Go Big Ten! Go Bucks!

'95 Rose Bowl (20th Anniversary) & Undefeated Season - 

Go Big Ten! Go Bucks!

Joe Paterno & King David

So far during our summer sermon series on the life of David from the Old Testament, we have learned a lot about this man after God's own heart.  As we prepare for the home stretch of this sermon series, David is a great example of what it means to be a faithful follower and leader for God. 

David has taught us to not allow outward appearances to get in the way of serving God, to know that there is no giant in our lives that is too big for God and for us to handle, that when we experience a loss we can grieve with hope, to do whatever we can to seek unity among God's people, to express our appreciation of God's grace through dance and celebration, and to know that anything we give to God is in response to what God has already given to us and will continue to give us.

This Sunday, will be the first time that David will teach us what NOT to do because of his adulterous affair with Bathesheba and the killing of Uriah.  Since David did so much good but also sinned greatly, how do we reconcile these two sides of who David was?

It's interesting that the news about iconic football coach, Joe Paterno's concealment of Jerry Sandusky's crimes has surfaced almost exactly when this sermon series begins to focus on David's very poor decisions.  I will do my best to not highlight more than what is needed between these two prominent figures but there is an interesting comparison to be made.

Timothy McGettigan, a professor of sociology at Colorado State-Pueblo helps makes sense of the rise and fall of iconic figures by stating, "What we do in a lot of cases - and mass media helps with this - is if people do noteworthy things, they tend to get a great deal of media attention, and that builds on itself and creates what is known as a cult of personality.  What we do in a lot of ways with the mass media is take people who have done exceptional things and make them a larger than life character, and then we do things like naming things after them that sort of enshrine their uniqueness."

The problem is that when they don't live up to this image and we have statues made in their honor during their lifetime, the more outrage we will feel at the events that have transpired.  Statues that were meant for eternity will be abruptly torn down.

Even with David's many sins as we will begin to see in our sermon series, King David's statue still proudly stands in a museum in Florence, Italy.  I wonder if the casual observer of that statue is aware of David's terrible sins when they gaze upon it.  The statue stands because David also did a lot of good for God and for God's people.  But it also stands because it was built centuries after he died!

This is why professor McGettigan offers this advice: "The best rule for naming any physical thing is to make sure that they are dead and gone, and some universities have rules that you have to wait five years after a person passes away before you name anything after them. I think that's a good idea."

I am one to agree that Paterno's statue needed to come down immediately.  It would be a mistake to take it down only to satisfy our own feelings of hypocrisy due to how we have fed into the cult of the Joe Paterno personality.  I hope the statue was taken down to help in the healing process, but also as a sobering reminder that every human being is flawed and we all need to be accountable for our actions.

And the good news is that God's grace is available for all who have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. 

My Thoughts on Penn State Moving Forward

After reading through the Freeh's report regarding the sex abuse cover-up over the past several years at Penn State University, here are some of my thoughts in moving forward:

First, the positives out of this very tragic story:

• This independent report clearly identifies where the university got it wrong.  The people who should have acted in responsible ways didn't, including a legendary football coach.  A lot of blame goes to a lot of people including the Trustees but the focus is on how the president, business administrator, athletic director and head football coach failed the university.  While this is very tragic and sad, at least the cover up has been exposed according to this independent investigation report's point of view.  It's a lot more difficult to make corrections when you don't know or refuse to know all the facts. 
• The report indicates that the university has been proactive in making significant policy and procedural changes to help prevent something like this ever happening again.  It's interesting that it's often the institutions that have experienced something tragic like this and have learned from their mistakes that become positive examples for others.  I have no doubt that over time, Penn State will become a much stronger university for the lessons that have been learned from all of this.
• Even though so much harm has been done and the victims will carry scars for life, this tragic situation at least has shined a spotlight on the terrible problem of child sex abuse.  While child abuse is in the news everyday, the shock of this happening at Penn State has reminded all of us that people in power need to always be accountable.

