming His kingdom. And we can celebrate the arrival that we have been waiting a life-time for.

Blessings

IMG

 

 

 

Rev. Brad Kenney

From the Rev: Waiting for Christmas

Screen Shot 2014-11-30 at 12.32.04 PMWe are currently in the season of the year, known to Christians as Advent. Advent precedes Christmas and in earlier years it was celebrated as the 40 days before Christmas. Now, the season is typically observed beginning the four Sundays before Christmas. But the meaning of Advent has remained the same throughout the years – it is a time of preparation for the coming of the King. Perhaps, the theme phrase of the season can best be summed in the words of John the Baptist as he echoes the ancient prophet Isaiah,

I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way – a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ (Mark 1:2-3)

The season speaks to ancient times when heralds would travel in advance of the king – employing the people to begin the work of rebuilding the roads and ensuring the safe passage of the king. The season also speaks to a time of waiting – the arrival of the king in those days was never happened at a guaranteed or known time. Travel was slower and many things could delay a royal procession or caravan.

Screen Shot 2014-11-30 at 12.49.59 PM

Fans await Germany’s National Team arrival after winning the World Cup in Brazil this past summer

For the professional athletes that I work with, this season of Advent, with its themes of waiting and arrival has special meaning. There is a waiting for news contracts, news of being drafted by a team, a long-awaited wedding ceremony, or even looking ahead to the preseason. There are also  ‘arrivals’ – perhaps a trip home to be with loved ones during the holidays, a training stint with a foreign club, or maybe a newborn child coming.

Of course, there are other ways in which the themes of the Advent season plays out, but all of these are a shadow of the one true ‘waiting,’ the waiting that anticipates that arrival of the King. Not everyone knows or understands this, and fewer truly can celebrate it and as Dietrich Bonhoeffer once put it – the richness of Advent is often lost upon many people.

The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come. – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

To be honest, this is the challenge – not necessarily just to pro athletes, but perhaps to all who live in the Western world and in countries of affluence. There is little that troubles our souls and even the things that can trouble our soul (like an illness or disease) we often attempt to control or spend a lot of resources in order to minimize the effects. In modern times, we don’t like waiting – a slow computer, a long queue or line for shopping – these things annoy and frustrate us and we lose sight of what is important.

So how do we wait well? Waiting well is linked to preparation – in waiting for a child to be born there is a room to be prepared, clothes and other supplies to collect, things to be learned. In waiting for a spot in the starting lineup – the reserve player has skills to refine and fitness to gain as well as education about the game. In the other spaces where we find ourselves waiting, we will do well to fill the waiting times and spaces with preparation – a long line at the grocery store can become a time to ready a heart for time spent with family, a wait for a doctor’s diagnosis on the biopsy can become a space to pray and ready one’s heart for whatever the determination.

During this Advent season, no matter where you find yourself, may you be one who is waiting well for Christmas.

Blessings,

Rev. Brad Kenney

From the Rev: Healing the Waywardness

Screen Shot 2014-11-25 at 3.35.30 PM “I will heal their waywardness
    and love them freely,
    for my anger has turned away from them.”

– The Lord speaking through Hosea to Israel, Hosea 14:4

The words of the prophet Hosea were poignantly delivered to me in the form of a ministry charge during my ordination service. It is a powerful charge – heal their waywardness and love them freely. The two-pronged charge has become a guardrail in terms of my ministry as pastor and as chaplain.

First, to heal their waywardness speaks to one of the most foundational functions of the pastoral office – healing. How does one heal waywardness? Some of the people that I encounter in ministry don’t even know that they are sick or in need of healing – sure they know that something is not right, but they often refuse the curative movements that are necessary. Some of those who have sat in my office or across the coffee shop table have been carrying a brokenness of the soul that has, like a bone break that has mended wrongly, left them disfigured and disabled. Sometimes, healing means another breaking so that the bone might be set properly. Sometimes, I am not the person to offer the healing – if the wound is beyond my skill, I must pass them to a specialist. Some receive the referrals, others do not. Often, healing involves a lengthy process – if someone is dealing with grief and loss or with trauma, or with sin – there can be a process of healing and rehabilitating that needs intentionality and companionship. Not everyone is willing to endure the process or apply themselves to the work of healing.

