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From the Rev: Coming Back

To be honest, I have been discouraged. This season has not started as I might have hoped – as a chaplain in professional sport sometimes we derive a lot of encouragement and energy from meeting with players and studying the Bible or doing life at some point during the week. It has been difficult to get things going – perhaps its all the new faces, maybe its just a different generation, maybe its me. But Saturday night, I was reminded of something that is much more vital in terms of our chaplaincy work. You might even say it is more vital in the space of our work as Christians. Let me share this with you in the telling of a short story.

He walked with a casual gait. It had been a long, difficult game. Away from the confines of home, it was the team’s first win of the season. A smile. But for him, the game held so much more significance. Two years ago, almost to the day, this young man had left the same stadium but in an ambulance. His leg broken in two different places, he would need emergency surgery to save his leg. His dreams of playing football in jeopardy. April 22. It was Good Friday, but for him perhaps it was too difficult to call anything that day or in the days to follow good. There were many questions about whether there would ever be an Easter-like resurrection for Steve Zakuani.

Zakuani is stretchered off in 2011.

I don’t know if he remembered me – whether jumping in the back of the ambulance to pray before he left the stadium for the hospital, or visiting post-surgery and praying around his bedside, or helping get him to the airport and home to Seattle on a private plane or taking his father to the airport. But as I spoke with him in the hallway after the game, I encouraged him to keep working hard, to keep coming back. Sometimes, this is what our faith needs – we need an encouraging word in our lives to keep us working hard and seeking the Lord. Whether in the midst of discouragement or adversity, we need to keep coming back or as someone once put it “it’s not that saints never fall, but they get back up.” By the grace of God, we fall down, we get up.

As I drove away from the stadium and pondered the seeming full circle that two years had brought, I was moved to consider my own discouragement. Maybe I felt that the “ministry” work was broken or some of my own hopes and dreams shattered. Maybe I have simply fallen into the trap of wanting to influence a lot of people, rather than being content to work in the lives that God has called me to for the moment – chaplain or  pastor, we sometimes want to touch as many lives as possible. But numbers aren’t important. Accolades, or recognition, or “success” (whether from a worldly perspective or Christian subculture perspective) isn’t important. The important thing is being present, being faithful to this call. The important thing is to keep coming back, back to a place where God can use us in whatever way He chooses, or in whatever way He chooses not to – it’s His prerogative. Coming back until He asks us to go or do or be somewhere, something, or someone else.

God help Steve. God help me. God help us in coming back.

Blessings,

Rev. Brad Kenney

From the Rev: Abusers in the Game

If you have ever been around professional sports environments, you know that there are often polarizing figures who not only play the sport, but coach or work at the executive levels of sport as well.  Amongst those involved in the game, there are varying levels of the antagonist  – from recent extremes such as former Rutgers basketball coach Mike Rice and former White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen to former pro and basketball commentator Charles Barkley or owner Mark Cuban. In the world, these personas have a voice amplified by the high cultural value placed on sport but there is often a lot of controversy surrounding the comments or behaviors of these iconic figures.

ESPN’s Rick Reilly comments on the latest Nike ad campaign which attempts to atone for Tiger’s behavior on and off the course, suggesting winning as a cure-all.

It may go without saying that there are tremendous pressures tied into professional sport – whether for a coach, player, or executive but does this necessarily serve as an excuse for abusive language and behavior sometimes exhibited by those who are in the sports spotlight?

In my years working in professional sport – whether in public relations or as team chaplain – I have seen plenty of chairs kicked across rooms, vocalized and gestured profanities. Some of them coming from persons claiming to be Christ-followers. Some of them coming from persons making no such claim. For those claiming to be Christian, there is a more profound condemnation as this is not to be part of our character (see Colossians 3 and Ephesians 4 which speak to putting off unwholesome talk and attitude).

