Christmas Eve Thoughts

It’s Christmas Eve, just in case you didn’t know by the date on the calendar or all the mad rushing around people are doing to finish their Christmas lists. Yesterday, my wife and I stood in line at a Wal-Mart for about an hour and this was at 10 at night. It would’ve been shorter, but the guy in front of us paid just about with only gift cards … I think he had 10 of them.

But, there is a greater reason for the season than the rush to get gifts and too often we are all caught up in that hustle and bustle. Christmas is remembering a precious event more than 2,000 years ago when the Son of God came to earth in the form of a child. The long-expected Messiah had come. Jesus was born.

Christ had come and with his birth came the earthly ministry that would change a world forever and restore us to relationship with God the Father.

This Christmas has a special meaning for me and my family. It comes at the end of a year that can only be described as special. There is a lot of joy in my heart this Christmas. First, my wife and I have enjoyed the first seven months of marriage and couldn’t be happier. Second, ordination is on track and I am excited about what God has in store for me in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia. Third, I’ve been blessed in so many ways this year through relationships and people that I am overwhelmed with thanksgiving.

I am also filled with a lot of hope. When Christ came to earth, he came in a period of darkness. The Romans dominated the people of Israel and even the prophetic tone of Isaiah, indicating the birth of Christ, came in the midst of political struggles and wars. There is a lot of darkness in the world today and I believe the love of Christ, and his birth, still shines and speaks through that. We, who follow Christ, have a special calling to live into that hope to seek justice in the midst of the darkness, to proclaim Christ’s love, and to bring hope to those who have lost all hope. What would it look like if we who are Christians looked at how we can bring God’s hope and love to those whom are in darkness? Instead of running, what if we engage? We talk a lot about helping, but what if we stopped the talk and started to get to work. I think we will and we are.

Wherever you are, I hope you have a Merry Christmas. And if you are stuck in the lines of your favorite department store today, remember patience is a virtue.

I Really Need to Get Back to Blogging More Regularly

OK, so I’m being a very good “blogger” for that I only blog once in a blue moon. My blog posts are less common, now a days, than a positive story in the news from a certain location in Orlando.

So, as we run down yet another semester and life seems to be more about managing migraines and ink levels on the printer, here are some random thoughts to get you through the day.

A Split National Champion is Possible

For only the second time in the BCS era, I believe it is quite possible that there will be a split national champion. While Alabama is the number 1 team in both polls, the scenario is set that there will be at least two and possibly three undefeated teams come the middle of January.

So, who is the national champion? Is it simply the winner of the Alabama-Texas BCS National Championship game because that is what the BCS organizers would hope for? Or is it difficult to name a winner because of multiple teams being undefeated.

If Texas wins the national championship game against Alabama, it will claim the BCS/Coaches’ Trophy, but I’m not sure the AP poll is a clinch, especially given the fact that Texas barely defeated Texas A&M and needed a second put back on the clock to beat Nebraska. Should Texas look less than impressive against Alabama in victory, then all bets are off on Texas winning the AP crown, especially given the fact that TCU and Boise State play in the Fiesta Bowl. The winner of that game, if an impressive game is played, could make an argument for the AP crown.

Same too for Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl. If the Big East champs would knock off Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators, it would open up a flood gates of arguments.

A split hasn’t taken place since 2003 when LSU and USC split the title and 2009-2010 is setting up for a split to take place once again.

Oh, where is Jim Mora when you need him to figure this stuff out.

Brian Kelly Meet Rich Rodriguez

Speaking of Cincinnati, head coach Brian Kelly did his best Rich Rodriguez impression last week prior to the game against Pittsburgh. One minute, Kelly was interested in Notre Dame. The next minute he was. Then again, he wasn’t interested.

Now, today, he is interviewing for the job at Notre Dame. The only thing different between Kelly and Rich Rodriguez, circa 2007 in regards to Michigan, is that Kelly defeated Pittsburgh, whereas WVU lost to the Panthers and cost it a shot at the national title.

The grass has not been greener for Rodriguez and I do not believe it will be for Kelly at Notre Dame as well.

Signs You’re Losing an Argument

Without getting into the politics of whether the nation should pass a massive revamping of the health care industry, recent comments made by Senate Majority Leader Henry Reid, D-Nev., seem to show that he is losing the argument not just with his fellow senators, but the nation as well.