The second component to the charge is to love them freely. This can be incredibly difficult – to watch people hurting others or themselves by their choices, their decisions and knowing that they cannot (within their own power) heal themselves. It is hard, at times, to love freely – I would rather fix, I would rather just tell them to “get over and on with it.” So, whilst this is sometimes the difficult of the balance act – it is a check and balance. I certainly cannot love freely, out of my own self, but only through the strength of the Lord. And, as I am called to represent God to so many different people – people who are near and who are far from the Lord, it is this part of the character and nature of God that is so vitally important. When people are loved freely it opens them to the Divine possibilities of healing and restoration – because this is not how the world treats people. The world is always asking something of us, demanding that we give and give and we rarely receive.

This work, both in healing and loving, can be extremely costly at times – but it is all a part of God’s redemptive process. Consider Hosea – he marries a woman (Gomer) who is prostitute. They begin a family – but Gomer returns to her life of prostitution . Hosea goes and pays a hefty price to redeem his wife – 15 pieces of silver and a portion of grain. Hosea’s price would have been equal to that of the monetary value associated with a person’s life in ancient times (see Leviticus 27:4, Exodus 21:32). Scholars believe that Hosea may not have been wealthy enough to redeem Gomer for the full monetary price (30 shekels of silver) and so he pays the difference in an agricultural fashion. In terms of my own ministry, I understand this to mean that God is asking me to spare no expense in this activity of healing and loving. So many times, I feel that I am piecing together all that I have to redeem, to restore, to heal the waywardness and love freely, but this is the activity and love of God that he calls us to. And it should not be lost on us, that Jesus was betrayed by Judas for 30 pieces of silver. Here, we continue to see the interplay of God’s redeeming love throughout all time – that he would command Hosea to pay the price to redeem Gomer (who also served to illustrate Israel’s relationship with God) and that God’s own Son, Jesus would be betrayed for such a price. But still, God chooses to love. Still God chooses to heal. And so must we.Screen Shot 2014-11-25 at 4.12.55 PM

Blessings,

Rev. Brad Kenney

From the Rev: Remembering Martin

This past Tuesday, November 11, was Veterans Day, but it also serves as the feast day for the patron Saint Martin of Tours. St. Martin has a special place in the heart for the for me personally and for the ministry of CrossTraining. If you don’t know the story, Martin was a soldier in the Roman army, following in the footsteps of his father. One day, outside the city gates of Amiens in France he met a beggar who was naked and out in the cold. As the story goes, Martin cut his cloak in half and clothed the beggar half. Later that night, resting with his garrisoned troops in the city, he had a vision of Jesus Christ appearing before him and saying,

Martin you have clothed me with this cloak.

According to tradition, Martin understood Jesus to be calling him to a devoted life as a Christian follower. He left his military commission and led a monastic lifestyle, eventually becoming Bishop of Tours. His disciples were known for working and ministering in converted pagan shrines and telling people about the love of Jesus. Martin’s disciples eventually became known by Martin’s famous cloak. The word “cappella” is where we derive the word for chapel and chaplain. Martin and his disciples were known for being “keepers of the sacred” – not that the cloak was sacred, but the act of sharing the cloak with someone in need was sacred.

As I continue in this work of serving as a chaplain in the world of sport, there are many times of “sharing the cloak” with a person in need – sometimes it was in leading a funeral service, other times in offering a listening ear, some times in simply being with someone in the midst of their pain.

Today, let me encourage you to share your cloak with someone in need, wherever you are. You might be on your way into the city and you see someone that needs food. You might be at work and a co-worker has just experienced a loss in their life. You might have a neighbor or friend who are on the brink of devastation. Take a moment to share and cover them in their need. They will see the light of Jesus in the thing that you do, and who knows, maybe even Jesus will appear to you and remind you that when you do these things to the least of these…you do it unto him.

