Home Field Advantage

It's 8:12 A.M., Sunday, November 8, a couple of minutes before worship is to begin, and I'm about to walk into the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church in Lancaster, Ohio when an usher abruptly stops me and says, "Buddy, you're in trouble. Take a look up there."

The usher was pointing toward the chancel railing and pulpit area where all kinds of Ohio State Buckeye paraphernalia was in prominent display. I said a quick prayer. "Lord, please get me through this morning in one piece. Amen."

I continue to the back of the sanctuary where I will be proceeding forward during the prelude music. After just two steps, laughter erupts in the sanctuary. The prelude music is the Ohio State school song, "Carmen Ohio" masquerading as the great Christian hymn, "Come, Christians Join to Sing." I repeat my previous prayer. "Lord, please get me through this morning in one piece." Some prayers are just meant to be repeated over and over again.

The laughter dies down and I head up the chancel steps. There's my preacher chair. If I can just make it there and sit down, I'll be safe for a while. I sit down, trying to look pastor like and worshipful when I notice the Ohio State door mat in front of the pulpit which only I can see.

It was at that point, that I decided to quickly glance out to the congregation which ended up being a strategic mistake. To my surprise, the first four or five pews are filled with congregants wearing scarlet and gray. And they are smiling and excited that I finally made eye contact with them. More laughter erupts.

.

It was at that moment, that I knew that maybe God was teaching me something. "Do you remember when you wore your Penn State jersey to the bible study this past Wednesday and how you were trash talking your own Ohio State parishioners about how Penn State was going to win? Well, here's what happens when you do those kinds of things."

I ended up surviving that worship service as well as the other services that morning. And yes, I learned a valuable lesson. Don't trash talk your congregants before the big game. Love your parishioners regardless of their Big Ten leanings.

So I asked my Buckeye friends who you see in the picture above (taken after the worship service.) "What would you have done if Penn State had won?" "Oh, we had that figured out. We would have worn all black," came the reply. To which I said, "You mean Purdue black?"

Maybe I didn't learn my lesson after all.