Reid, who is up for re-election next year, said Republicans, who were against the measure, were the equivalent of those who supported slavery in the 1800s. Of course, the connection is wrong, misguided and hugely offensive to anyone. Not only is it logically foolery to make such a claim, it also takes away from the real debate that needs to take place on the issue.

The comment is nothing more than logical nonsense coming from a senator who is losing the argument on health care and, as polls indicate, likely his job as well.

Random Thoughts from the Orlando Airport

I am sitting in the Orlando airport after two emotional days with my family in Florida remembering the life of my Uncle Jimmy. I’ve been at the airport now for two hours with at least another hour before we board, at the earliest. Ah, you have to love that old saying the early bird gets the worm.

Well, this early bird is exhausted and looking forward to landing in Baltimore later this morning.

So here are some random thoughts as I prepare for morning takeoff to the Old Line State.

I Love the Florida Tolls … Note the Sarcasm

The Florida Turnpike and toll system has become the frustrating experience that, I believe, all toll roads attempt to be. I could be wrong, but I think I spent more on tolls than I did on gas.

You’d go a few miles and then, wait … time for a toll booth. Go a few more miles and here we go again, especially in downtown Orlando, which is a nightmare of driving all to itself.

But the most frustrating were the exit tolls and the demand to have exact coinage. Yes, there was one toll that I did not have the right coins … or any coins at all. A simple 50 cent toll and I didn’t have two George Washington’s on me. So what did I do? I did what any self-respecting man and NASCAR fan would do, I pulled the car off to the shoulder and hit the car into reverse all the way until it was safe to do a U-turn and get to where I was going.

I figured that was safer than standing out in the middle of the road with a sign saying “Does anyone have change for a $1?”

Next time I come to Orlando … I’m coming with a quarter roll.

Kirk Cameron and Darwin

CNN has been running stories this morning about Kirk Cameron, yes the guy from Growing Pains and the Left Behind series, has released his own version of Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species. The Cameron-authorized edition includes an introduction to intelligent design and offers critiques of Darwin, including linking his theories to racism and Hitler.

I do believe, as Christians, we should engage the world and to interact with popular theories that are held by people, especially those outside the faith. However, engagement means doing so in Holy Love and in harmony with one another. To engage means to learn from one another.

That does not seem to be what Cameron is attempting to do here. Instead, his plan seems to be a look-at-me attempt to reach out to people. It’s an attempt that will likely be met with disinterest instead of engagement.

There are better ways to engage than handing out books on a street corner of a college campus. Joining in relationship with those around us, respecting those of different opinions, and engagement in Christian love tops the list.

This does not.

NL Cy Young Goes to … Tim Lincecum?

Yesterday, Tim Lincecum won his second consecutive NL Cy Young Award in what could be described as a shocker to some. While the Giants ace won just 15 games, he led the league in strikeouts. What is shocking about the award win is that Adam Wainwright, of St. Louis who finished third in the voting, was expected to win the award.

So what happened?

Most likely Wainwright was hurt by Chris Carpenter, who had an equally impressive season highlighted by his comeback from injuries this season. The two teammates were the heart of soul of the Cardinals’ pitching rotation and likely took votes away from each other.

But with Wainwright finishing third, it’s likely that he cost Carpenter more votes than anything else. What is more amazing about all of this is that Carpenter had openly campaigned for Wainwright to win the award.

And Finally …

This video should inspire laughter on this Friday morning. Enjoy!

What is the Role of Politics in the Church?

For decades, the role of Christians in politics has been intensely debated. In the United States, there has been the rise and fall of the Christian right, which helped usher conservatives into office and elect President George W. Bush. Yet many Christians are turned off by the political arena, feeling it is not a proper area to seek and to serve God. Others focus on one issue only. So what is the proper role of Christians? It is my belief that as Christians we have a responsibility to participate in the public arena. It is just one of many arenas where we should seek to transform the people and communities around us, but it must be done responsibly and in reverence to God.