Blessings,

Rev. Brad Kenney

From the Rev: Rest

While the offseason can mean many things for professional athletes the most integral part of this time is to capitalize on the opportunity to find rest. With the Major League Soccer season beginning preseason preparations in February and the championship game being held in mid-December, there is little true rest to be had for the players and their families who endure such a lengthy season. Even the offseason, with its time away from the game presents many different opportunities that get in the way of taking that rest.

Screen Shot 2014-11-10 at 4.25.44 PM

Rapids Defender Jared Watts gets treatment from Assistant Trainer Michael Heitkamp.

For some players, they can spend several weeks overseas training with other clubs. Others will be invited into camp for their respective national teams to play in friendly matches. Still others have the task of rehabbing the injury that ended a season or that they suffered with throughout the year. Still others will try to find to get married, return home, or spend some time with friends and family that have had to come second to their professional careers throughout the season. Some of the athletes that I work with will be worried about coming into preseason camp at the appropriate weight; others have an offseason workout plan to keep them on track. So, what does rest in this world look like?

By definition, rest means to “cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength.” It can also find a range of definiton from sleeping to death. In truth, rest for the athlete (and really for us) should be close to the idea of sabbath that are part of Judeo-Christian values. Within the framework of the Jewish and Christian faiths, there is this idea that one ought to “rest” from normal labors and to consider, with thanksgiving, God and the blessings that he has bestowed.

Disc Golf provides a lot of rest for me.

As a pastor and chaplain, my rest often is found in spending time with my family or playing disc golf with some friends. Occasionally, my rest includes going on a trip or retreat. There are many different ways that I try to find rest – some friends of mine don’t feel “rested” until they have pushed their bodies to the brink of physical exhaustion with a mountain climb or bike ride. What this speaks to is the need for our bodies and our souls to experience “rest” – rest is not merely physical, but it is emotional and spiritual as well. And with the taxing demands of our world – consider with social media and how “in touch” we are, today, there is even more need for rest than ever before.

Perhaps as you consider your own need for rest you might take a stress/burnout inventory test such as this one from Psychology Today. Another way to assess is to look at your calendar – how much margin and space do you have? For you? For your family? For God? I pray that you will take steps – just like I need to, to find rest. A final thought – consider the words of God to the prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 6:16), for a people needing rest:

This is what the Lord says:

“Stand at the crossroads and look;
    ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
    and you will find rest for your souls.

Blessings,

Rev. Brad Kenney

From the Rev: Coming to the End

Screen Shot 2014-10-20 at 2.44.40 PMLast night, marked the final game of the 2014 season for the Colorado Rapids. In a season which began with much promise, to say the end was “disappointing” would be an understatement. The Rapids went on a 14-game winless streak to finish the season 8th in the Western Conference. With an uncertain future ahead – many of the players comprising the Rapids current roster may or may not be with the team next season. Add in the expansion drafts of 2015 which will help NYCFC and Orlando City fill out their rosters as well as the rumored dismantling of league-owned Chivas USA and there will be a tremendous amount of dismantling next season with the Rapids and around the league. While these things represent a heavy burden for chaplains to help players, coaches, and staff to carry – there were many opportunities, too, to provide care.

DSC_2359In addition to the Colorado Rapids season result, CrossTraining’s work with Valor Christian High School soccer program also had a disappointing end to the season – a younger team, disciplinary issues within the program, and some difficult losses – all of these made for a challenging year on the high school front. However, on the positive side, there were some unique opportunities to speak into the lives of parents and players and come along side of them in different ways to support them at different moments in life.

In coming to the end, as a chaplain, we tend to look back reflectively over the past season – we try to assess where we saw God working in different situations and in people’s lives, we look critically at the work we did well and the places where we fell short, and we look forward with eyes toward next year, next season to see where we might grow in our faith and where we might grow in our pastoral support of others.