Now for the negatives:

• The defensive blog posts by biased Penn State supporters needs to stop.  I bleed blue and white, have idolized Joepa since I was a toddler, but there is no longer any room for defensiveness.  The report speaks for itself.  Deal with it.  Move on.  You do the university much more harm by ignoring the facts and not living in reality.  Yes, celebrate the good things that Coach Paterno has done like the high graduation rates and emphasis on academics, but also come to grips that the man failed the university in a big and tragic way when they needed him the most.
• I agree with my brother.  Take down the Joe Paterno statue in front of the stadium a.s.a.p. and replace it with a plaque that contains the words of the Penn State school song, "May no act of ours bring shame to one heart that loves thy name, May our lives but swell thy fame, dear old State, dear old state."  Have the plaque be dedicated to all victims of child sex abuse.  Right now, the statue of Coach Paterno is a detriment to future healing.
• Even with all of the important changes Penn State has made, I still worry that something like this cover-up can happen again.  Appropriate policies and procedures cannot replace human beings making the right decisions in representing the institutions they are serving.  The janitor still needed to tell authorities that he saw a high profile assistant football coach abusing a child.  Coach Paterno should not have encouraged the athletic director to not report Sandusky to the police.  The athletic director, business administrator, and president should have alerted authorities when they first heard about Sandusky's abuse of children.  By not acting, they knew they were doing the wrong thing, but they did it anyway.  Hopefully, the additional policies will help prevent something like this happening again, but it still comes down to people doing the right thing.

This Happy Valley

Just after Coach Paterno passed away in the hospital, the family issued this statement: "His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled. He died as he lived.  He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them."

In the church, we call life after death, "heaven" but I think "happy valley" describes it even better.  State College, located in the scenic mountains of central Pennsylvania is aptly named.  I can see why Coach Paterno chose to stay there for his entire coaching career, even turning up tons of money to coach in the NFL.  It is a beautiful place.

I'm thankful that I was able to make a trip to Happy Valley this past fall to watch the Iowa game.  Sitting in the upper deck, the view of the sunset near the end of the game was breathtaking.  Penn State was wrapping up another win, it was a gorgeous day to watch a college football game, and all was right in my world in that moment.

It was always a thrill for me to watch Paterno on the sideline.  My favorite memory was back in 1998 when I was able to be in Happy Valley for JoPa's 300th career win.  Besides it being near 100 degrees with high humidity that day, my best memory was to hear Coach Paterno thank the crowd for their love and support and then he yelled as loud as he could into the stadium microphone, "Now let's beat Pitt!"

After that game, I watched Coach Paterno leave the stadium in an old beat up pick up truck.  It was a thrill to watch him drive right pass me as he looked out the window.  It was a very happy day.

Because of the child abuse scandal and Coach Paterno's recent death, it doesn't feel like Happy Valley right now.  But I thank God for a faith that points me to another Happy Valley, a place where there will no longer be any pain, suffering, sin, or death.  We get glimpses of that valley in the here and now.  All we need to do is have open eyes, hearts, and minds to see it.

For now, during this time of grief and sadness, this picture of the sun setting over the beautiful mountains this past Fall gives me all the comfort I need.

God is still present in this Happy Valley, thankfully.
.

A Look Down Memory Lane - OSU vs. PSU

Ever since Penn State joined the Big Ten in the early 90's, this Pennsylvania boy living in Ohio has enjoyed some good ribbing over the annual OSU vs. PSU football rivaly.  From a Penn State perspective, Ohio State and Michigan have replaced the old Penn State/Pitt annual rivalry in terms of game build-up and excitement.  From an Ohio State perspective, Michigan is still the game circled on the calendar for all Buckeye fans, but the Penn State game is not that far behind.

Having said all of this, what a strange pre-game week this has been!  Gone is the ribbing and the good natured trash talking.  The child abuse scandal at Penn State has changed everything.  While the game today will still be filled with a lot of passion and emotion, the real focus for many who watch this game will be on this tragedy and the missed opportunities by a university that has provided itself in following the motto, "Success with Honor." 