This view is akin to that of the Christ as the Transformer of Culture. This view recognizes that society and humanity is sinful, but believes “that something can be done to transform society into a desired religious ideal.”  More directly, “God the creator and God the redeemer are one, and thus redemption is not a move away from the world but a transformation of the world that God created and still rules.” In the political arena, this viewpoint acknowledges that society is sinful. This sinfulness has led to a multitude of injustices that must be addressed by engaging not just members of our congregations, but the leaders who have a responsibility to address many of the injustices that plague society, such as inequality, racism, and abuse of women and children. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” There is a call to advocate where injustice occurs, both in the political arena and in society at large, and to seek the transformation of society. In doing so, the hope is to move the debate of key issues towards a deeper “reflection of the Kingdom of God” by advocating for the “least of the these”5 and true justice in the eyes of God.

It is important to understand what justice looks like. If we are to engage in the political sphere and the culture around us, we must do so with a Christ-centered view of justice and out of a response of a “faith that expresses itself through love.” In Amos, we are called to “hate what is evil, love what is good, and maintain justice in the courts,” which appears to be a call to advocate for justice and social reform. Isaiah expands on this more, saying, “seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” Jeremiah says we are to “do what is just and right,” but also warns against those who “build his palace by unrighteousness.” Justice means being an advocate for the voiceless, for those who have no advocate who will speak for them. To transform a society and a political culture means to let our voices be heard so the injustices done to others may no longer go unnoticed.

Transforming a society must be done out of love, which is similar to the teleological-ethic of love found in the writings of Augustine concerning justice. He writes, “The love, then, whom we are describing, will get from justice this rule of life, that he must with perfect readiness serve the God whom he loves, the highest good, the highest wisdom, the highest peace; and as regards all other things, must either rule them as subject to himself, or treat them with a view to their subjection.” For Augustine, “justice is love serving God only and everything else gets ordered right under that.” Love and grace is central to our involvement in transforming a society and in our involvement with government.

It is important for Christians to recognize government serves an important function. Hollinger suggests it is in terms of distributive justice, which focuses “on the kinds of rewards, rights, opportunities, services, and treatments due a person because of who that person is, what he or she has done, or even the group to which he or she belongs.” Calvin notes that government was necessary saying government’s “use among men being not less than that of bread, water, light and air, while its dignity is much more excellent.” Hollinger notes that Calvin advocated that government was also to maintain the worship of God. This is not the proper role of government, especially in a pluralistic society, but as Christians we must be willing to engage the political sphere as advocates of social reform and to seek the transformation of a community through love.

There are many ways Christians address the political sphere. One has been to withdraw from political engagement entirely. This is similar to a Christ Against Culture theory that “draws a sharp line between the redeemed people of God and fallen society and culture.”The problem is that it fails to engage the world and ignores how the political arena interacts with the church. Another view is held by some who are engaged in a single issue. This can be seen as needs justice advocacy, which seeks to determine what is owed to someone “based primarily on their concrete needs in a given sphere.” While this is needed, it can blind a person to other issues and other needs in society. There are also those who believe the political sphere should operate under its own rules and is not responsible to Biblical concerns. This is troubling for Christians, because it fails to keep leaders accountable for maintaining justice to those who have no voice.

We are called to engage and transform society, and the political sphere is just one arena in that. It is not the only area, but it is an important area. Through the political sphere, we can shed light on injustices that are going on in the world and seek change that is meaningful and lasting. Nicholas Wolterstorff writes, “We are not to stand around, hands folded, waiting for shalom to arrive. We are workers in God’s cause, his peace-workers. The missio Dei is our mission.” The political arena is just one arena, but it’s an important one in fulfilling that mission.

Remembering Uncle Jimmy

As a young child, one of the things I always looked forward to was visiting with my aunt and uncle Ann and Jimmy. They would often come up to West Virginia to visit once a year and sometimes we would head to Florida to visit with them. These visits were some of the most meaningful, because we never got to see them that much and when we did there was usually laughter, interesting stories, and good times.

Yesterday, I learned Uncle Jimmy passed away. This man whom I remember as being kind, loving, and full of love for us kids in the family is now gone.

I’m not sure I ever told Jimmy how much he meant to me and how much I looked up to him. I’m sure he knew, but I’m not sure I ever told him. I regret that today, for Jimmy, and several others in the family, played important roles in my development as a young man and taught me things that still are with me today.

