Should we turn the Dallas Stars off and then turn them on again?
Do we need to put them in a bowl of rice overnight?
Category: Dallas Stars (Page 2 of 9)
Scattershooting while wondering whatever happened to Dextor Clinkscale…
Our GCR Worship Minister, Cory Legg, was definitely not arrested at LAX as we were leaving the Pepperdine Bible Lectures on Friday. It was a case of misplaced luggage: it was Cory’s luggage and he misplaced it. The cop was only helping Cory relocate his bag. Yes, I showed this picture to our entire church family at the beginning of yesterday’s sermon. And, no, I did not explain it. Not at all. I just said we were delayed a bit at LAX while Cory was temporarily detained by LAPD. Cory wasn’t at church–he was taking a much-deserved vacation day–so it raised a lot of questions. I think he spent most of his vacation day answering emails and texts. He was still receiving messages from concerned members today at lunch. The real story is that they found his carry-on–someone had turned it in–and everything was fine. The other truth is that I’m holding onto this awesome picture and this isn’t the last time GCR is going to see it.
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Breno and Gabriela Escobar had never heard of tater tots! Somehow, some way, our dear friends from Brazil–grown and married adults!–had never heard of tater tots until the topic came up at lunch yesterday after church. Breno is the professor of practical ministry at the Ser Cris training school in Campo Grande. He and his wife are in West Texas this week to attend a graduation of some friends at ACU, to attend his own graduation for his Masters of Biblical Studies in Lubbock, and to meet some more of us at their partner church at Golf Course Road. This is their first ever trip to the states. So, today our ministry team treated them to lunch at Michael’s Charcoal Grill here in Midland. And their first ever experience with tater tots. A travesty made right.
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Here’s the May update photo of our two grandsons. And their mom. These two boys together weigh a combined six pounds now and they’re both reportedly kicking Valerie in the ribs all the time. I don’t know how she’s going to make it to July. We’re all heading to Tulsa Friday for David’s graduation from law school at Tulsa University and the baby shower they’re throwing for Val at the Jenks Church. Lots of family, special dinners, catching up, and talking about twin babies! I can’t wait to see everybody!
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Mikko Magic. The Dallas Stars new superstar forward is scoring and assisting on almost every goal his team scores and breaking or extending his own NHL Stanley Cup playoff records almost every time he touches the puck. Mikko Rantanen is on an historic streak–back-to-back hat tricks, gutsy put-backs, laser-precise passes–and remarkably making us forget about Luka. The Stars have an enormous opportunity to take control of this second round series at home tomorrow against Winnipeg. If the Jets don’t double-team Mikko every time he’s on the ice, the loss is on them.
Peace,
Allan
Every single time the New Testament says somebody is filled with the Holy Spirit, without exception, their mouths open and they start talking about Jesus. Most of those instances are in Acts and Luke, but they are all remarkably consistent. And intentional. The Bible is telling us that the indwelling Spirit gives us the power, he gives us the boldness and courage, to share the Good News with others. You can do and say things for our Lord Jesus with God living inside you that you could never do by yourself.
This is God’s plan. This is how he works. It’s part of the Good News. The problem is, we don’t trust it. We don’t always trust the way God works to spread the Good News and expand his Kingdom to save people.
We don’t trust the Gospel to connect and transform people. Or we don’t trust God’s way or God’s Spirit to communicate his Good News through us. We forget that there’s not one single person I could talk to about Jesus that God’s Spirit hasn’t already been working on. When God puts somebody in my path and an opportunity right in front of me, the fact is that he has been convincing them and drawing them and preparing them for a while now. God’s already started something with this person a long time ago and he’d be thrilled if I just jumped in and shared the fun.
Pew Research released their state of the church report two weeks ago. According to their surveys and research, in 2007, 63% of all Texans went to church at least once a month. In 2024, just 17 years later, the percentage of Texas residents who go to church at least once a month is down to 38%. The odds are right now today higher than they’ve ever been in your life that your next-door-neighbor doesn’t go to church. The odds are higher right now than they’ve ever been since you were born that your co-worker is not a Christian.
And I’m guessing you don’t know how to talk to them about it. The very thought of talking to your friend or neighbor about Jesus or about the Good News makes your stomach fall into your socks. You say you don’t know how to have a spiritual conversation.
Yes, you do. You just don’t trust it. You don’t trust the Good News. Or you don’t trust God’s plan or God’s Spirit.
Talking to people about Jesus is a Holy Spirit activity. You don’t have to start anything with your neighbor or classmate; God’s already started it! Our Lord tells us that God’s Spirit is at work around the clock convincing men and women, exposing what’s wrong in the world, and drawing all people to himself. The Holy Spirit is convicting people of their sin and compelling men and women to seek righteousness and avoid judgment. God’s Spirit is working hard on people all around you. And this same Spirit lives inside you, empowering you like you can’t believe.
Pray that God will open a door, pray that you proclaim Christ clearly, and make the most of every opportunity (Colossians 4:3-5). The Holy Spirit will put the person directly in front of you, the Holy Spirit will tell you what to say, and the Holy Spirit will do with your conversation what’s going to be best, what he’s already planned and been working on. If you’ll only trust the Good News.
