Notre Dame is one of the most honored traditions in America when in it comes to college football. From Knute Rockne to Rudy, everyone has some appreciation for this storied franchise. One of the traditions deals with “Touchdown Jesus” which is a building that faces one of the ends of the stadium and has a large mosaic looking painting of Jesus with his arms raised high into the air. It used to be (not sue if it still is) that if Notre Dame won the coin toss at the beginning of the game they always deferred so that they could choose which end of the field they would start facing. The idea was to make sure that when the fourth quarter came, the Fighting Irish would be going toward “Touchdown Jesus”!
“Touchdown Jesus” is what we are calling one of our upcoming message series here at Grace Church that will take place all four Sundays this coming September. Everything about the morning will give you a “football feel”.
As you approach the main lobby doors each week you will see a large “tailgate party” happening. In fact, we invite you to feel free to come to church early and have your own tailgate party each Sunday out in the parking lot.
Everyone on stage will be wearing football jerseys or shirts. We encourage all of you to do the same. Whether it is a High School team, College team, or Professional team (anything but the Canadian Football League…and remember, this is American football so none of this soccer stuff either!), dress each Sunday like you were headed to the game.
We have some other plans we are going to try to pull off (no promises…just effort) including the main lobby being turned into a football field and the auditorium including a football locker room as well as goal posts.
The countdown video that begins 5 minutes prior to each service will be a pre-game show featuring our own sports commentators from the Sports Desk previewing the service.
And what would a football themed month be without many wonderful video clips of famous football folklore including the best scene ever from The Brady Bunch involving a football and Marsha’s nose (that was a groovy episode, wasn’t it?).
All month long we will be taking a look at the parable of the four soils that Jesus taught in Matthew 13 and Luke 8. We are going to see how the parable would have looked if Jesus would have told it today using a football scenario for the story. Instead of the farmer, we will have the quarterback. Instead of the seed, we will have the football. Instead of the four soils, we will have the four receivers running four pass plays.
This should be a fun series in which we learn together the important meaning of the parable of the four soils. And who knows, the whole series may just “kick-off” (no pun intended) with our own Hank Williams singing, “Are You Ready For Some Football?”
“Touchdown Jesus” is what we are calling one of our upcoming message series here at Grace Church that will take place all four Sundays this coming September. Everything about the morning will give you a “football feel”.
As you approach the main lobby doors each week you will see a large “tailgate party” happening. In fact, we invite you to feel free to come to church early and have your own tailgate party each Sunday out in the parking lot.
Everyone on stage will be wearing football jerseys or shirts. We encourage all of you to do the same. Whether it is a High School team, College team, or Professional team (anything but the Canadian Football League…and remember, this is American football so none of this soccer stuff either!), dress each Sunday like you were headed to the game.
We have some other plans we are going to try to pull off (no promises…just effort) including the main lobby being turned into a football field and the auditorium including a football locker room as well as goal posts.
The countdown video that begins 5 minutes prior to each service will be a pre-game show featuring our own sports commentators from the Sports Desk previewing the service.
And what would a football themed month be without many wonderful video clips of famous football folklore including the best scene ever from The Brady Bunch involving a football and Marsha’s nose (that was a groovy episode, wasn’t it?).
All month long we will be taking a look at the parable of the four soils that Jesus taught in Matthew 13 and Luke 8. We are going to see how the parable would have looked if Jesus would have told it today using a football scenario for the story. Instead of the farmer, we will have the quarterback. Instead of the seed, we will have the football. Instead of the four soils, we will have the four receivers running four pass plays.
This should be a fun series in which we learn together the important meaning of the parable of the four soils. And who knows, the whole series may just “kick-off” (no pun intended) with our own Hank Williams singing, “Are You Ready For Some Football?”
5 comments:
Sounds like an interesting series. It is great to see you promoting the great University of Notre Dame. I love reading your blogs!
Go IRISH!
Oh, Larry, don't get me wrong! I still detest Notre Dame football, almost as much as I detest Penn State football. But my feelings for these teams still pale in comparison to my detestation of Michigan football.
GO BUCKEYES!
Seriously, thanks, for reading, Larry! It is great to have you stopping by the blog.
Greetings Brother, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Interesting "contextualization" of a very important parable. The parables are intriguing to say the least, are they not?
Will your exegesis of this passage include the text from Matthew 13:10-17? This is an important insight from our Lord...
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An Explanation
10And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"
11Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
12"For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.
13"Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
14"In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
'YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND;
YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;
15FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,
WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,
AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES,
OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES,
HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,
AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,
AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.'
16"But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
17"For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
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May our infinitely sovereign, holy, merciful, just, loving, compassionate, patient, kind, long suffering, righteous, faithful God pour out His Saving Grace to those in attendance by granting them eyes to see and ears to hear; that they may respond to the good news with true repentance and faith!!
Soli Deo Gloria...
Just please don't wear a Browns jersey; no one will be able to take you seriously.
And I might vomit on my Bettis Steelers jersey...
I actually don't even have a Brown's jersey...YET...but if we play you guys in September and win, I will get one and wear it the following Sunday. Man, would I love to hear the sound of a big man like you tossing your cookies in the auditorium!
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