You see, I consider Jimmy one of about five men in my family who really were father figures to me. They were men – my grandfather, my uncle Tommy, my uncle Dewey, my cousin Mickey, and my uncle Jimmy – whom each had a special place in my heart and really looked out for me in one way or another. These men were and are special to me, not just because they were the men of the family, but because they served to be the fathers that I never knew. Not having a relationship with my dad and a rocky and troubled relationship with my step-father at best, each of these men, in each their own way, taught me about life, about how to live, and how to be responsible in the world. They are all part of the reason I am whom I am today and am on the path that I am on.

My grandfather taught me about hard work and helping others out. You can blame my uncle Tommy and Dewey for my sense of humor. My cousin Mickey taught me a lot about standing for what you believe in. And, Jimmy, though very private, taught me about taking life as it came, being patient, and … how to fish the creek in his backyard. I will always remember Jimmy as someone whom was quite interested in our lives and was very patient with me and the rest of the kids.

I know he was proud of me. I just wish I had the opportunity to tell him what he meant to me.

 

Thursday Morning Randomness

There is so much that I want to say, that I can’t really put it all down in one small blog, so we’ll go with some random thoughts.

I Would Like a Higher Grade for $20

Ever get tired of being asked to purchase something for your child or your friend’s child school. It seems like it’s a never-ending challenge to transform the nation’s future leaders into nothing more than little Amway sales representatives. When I was in school, we were asked to sale everything from wrapping paper to chocolate and I know it still continues, because on one teaching assignment I was asked to buy candy. (No, thanks … I’ve had enough in my life.)

It seems parents and teachers in Goldsboro, N.C., attempted to try to remedy the problem by recommending that students pay for grades. Yes, that’s right. For the low-cost of $20, your child could earn bonus points on assignments. The points amount to 20 points, broken down to 10 points on two tests, essentially allowing the student to raise their grade a full letter.

Unethical? You better believe it and it looks as though officials have put a stop to the bonus program. That’s a smart call. Having students raise money for school districts is a little over-the-top to begin with, but coming up with an idea to have students pay for their grades raises not just concerns about the quality of education in the schools, but the greater lessons being taught to the students. Get into a bind, just pay someone off and it’ll be O.K.

If school districts are really concerned about operating budgets, perhaps better money management is in order before asking students to do something as unethical as paying for their grades.

The Chirping You Hear at NBC is Leno’s Ratings

NBC’s grand experiment of Jay Leno in primetime has failed. There is no arguing that point.

In the prized 18-49 demographic, Leno’s numbers barely move off the ratings floor at 1.2 (3.97 million viewers). So for five days a week, Leno is failing to secure ad money, viewers, and competition to top shows on CBS, ABC, or FOX. The move by NBC to place Leno at 10 p.m., was an attempt to save money. A variety show is cheaper than an episodic drama. Yet, the move has failed to work and is actually costing NBC money in additional ad revenues.

Then again, the only thing saving the Peacock Network, right now, is Sunday Night Football, as it is the only show that is routinely in the top 20 in the Nielsen ratings.

But don’t expect NBC to pull the plug on Leno … yet. To do so now would be to admit that network executives failed to really understand its market and programming. Nothing on NBC is worth watching, right now, and Leno is just at the top of that list.

Until NBC pulls the plug on Leno and revamp the entire line-up, continue to watch the ratings on NBC to get worse. Remember, the NFL season is halfway over.

Speaking of Football … Waiting for the Season to End

I’ve reached that point in my fandom of football teams that I am now officially awaiting the end to the football season. There is no hope, here, in football fandom other than to expect the performances of also-ran status and prepare for the offseason.

Sure, West Virginia University, my alma mater, is bowl eligible and will extend its school record of consecutive bowl appearances in December. Yet, the season has been a lackluster collection of inconsistency and bad performances. Even in victory, the Mountaineers have found ways to show the team is not improving, but only getting worse.

It’s a bad time for that as the Mountaineers head to Cincinnati to play the Bearcats in front of a nationally televised audience. There once was a time when West Virginia was an impressive underdog that you went in expecting a victory. The players lived on being looked down upon and considered as also-ran in the eyes of the public. I’m not sure this team has the same fire power and instincts to prove themselves as previous teams.

That’s a matter of coaching. Bill Stewart has been anything but impressive in his first full season without Pat White. Yes, there was going to be a decline this season, but the team has shown little intensity or aggressiveness – trademarks of not just the Rich Rodriguez era, but also the Don Nehlen era as well. Until those two identities return, West Virginia will be bound to 7-5 and 8-4 seasons. Great for some, mediocre for others.