For the Christian in these environments, the pressure is immense, the off-color locker room language and behavior has mob majority acceptance and tends to dishearten and disquiet those who might speak and act otherwise. There are few who feel strong enough to stand up against it – instead choosing to join in to gain acceptance or withdraw entirely. Here is where I have found from time to time, the presence of a chaplain is often helpful to abate or limit some of the behavior and language that goes on.

I recall one moment, walking into the training room, a player uttered a profanity in casual conversation with a team mate. Seeing me come to greet them, the player apologized, “Sorry, Rev., I shouldn’t have said that.” As chaplains, we have a preservative quality. We are like salt and light in the locker rooms and stadiums where we serve. The Holy Spirit inside of us often works to convict and limit the abusers in the game from getting out of control. It is often hard work – to be present to the sometimes verbal and emotional abuse that surrounds the professional game and to not carry that with us. It is only by the grace of God that we can be a helpful preservative.

In my prayer times for those in professional sport, I am challenged to pray for the abusers – that they would come to an awareness and conviction of their words and behaviors, that they would repentantly change, that God would honor and protect his people. Please join me in praying for them and for the chaplains that serve them.

Blessings,

Rev. Brad Kenney

From the Rev: Grieving Our Losses

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Rapids team members watch balloons float away after the service.

A few months ago, the Colorado Rapids team and organization was shaken terribly. The loss of one of our children at a tender and young age – made all close to the family pause and think – about life, about death, about cherishing what we have been given, and more. It was not the first loss in the history of the organization, but perhaps was the most difficult in my time and experience as the club chaplain.

The service that was held at the stadium was the first of its kind – a section of the stadium transformed so that this group, this family could gather and grieve. In the world of professional sport we are rarely confronted with the ultimate finality of death. Sure, there are careers that come to an end and dreams that are dashed in a moment in arenas of competition, but rarely is a death part of the fabric of an organization as young as the Colorado Rapids.

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It is in these moments, when chaplains are perhaps needed most – to offer comfort, to offer a peaceful presence, to listen, to mourn and grieve with those suffering. I am thankful for the many years of serving as a hospice chaplain and in pastoral care. It is imperative for chaplains to be trained in being sensitive and skilled in moments of grief and loss. For many that undertake chaplaincy there is lack of the education and development – even in many seminary-level courses. The investment in understanding grief and loss is important as many with whom we work have these critical moments in life.

So, if I could take just a moment and say a word of thanks – some of you have supported CrossTraining or even myself as an individual – whether by helping make a connection, or financially supporting the ministry, or offering another space for growth and development through education or some resource. Some of you have simply prayed for us  chaplains for the moments when we are confronted with grief and loss, that we would be wonderful representatives of God to the people we serve. Thank you for that investment. There may be many who never know and never fully appreciate and understand how you have indirectly helped them but helping us, but we (chaplains) thank you. And we pray that God blesses you in the moments when you, too, may have to grieve a great loss.

Blessings,

Rev. Brad Kenney

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

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.

Thomas-Mastroeni-FullKit

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

From the Rev: Coming Out

The recent blog posting by American forward Robbie Rogers, who has stepped back from football, announced that he was gay. In a moving post that has been tweeted and mentioned by many in the soccer world, Rogers wrote of the pain of the secrecy that he has had to live with and the difficulty of telling and explaining to his loved ones after 25 years. Soccer, for Rogers, became an escape and a way to hide his secret – but one can sense the pain with which Rogers wrote. He describes seemingly religious attitudes prevalent as he writes, “Try convincing yourself that your creator has the most wonderful purpose for you even though you were taught differently.”

Whilst Rogers didn’t state firmly that he is retiring, that he is stepping away from football is stated within the post. Rogers isn’t exactly a no-name in the sport, either. He played one year at Maryland before turning pro and playing in the Dutch Eredivise for a year. His return to Major League Soccer and time spent with the Columbus Crew he helped lead the club to a MLS championship in 2008. Rogers left Columbus to play for English side Leeds United AFC. Rogers also played for the United States Men’s National Team, scoring a goal against Mexico in a 2011 friendly.

