Hello,
Those of you who have been longtime readers of the Bungee Cord know that
I am a loyal fan of the University of Illinois Fighting Illini. So, when a friend of mine invited me to
go with him to the University of Illinois vs. University of Maryland basketball
game, was there any other answer to come from my lips but, “Of course!”
So, on a late fall day, I drove over to Gettysburg to pick him up and
make our way to the University of Maryland, which is just outside of the
Washington D.C. beltway. It was an
early season game, and at the time, the Illini were undefeated. As we pulled into the parking garage,
it was fun to see quite a few people sporting the orange and blue of Illinois
as were. We had arrived
early, and when we walked into the arena, the emptiness of the seats told us
just how early we were. But
because we were early, we were able to walk down close to the court and watch
the Illini warm up. We took our
close up pictures and then ventured off to find our seats, which we discovered
gave us about the same view as the Goodyear Blimp. But we were there, there in the same arena as the University
of Illinois Fighting Illini!
When it came time for the game to start, the Illini were introduced in
less than enthusiastic fare, but when it came time for the Maryland
introduction, the lights went low, the music kicked in at an earthquake
initiating decibel, and the announcer called out their names as if they were
candidates for the President of the United States. The crowd responded in like: cheering loudly, jumping up and
down, and clapping their hands.
When the introductions were over, a song blared from the p.a. system (I
call it the “oh…oh….oh” song. Turn
on any college game and you’ll hear it) sending the crowd into a fury and meant
to taunt my beloved Illini.
That is when I noticed something very strange happening on the darkened
sideline. The members of the
Illinois team were locked arms to shoulders dancing back in forth in something
that resembled a chorus line. Back
and forth they danced, undaunted by the crushing noise and commotion going on
all around them. As they danced,
it was clear that they were issuing a response to the intended intimidation
that was reverberating in that building.
The response: “Bring it on.
We’re not afraid of you!”
Have you ever wondered why we sing when we gather for worship? Well, there are many reasons, but
one reason is to give our response to the intended intimidation that
reverberates all around us. As the
world thunders around us, booming our mistakes in our ears….as the ground
rumbles as the world celebrates our defeats…as our sins join a chorus of
“oh….oh….oh”…. we interlock our hearts, stand shoulder to shoulder, and send
our spirits a’ dancing in our song.
Our singing is an act of defiance, saying to the world, “Bring it
on. We’re not afraid of you!”
I am not sure what the basis of the
Illini’s confidence is (lately, it has been a bit misguided), but I do know
what the basis of our confidence is, we who gather on Sunday mornings and
sing. Our confidence comes from
the fact that we already know what the final score is, and the victory is
Christ’s…and thereby, ours. When
Jesus walked out of that Easter tomb, he slammed down a game-winning dunk that
shattered the hopes of all the forces of the universe like they were a flimsy
backboard. Jesus, the Son of God,
for whom time is no barrier, stepped into time to win a victory for all
time. Every Sunday we sing because
the victory is and will be ours!
I
know that not everyone likes to sing, and not everyone likes the tunes that are
sung in church…but don’t let either of those things keep you from defiantly
dancing in the face of the world’s taunts. If you don’t like to sing….come to the victory party every
Sunday and hum. And if the music
isn’t the kind that you listen to through your earphones…come to the victory
party every Sunday and I’m pretty sure that there will be a song, sooner or
later (hopefully sooner) that takes hold of your heart.
So, whether you sing or not, or like the music or not….the victory is
yours…and so is the party. Hope to
see (and hear) you there!
Have a great week.
God’s grace and peace,
Pastor Jerry Nuernberger
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