As for the 49ers, what seemed like a season of promise is quickly turning into another missed opportunity. Tonight, the 49ers play a salvage-the-season game against the Bears. Win, and the small hopes of winning the Division remains, lose and its missing another postseason.

The reason? There are many, but the 49ers must address the quarterback situation in the offseason. Also, there is reason to suggest, as others have as well, that adding Michael Crabtree to the roster late in the season did more to damage the team than to help. The 49ers have yet to win a game since adding Crabtree.

Coincidence?

What Does it Mean to Love Our Enemies?

This week, America once again faced tragedy.

On Thursday, 13 people were killed at Fort Hood when a soldier, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, allegedly opened fire at the military base in protest, according to reports, to an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. Hasan, who is Islamic, had been outspoken, according to media reports, about his desire not to serve in combat in the War on Terrorism.

Some of the debate, this week, has been on whether or not this was an act of home-grown terrorism or an unthinkable criminal act. Regardless of what one calls Thursday’s shooting, a horrible, tragic, and unthinkable event occurred. We mourn the loss of those who died and pray for the families affected by this event.

But, there appears to be a greater question than whether one calls this shooting an act of terrorism or a criminal case. There seems to be a larger discussion, for Christians, on what our response should be towards Hasan. That question is what is our response to Hasan. How are we to react towards him? How are we to think about him?

These are not easy questions to ask. They challenge us to think, outside of our initial emotional reactions, and think deeply about the moral, spiritual, and ethical responsibilities that we have as Christians. Our responsibility is an ethic that is not focused on the world’s standards, but of a standard that comes from a loving Father, who gave us His Son, out of unconditional love, so that we may be in relationship with Him, renewed and freed from the power of sin.

So what does it mean to love our enemies?

The first place we could turn to is Matthew 5:43-48. Here, in the Sermon on the Mount, Christ Jesus is offering an explanation of what it means to love, especially our neighbor. Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you get only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the pagans do that? (Matthew 5:43-47, NIV)

It seems here that Christ is calling us to an ethic that call us to do what is humanly impossible on our own; that is by our own merits. When someone harms us, our first reaction is to get angry. We don’t want anything to do with that person and we would rather walk away. Forgiving, those who do us harm, is difficult enough as it is, asking us to love, well, that’s next to impossible on our own. How does God expect us to love our enemies?

We have a model and that is God, himself. In God’s love for humanity, he sent his Son to overcome the grip of sin and to serve as the sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin. It is the ultimate gesture of love overcoming the enemy that was sin. To use the common phrase, God loved the sinner (humanity) and hated the sin.

That is what we are called to do, even in difficult situations like that of Thursday’s shooting. We are called to continue to love the murder as we love ourselves. We are to pray for Hasan and his family, as we are to pray for the victims and their families. Love knows no discrimination. “God does not discriminatory, his disciples are called upon likewise not to discriminate in choosing the objects of their love,” wrote John Howard Yoder in The Politics of Jesus.

This love is one that calls us to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). We are called, as Tod Lindberg writes in The Political Teachings of Jesus, to substitute the hatred and violence of Thursday’s actions and place in its stead the love of Christ Jesus. This love is one where we are concerned for the person, hopeful that they find repentance and the love and transforming power of a relationship with Christ Jesus, and hope that their lives may be filled with grace. This is not an easy love, but as Christ Jesus reminds us what love, that is truly rewarding, is ever easy.

Lindberg writes, “Upon their mutual substitution of love for hate, they will benefit from something akin to neighborly. The separate communities in which they find themselves will become joined by something.”

That something is love and a relationship.

This love does not mean we ignore the things that took place. We do not ignore Thursday’s violence. The violence was incomprehensible and horrific. Loving our enemy does not mean we ignore what took place. C.S. Lewis writes in Mere Christianity, “Christianity does not want us to reduce by one atom the hatred we feel for cruelty and treachery. We ought to hate them. Not one word of what we have said about them needs to be unsaid. But it does want us to hate them in the same way in which we hate things in ourselves; being sorry that the man should have done such things, and hoping, if it is anyway possible, that somehow, sometime, somewhere, he can be cured and made human again.”