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The Dallas Stars have played three games against Colorado in this first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, they have led the Avalanche for a total of just 62-seconds, and yet they are leading the series two games to one. Two come-from-behind overtime thrillers. Last night, the Stars had to kill off a four-minute double-minor power play at the end of regulation and at the start of overtime just to get to Tyler Seguin’s sudden death winner. For drama, athleticism, pressure, grit, adrenaline, anticipation, and edge-of-your seat tension, there is nothing better than overtime playoff hockey. It’s like having a heart attack on a roller coaster in an electrical storm. Can’t wait til Saturday.
Go Stars
Allan
My intense hatred for the Cowboys did not happen in a flash. It wasn’t a switch that got flicked on the moment Jerry Wayne fired Jimmy and replaced him with Barry. Almost thirty years of devotion to the Cowboys wasn’t undone that quickly. But I do point to that moment as the cataclysmic event that led very quickly to my disdain for the whole organization and everything it stands for. Or refuses to stand for. It started there and it didn’t take long.
That’s what the Luka trade feels like. I don’t consider myself a Mavs hater. I haven’t thrown out any of my Mavs gear. But my heart is completely void of any feeling or concern for what happens now. I didn’t watch one dribble, pass, or shot of either of their two play-in games last week. I don’t care. The gut-punch that was the Luka trade is getting worse, not better.
Every time Nico opens his mouth, it gets worse. More and more of the hubris of the new carpet-bagging owners and the GM gets revealed every day. More of the arrogance. More of the reality that the financial bottom line is more important than a championship. More of the complete lack of concern for the Mavs’ fans. The more time goes on, the more it looks and feels like a betrayal of a public trust–very much like how Jerry runs my once-favorite-team. Say what you want about Mark Cuban, but he was a Dallas guy who wanted our Dallas team to win titles. Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont said they bought the team as an “in” to doing business in North Texas.
Give me the three-hour heart attack of last night’s thrilling come-from-behind overtime win for the Stars. Give me the hope of a team that’s close–so close–to winning it all, and doing whatever it takes to get there. Give me the loyalty of a GM like Jim Nill who understands the big-picture value of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin and his commitment to the cause to trade for Miko Rantenan down the stretch. Give me Colin Blackwell scoring the overtime game-winner last night in his Stars playoff debut. That’s what I think about every day. That’s what I look forward to. That’s what fills my sports heart.
Peace,
Allan
The Stanley Cup is the most difficult trophy in all of sports to win. And the most glorious.
The Stars begin their chase tonight.
Go Stars!
Allan
The title of today’s post is about preachers on Easter Sunday, but it’s also an appropriate description of the Dallas Stars as they begin the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs the day after tomorrow. The Stars closed out the regular season in Nashville last night by losing their seventh straight game. It’s the longest losing streak in more than a decade for a team most considered favorites to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals.
They’re in a bad way right now. Through these dreadful seven games, the Stars have been outscored 34-18 and out-shot by an average of 36-26 per game. They got Tyler Seguin back last night after he’s missed almost five months following hip surgery, but they lost Jason Robertson for the last half of the game with a fluke knee injury.
I don’t think you can just flip a switch Saturday and immediately remedy everything that’s gone so wrong the past three weeks with the Stars’ defense, their power play, their penalty kill, and blowing third period leads. I think momentum means something heading into the playoffs, especially when you’re facing the dreaded and feared Avalanche.
I’m hoping Robo’s knee issue is minor and won’t limit him for the postseason. I’m also hoping that my attitude and expectations will improve between now and Saturday night’s playoff opener. Right now, none of it feels very good.
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Reinhold Niebuhr is quoted as saying that he would always attend a “high church” on Easter Sunday where there would be great music but very little preaching. In his view, “No preacher is up to the task on Easter.” I think he’s probably right.
John Updike wrote a poem called “Seven Stanzas of Easter” that perfectly and beautifully captures every preacher’s frustration leading up to Easter Sunday. One of the lines is “Let us not mock God with metaphor and analogy / sidestepping transcendence / let us walk through the door.”
It is a waste of time to try to explain the resurrection of Jesus. Some things can’t be reduced to an explanation and are greatly diminished in the process of trying. The task on Easter is proclamation, not explanation. On Easter, we preachers should offer an invitation to walk through the door, into a brand new world, where the ultimate reality is not death and dying, but everlasting life in the God Almighty of love and grace who brought our Lord Jesus out of the grave.
Proclaim the resurrection–that’s what the apostles did. And that’s what we need to do Sunday.
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I’m really looking forward to our annual 4Midland Maundy Thursday service this evening, hosted this year by our brothers and sisters at First Methodist. We’re changing things up a bit tonight with more of a Tenebrae vibe than a Maundy Thursday vibe. We’re not sharing the communion meal, deciding instead to focus on the events following that last supper, from our Lord’s prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane, through the trials and the crucifixion, to his burial. The service will flow from the Scriptures, lots and lots of Scripture, punctuated with dramatic visual and audio effects to immerse us in the sacred story. The combined choirs of our four churches will bless us with some special music, but we’re also going to sing some old familiar hymns together like O Sacred Head, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, and Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross.
Anytime our four churches get together for worship or service, it’s a powerful witness to our city that our Lord lived, died, and was raised to eternal life to break down all the barriers between us and him and between us and one another. That will happen again tonight and it will be glorious. By God’s grace and his Holy Spirit, we’re also going to be drawn closer to our Lord this evening. And to each other.
If you live anywhere in the Permian Basin, I invite you to join us at 7:00 this evening at First Methodist in Midland.
I thank God for our 4Midland partnership, for the holy friendships I enjoy so much with these three pastors, and for the ways our churches are learning from one another and growing together in Christ.
Peace,
Allan
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