Ends are usually difficult because in coming to the end we must usually say goodbye – whether to people or to philosophies or beliefs that we once held close. For the Valor boys, there are seniors who will move on to college. For the Rapids, there are players who will be traded or waived, there will be staff who move on to other positions or other companies. Ending are not easy, especially in the relational work of caring.

Even Jesus, in coming to the end of his life on earth, and then before his accession to heaven – knew that the end(s) was going to be difficult – leaving friends and family behind. But Jesus gave a promise (his presence), a command (the Great Commission), and a ritual (communion) to help with the ending. As chaplains, we, too don’t merely arrive at endings without at least trying to offer something similarly as Jesus did. We may not be able to be present at all times where life takes them, but we can continue to be present for key moments and times (like the death of a loved one). We may not be able to have direct influence (reminding them of their faith, etc.), but we can connect them to others that can serve them in these ways. And we may not be able to share things like communion at distance, but we can have moments now and remind each other of times to come in the future. And in all of these ways, we might hope and pray that we can come to the various endings in life and sport in ways that are healthy and wholesome.

Blessings,

Rev. Brad Kenney

From the Rev: Someone between Ezra and Nehemiah

During seminary, I recall a particular moment when I was contemplating what future ministry would look like: one scenario, meant fundraising for salary and ministry to work with the Colorado Rapids as chaplain; the other scenario, meant working and doing the chaplaincy within the “margins” of life and work. As I relayed my fear and aversion of trying to raise money to my best friend, he simply said, “Oh, you must be an Ezra.” His statement caught me off-guard and I begged an elaboration. He proceeded to share that in looking at different personality types, it had been helpful for him to compare the contemporaries of Ezra and Nehemiah. Both men of God, they both made a return to Jerusalem in different ways. Nehemiah went and asked the king, Ezra was simply sent. Thinking I had discovered myself, I proclaimed, “Yep, that’s me, Ezra. Just send me, Lord!” However, my friend didn’t let me off so easy – sometimes within ministry we need to be like Ezra and sometimes we need to be like Nehemiah. But I don’t like the whole asking-for-money thing, I explained to my friend. It doesn’t matter, if God lays something on your heart…

Today, I have come to know that part of God’s call on my life has been the ministry that serves as CrossTraining. Direct chaplaincy ministry to the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer and an indirect, yet continuing ministry to hundreds of alumni that are now scattered around the globe for me this community are the “returned exiles” that I weep for and am heartbroken for before God, much like what is described in Nehemiah 1. And so, while I might want badly to remain in my Ezra-like self, I would like to take this moment to be more Nehemiah-esque and come before some kings.

In the last few weeks, CrossTraining as a ministry has had a tremendous amount of outreach and support to a former player and his wife and family that some of you (if you follow CrossTraining via our email updates) will have known about. There is no price or value that can be placed on the tremendous privilege of serving and ministering to this family, but it has come at a tremendous cost to the ministry and I need to plainly ask for help in supporting CrossTraining as we look to continue and carry out our ministry this season. We would be tremendously blessed to have regular, monthly donors come alongside of this ministry and give a gift of $25, $50, $100, or more on a monthly basis. And we have a simple need, right now, of just restoring some of our funding after a heavy ministry month – so even a one-time gift will be a great encouragement as we look to serve the people that God has called us to serve.

Friend, if you are reading this far, I will attempt to step out in faith and try to be someone between Ezra and Nehemiah and ask, “Would you grant us favor? Would you support CrossTraining and this work, financially?” And if God should so move your heart to join us and support the work that we do, I can only tell you that you are joining in a wonderful work of helping to restore the broken, to proclaim the name of Christ amongst nations (literally), and being present with people in the midst of the grief and pain of this life. Please consider us and look on us with favor, and we thank God as you do.

Blessings,

Rev. Brad Kenney

Community Projects

Contact Us

Chaplain Login

Privacy Policy

© 2024 Soccer Chaplains United

Donate via PushPay