Rogers’ announcement is vaguely reminiscent of Justin Fashanu, who played football in England and openly admitted his homosexuality in 1990; though, perhaps without the tabloid aura surrounding his announcement. Commentary on Fashanu suggests that there was a serious burden which resulted from his announcement and the subsequent response from family. He committed suicide in 1998 after allegations of sexual assault.

Rogers’ “coming out” cannot simply be ignored by the chaplains working in sport, today. There is a real need for those who are working and ministering to clubs and athletes to develop a healthy conversation around ministry to the gay athlete as it perhaps will become increasingly commonplace in the world of sport. The conversation to be had must include best thinking on ministry praxis and the balance between theological truth and pastoral care. An announcement of this kind does not simply happen in a vacuum – there are many people affected – from family, friends, to teammates and fans. There will be some who want to use such an announcement to promote a particular agenda (and from many different sides, not just singularly). All of this comes at the expense of the person at the center.

In their classic book, Pastoral Care in Historical Perspective, William Clebsch and Charles Jaekle identify four functions of pastoral care – healing, guiding, reconciling, and sustaining. To be sure, there are applications for each function in situations such as the announcement that Rogers puts forth. Several mentions of “creator” in his blog post suggest some familiarity or acceptance of God or a “higher being” and most likely some experience with Christianity. But, an analysis of the blog text suggests a wounding coming from the church. As with Rogers and many others, there may be some serious barriers for how a chaplain might be received and whether a chaplain might convey well the love of God – especially in the American context where the issue of homosexuality is so polarizing and paralyzing amongst the different strains of fundamental, and liberal, and evangelical Christianity.

Please pray for those working with athletes in sport – as we engage in these and other difficult conversations. The environment of ministry is ever changing and as representatives of God, chaplains in sport must be prepared and ready, in season and out of season to be the best representatives and ambassadors to a world that is hurting and carrying so much pain. And God willing and empowering, we will do so.

Blessings,

Rev. Brad Kenney

From the Rev: Preseason Form

Preseason often offers a challenge to players, coaches, and chaplains alike.

For the player, there are the tasks of securing a contract, getting into match-fitness, making the starting 11, or, sometimes coming back from surgery or injury.

For the coaches, they must make decisions on what players to name to the squad, what positions need more support, what formation to play, and what strategies to employ through the season.

Teams spend their preseason time refining and working out the mechanics of the game and their work. Often, both player and coach are looking to work out of “preseason form” and begin to ascend to the peak of top shape, top form – physically and mentally. To accomplish this, each goes through rigorous exercise and repetitive drill – preparing over and over to do what must be done when the game is on the line, when they are playing for what counts. Preseason sometimes means extra work – “two a days” and weightlifting and strenuous tests and perfecting skills and re-forming professional habits.

Chaplains must, too, come out of preseason form – there are new faces and names to learn, there is planning for the season ahead, and even a bit of “spiritual conditioning” and exercise that must be taken on (whether praying, studying, or more). All of this with the purpose and intent of preparing to fill in a gap that exists for those who ply their trade in professional sport.

That gap often consists of the lack of community and connection into bodies of faith. Games, travel, practice, recovery – all are often at the mercy of the performance-driven culture in which the athletes, coaches, and staff are part of. Results and success are the drive and demand and there is little space for other things, especially if those things are deemed not worthy or not helpful in attaining the goal.

The chaplain, amongst other things is a representative of God, a connector to faith community, an advocate for persons and their well-being – body, mind, and soul. This work can be emotionally, mentally, and spiritually exhausting and chaplains must often times be “ready in season and out of season” to do the work that God has called each of us to. Your prayers and support in this work are tremendously important. So please take a moment, pray for your local chaplain working with sports teams. Pray that they work out the “preseason form.”

Blessings,

Rev. Brad Kenney

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