Instead of fun jabs being exchanged between me and my congregation this past week, I have received e-mails, facebook messages, and phone calls from wonderful Buckeye fans offering their support and prayers for everyone involved in this child abuse scandal.  All of this has reminded of how our faith supersedes any pride or passion in winning "the big game."  Another case in point is the recent news of the tragic death of the two basketball coaches of the women's team at Oklahoma State University.  There was definitely a cloud over their game with Iowa State last night on ESPN.  I was moved by what the Iowa State announcer told the people in the stadium just before kick-off last night.  He referred to this being "our" loss as well as "their" loss.   College football tends to be an "us" vs. "them" game, whereas faith is about "us."

While this year is void of any good natured trash-talking due to the nature of the events that have transpired leading up to this game, I thought it would be more appropriate to simply make a trip down memory lane of the OSU vs. PSU rivalry as it relates to a Penn State pastor living in Buckeye country.  Here are some of the highlights:

• The year that I was forced to wear an OSU varsity jacket during worship after an OSU win.
• The year that my Associate Pastor (an OSU alum) had to briefly wear a Penn State hat during worship after a PSU win.
• The year when someone in my congregation kidnapped my Nittany Lion stuffed animal from my office and sent me ransom notices each day leading up to the big game.  The words in the ransom notes were newspaper clippings to protect their anonymity!  Eventually, Nittany was returned to me but only after I interrogated each of my staff members.  I even made the maintenance supervisor put his hand on a stack of bibles by the altar in the sanctuary and proclaim his innocence.  I never did find out who the culprit was.
• The year when the people of my new church surprised me when I came into worship one Sunday morning and the chancel railing was decorated with OSU items and many in the congregation wore OSU clothing! 
• The year when I wore my Penn State jersey to the bible study before the big game. (See picture above.)
• The year when an anonymous OSU gift giver from a previous church sent me a Penn State navy blazer (with Penn State written all over the inside lining) as a Christmas present.
• The year I officiated a wedding in the Shoe.  The famous "Buckeye Guy" was in attendance and tears came to his face after the service when he told me that he was so moved by my wedding homily.  He gave me an autographed picture.
• Same wedding but during the rehearsal dinner, the bride and groom gave me a Buckeye necklace that included the letters, "B-E-A-T-P-E-N-N-S-T-A-T-E."
• The year I officiated at another wedding and the rehearsal dinner was held in the President's suite at the Shoe.  The Buckeye alumni band surprised us by interrupting our dinner and paraded through the room playing, "Hang on Sloopy."

This is why I'm not as concerned about the final score of the big game today.  I will always remember this year as the year where our focus should be on much bigger issues like child abuse prevention and doing the right thing.  My Buckeye church members have taught me this with their kind words and support.

I can't believe I'm about to do what I'm about to do, but only for this one year only! 

                                                                  "O - H!"
                                      "I - O!"

Some things are more important than whether you win or lose a football game. 
.

Colin Cowherd, Penn State, & Religion

I listened a little to Colin Cowherd's ESPN talk show today.  Of course, he spent a lot of time talking about the Penn State scandal.  Like many people, including myself, a life-long Penn State/Joe Paterno follower, Colin rightfully aired his disgust at the irresponsibility of Penn State officials in handling the child abuse incidents.

But I do take issue with Colin on a couple of points.  Colin made the point that even before the scandal broke out, that the Penn State football program was being held back by the legendary coach.  He was implying that if Penn State would have made a change years ago, that Penn State would be a more elite team in terms of wins/losses.

Colin just doesn't understand that there is more to college football than being an elite program year after year.  One of the positives of the Penn State system has been to not sacrifice academics at the altar of being an elite team.  Schools like Penn State, Stanford, and Northwestern have high graduation rates in their football programs making it more difficult to have several strings of no loss or one loss seasons.  It's been amazing that Penn State has won two national championships and has had several top 10 finishes without sacrificing academics.  Quite frankly, this is the main reason why I have been a passionate follower of Penn State football over my lifetime.  As tarnished as Joe Paterno's legacy will now be, that is a positive that I hope will not be forgotten.

