My point is NOT that interest in an NFL game is wrong. Far from it! After all, I had great interest in and attended the Texas 4-A Division I H.S. Football Championship. If you're a fan of the Colts, you'll probably remember this S.B. for years. If your team won one of the earlier three, you may remember. That's okay. I just get tired of how a professional sports contest gets the most attention of any annual event in these United States. More than Independence Day or Christmas! I simply want to urge that everybody KEEP it in PERSPECTIVE! No recreational activity should be the end-all and be-all of one's life! Not even if it's your livelihood. (Pay attention, Peyton Manning!)
So what does THIS posting have to do with San Antonio? Two things were going on here during that football game Sunday. One of these had my interest and the other also had my participation, in place of the Super Bowl.
The one thing is that right now San Antonio is in the midst of its annual Stock Show and Rodeo. While I was growing up in Boise, Idaho, a major annual event for the Graham family was the Snake River Stampede in nearby Nampa. I always looked forward to attending this rodeo, which in my youthful and provincial mind was THE BEST rodeo around. After moving to Fort Worth (1976, my first sojourn in Texas) I took in its Fat Stock Show and Rodeo (what a name). At first it was weird to see a rodeo indoors, but I've gotten used to it. (Dad told me that even the Stampede is under a roof now.) I've been to the Rodeo here several times, both while we lived in Devine and since becoming a San Antonio resident. You might say that going to a rodeo, wherever, brings out "the West" in me! I love 'em, and had I the funds I'd go multiple days. I could have gone yesterday, and I shall go some time during its couple week's run.
So what DID I do on Sunday? That is the "other thing" hinted at above, of course. I did what I always do on a Sunday: I went to church. More than any rodeo event, more than any football game, worship is my favorite group activity! And yesterday's was outstanding, including a backdrop of beautiful weather.
In the morning Mexican Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), my church on the Westside, had a few regulars absent, but also hosted a few guests. As usual I led the opening praise singing with my guitar. Later, Sister Liz Sanchez "popped one" on me by calling on me to lead the prayer time. No problem! I sensed the guiding "wind" of God's Spirit working on in & thru me. Then Sister Liz's sermon was very good, too.
In the evening (at Super Bowl time) I was disappointed to discover that nearby St. Andrew UMC was no longer having its "Near God" evening worship. So I took advantage of this to attend another church that I occasionally had visited for Sunday evening worship. This church on Lanark near IH 35 north is Texas Baptist Church.
Texas Baptist is very fundamentalist, as in accepting only the 1611 KJV as God's word. On the other hand they use a fine hymnal, containing numerous Southern Gospel standards and hit songs. The evening worship begins with singing a half dozen or so songs out of it, with only the first song not being requested by folk in attendance.
Bro. Keith Bell is a pretty good preacher, even tho' more fundamental than I. However, last evening TBC had a guest preacher -- a missionary the church supports. He was dynamite, and dynamic, as he preached on II Timothy 4:6-8. In that passage, the Apostle Paul, knowing that his departure from this life is at hand, summarizes his ministry, that he had fought the good fight, run the race and kept the faith. With strong exhortation this missionary, who confessed that he was an ex-con, urged that EVERYBODY get involved in ministry of some sort, tot he point that at the end each could look back in that same way. During the altar-call time I actually went to him and asked him to pray with me, about my ministry in prison. He being himself a former prisoner, I knew he would understand my strong drive to minister to the incarcerated.
And THEN, when I sat down again, I realized that someone was playing an instrumental rendition of "Here I Am, Lord". Wow! did this serve as confirmation of my prayer's desire!
. . .I, the Lord of wind and rain, I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them, my hand will serve.
Finest bread I will provide, 'till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give my life for them; whom shall I send?
"Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard You
Calling in the night. I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart!
I will go, Lord. . . I will hold Your people in my heart.
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