Right now, it may be hard to love Hasan. The emotions are still real. But if we truly want to live out what it means to love, then we must be willing to love even someone like a Hasan and hope that he may be transformed and find forgiveness by the love of God.

Things I Think I Think

Thanksgiving is coming soon. Or have your forgotten?

It’s easy to forget about that little holiday in between Halloween and Christmas. Almost as soon as the children have come down from the initial sugar high of Oct. 31, the malls and department stores transform into a Winter Wonderland of a 6-week push for Christmas sales to boost fourth-quarter profits.

Yes, Thanksgiving is the ugly step sister in the holiday feasts. Sure, we have the turkey, the football games, and that Macy’s parade that seems to be more like the “Song That Never Ends,” but for the most part Thanksgiving is that holiday that just happens.

In reality, in today’s culture, Thanksgiving is the ultimate pregame meal before Friday morning’s shopping sprees, or in my case the pregame meal before a 13-hour drive back to Kentucky. It’s a day of food, football, and family.

It is a time to stop and say thanks, but really we should be thankful on more days than just the fourth Thursday in November. So enjoy the turkey, the stuffing, and football, but don’t forget to say thanks for whatever you are thankful for.

Gov.-elect  Christie You are the Man

Give it up to Gov.-elect Chris Christie, R-N.J. No, this has nothing to do with the election win over Gov. John Corzine, but the fact that Christie is comfortable with being the big man in the political sphere.

In this day and age, where being large is no longer considered as being in charged, you have to admire Christie being willing to poke fun at himself and be comfortable with who he is.

Yes, we would all like to be healthy – and weight is not necessarily a good indicator of health – but the most important thing is appreciating who you are and be comfortable with that. When you are, everything else, including the weight loss, will take care of itself.

College Basketball Predictions

The college basketball world is starting to pick up with preseason games this week. It should be an interesting season and with no clear-cut favorite to tear down the nets in April.

Kansas is the top rated team, but can it maintain that position throughout the year? Can Kentucky claim what fans believe is its rightful place in the college basketball world as an elite team? Can UNC defend without most of its key players from last season? Can West Virginia, yes West Virginia, live up to the preseason hype as one of the teams to watch?

My thoughts – yes, no, and maybe.

So, the time for predictions bound to go wrong with conference title winners and Final Four predictions. It’s only worth doing the BCS conferences, for time and words sake.

ACC: Duke

Big 10: Michigan State

Big 12: Kansas

Big East: West Virginia

SEC: Kentucky

Pac-10: UCLA

Final Four: Duke, Kansas, Villanova, West Virginia

Championship: Kansas v. West Virginia

Champion: Kansas

Now, that I have written that watch for Creighton to win it all.

Election Day 2009 – Does it Really Mean Anything?

Today, is an Election Day in various municipalities and states across the country. It’s the first election since President Obama defeated John McCain in last year’s presidential election and some political pundits believe the election may be an early referendum on his presidency.

I’m not entirely convinced of that, while I do recognize this election has big importance for Republicans and conservatives attempting to regain footing after difficult performances in 2006 and 2008 that nearly destroyed the party. (Of course, remember some believed wins in 2000 and 2002 for the Republicans were doing the same for Democrats … all of this goes in cycles.)

The key races to watch today are the gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, and also a highly connected House race in New York, which could elect a third-party candidate that has the support of the Republican Party, for the most part.

First the governor races. In Virginia, Bob McDonnell, a Republican, appears to be costing towards a double-digit win over Creigh Deeds. In New Jersey, Gov. John Corzine, a Democrat, is having a difficult time, holding off Republican Chris Christie and Independent Chris Daggett. This race appears to be setting up for a late night call as Daggett appears to be taking potential votes from Christie, according to some pundits.

Then there is the New York House race in the 23rd district which seems to be more like a professional wrestling storyline than a political contest. First, you have a highly contested three-way race pitting Conservative Party’s Doug Hoffman against Democrat Bill Owens and Republican moderate Dede Scozzafava. In polling, Hoffman appeared to have a lead over Owens with Scozzafava trailing. This week, Scozzafava decided to pull out of the race.

And then it got interesting. When some believed Scozzafava would endorse Hoffman as the conservative/Republican Party choice, she pulls a swerve and goes for Owens even recording a robocall for the Democrat. Republican Party officials are now pulling last minute money into the Hoffman campaign, which may have been leaning towards his way prior to Scozzafava’s pull out from the race.

But, should the Republican/conservatives win all three of these races what will it mean? Not much, but it could be a set-up for a difficult 2010 for Democrats. A sweep would energize the Republican/conservative base for a run in 2010, but it is still too early to say that it will be the same situation in 2010. For one, Republicans are very disorganized as a political party right now. One of the keys of the 1994 election was that Republicans were unified around Newt Gingrich. There was a leader and, right now, there is no one stepping up in the party to take that role. Second, part of that disorganization, is Republicans are not sure what it stands for. While the media attempts to paint it as the conservative party, it’s had to describe something as conservative when it essentially goes along for whatever government wants, except in the case of health care reform.

Regardless, today’s election should be interesting and will likely produce three conservative/Republican Party pick-ups.

Yes, It Has Been Awhile for Blogging … But I Have a Good Excuse

It’s been awhile since I last blogged. Yes, I realize that this is an issue for a blog that attempts to update somewhat regularly. We’ll blame it on the fact that things have been a little nutty this month. And by nutty we mean never knowing what day it is and never having a clear understanding of what a schedule looks like. But, as October ends we are hopeful that the schedule has died down and the only thing that we have to worry about now is getting through the rest of the semester, and everything else on the plate.

Here are some thoughts on my mind as we wrap up the month of October.

Soccer Season, V.2 in the Books

We finished our second soccer season coaching last weekend. It was a bittersweet moment. I was very happy to see what has been a very long season come to an end. Weather, sickness, and scheduling issues plagued the team throughout the year, not to mention we were the smallest – in terms of numbers – in the entire league. The difficult part was saying goodbye to some of the sweetest kids I have ever met.

I enjoyed every minute of coaching soccer. Not the actual coaching of the game, but the being a part of these kids lives. It was a great feeling to be able to know that something I was doing would be lasting with those kids for the rest of their lives. I still remember my coaches as a child and the impact they had on my life. You could tell, when the kids learned that I would not be coming back in the spring because of my schedule, they were sad.

I was too. We’ll still be around for spring soccer, but more of a cheerleader watching the kids play.

One thing that coaching soccer taught me was how much coaching is a lot like being a pastor. You are caring for the lives of those around you. You are trying to walk beside them and help them to learn, encouraging them, and standing beside them. When they do well, you are their biggest fan. When they do something wrong, you are helping them to figure it out and then encourage them to get back into the game to do better. It was great practice and I learned a lot about who I am as a coach and a pastor, and saw a lot of good fruit grown this year from it.

Is Bill Stewart College Football’s Jim Zorn?

Last night, I watched the West Virginia University game hopeful for a big win, but anxious that South Florida would somehow find a way to win against the Mountaineers once again. After last night’s play, South Florida proved two things. The first is that the Bulls know how to beat West Virginia and two, Bill Stewart is struggling without Pat White on the field.

Stewart, in his second full season, had never been a head coach for a major college football team before taking the West Virginia job in 2008. Last year, Stewart and the Mountaineers ended a season filled with what ifs that included a fourth-straight bowl win in White’s final college game. However, this season the Mountaineers have not impressed and have only scored wins against mediocre competition and been routinely defeated by solid competition. In two losses, the Mountaineers have not been able to move the ball and mental errors have proved to be a huge problem.

Stewart is a great guy and humanitarian, as shown last week when UConn came to Morgantown, but as a coach Stewart is more likely to get out coached than he is to pull off a successful game plan. Similar to that of the Redskins’ Jim Zorn, a nice guy, but whose offensive strategy was incapable of scoring. Zorn likely will be fired at season’s end in a move that will admit the Redskins made a mistake in hiring Zorn as head coach.

Is it time for West Virginia officials to admit the same with Stewart? The state of the program must be addressed at season’s end with the understanding that in two season’s West Virginia’s win total will likely have dropped by three or four, including bowl games, a 27 percent reduction. Yet, those who believe a team should only contend for conference titles and national honors once every three or four years will likely win out.

That is because in West Virginia athletics mediocrity is favored over building a program into a powerhouse, i.e. Bobby Bowden, John Beilein, and Rich Rodriguez. Then again, Tampa is nice in December.