The other problem I had with Colin's remarks today was with his take on religion.  Colin made the point that western religions such as Christianity indirectly lead to moral failings such as the scandal at Penn State.  His reasoning was that Christianity is a religion that directs it's worship outward to God.   He then implied that when people do this, they can also easily direct their worship toward individuals which can be unhealthy as with the case of Penn State fans adoring/worshipping Joe Paterno.  Colin then pointed to the benefits of eastern religions as religions that have people primarily look inward rather than outward so we can see our weaknesses more clearly.

I think Colin is confusing western religion (Christianity) with western culture.  In western culture, we are so busy that we often fail to look inwardly to think about who we are and who we can become.  Christianity teaches that we are to look BOTH inwardly at ourselves AND outwardly to God.  We look outwardly because God has created us to be fully human and a reflection of God's image.  We look inwardly to examine if we are becoming more and more like God.  Again, western culture does not encourage this kind of introspection.

If we didn't have the outward part of our faith, the looking to God as our creator, what hope is there if we look inside ourselves and see only our weaknesses?  If you're only option is to look inwardly and the only hope is found there, that can be pretty depressing!  But you don't have to just look inside.  You can also look to God for strength, guidance, and support.  This doesn't mean that we don't have a part to play in our moral undertaking.  It just means that God is the source to help us become who we are created to be.

In summary, here's my response to Colin: "I love your show.  I agree with your disgust of what happened at Penn State.  But don't forget the importance of academics in college football.  And, don't confuse western religions with western culture."
.

My Thoughts on the Penn State Scandal

Someone in the church asked for my thoughts on the recent Penn State scandal that has been in the news.  I decided to make my response a blog post because it relates to our faith and how we handle serious issues that impact people's lives.

My first thought is how tragic this story is (if proven true) that minors were abused by an assistant football coach during his employment AND during his retirement years.  Systems should be in place and followed to protect children.

We still have a lot of unanswered questions.  The legal process and the investigation committee being put in place by the Board of Trustees at PSU will provide us with a lot of answers to our questions in due time. 

Some of those questions include, 1) Was their a cover-up by university officials? 2) Was Coach Paterno part of that cover-up?  3) This was not an isolated incident.  Why would university officials not contact children services directly?

It will be interesting to see how the PSU board will handle this since the football team is still in the process of their season.  Do you wait for more information before making personnel changes or do you go with what information you have, even if it's incomplete and make radical changes with the coaching staff and other university officials.

The protection of minors MUST be the focus of any decision they make.
.

Coaches Joe & Jay Paterno - Topic: Religion & Tolerance

Jay Paterno, Penn State Quarterback Coach and son of Joe Paterno has an interesting article on religion and tolerance. While not giving a specific opinion on the Mosque/Ground Zero issue, he offers thoughtful comments on this overall subject and what his father has done to promote religious tolerance and peace throughout his life.
.
On college football game day, this article reminds us of what is more important than which team wins or loses - it's how we treat others, including those from other faiths.

Boom Boom Pow - The Fight Against Childhood Cancer

Tucker Haas was diagnosed with cancer when he was 2. He's been cancer-free now for almost three years. He performed the song, "Boom Boom Pow" at Penn State's recent THON charity event, which raises money to help fight childhood cancer.

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.

Buckeyes & One Lonely Nittany Lion

One of the joys of my ministry at First United Methodist Church is leading a weekly Wednesday and Thursday bible study in which we read and discuss the scripture texts that will be used for the upcoming Sunday worship services.

.

I appreciate the discussion, the conversations, the insights, and the joy of being together as a community of people on the journey of discipleship. Today's focus was on Mark 12:38-44 in which Jesus notices a poor widow who gave all that she had (two small coins) into the Temple treasury. Jesus contrasts this widow's all out devotion and trust in God with the self interests of the scribes who were more interested in their own popularity than in having a complete trust in God.

.

At the bible study today, I chose to wear my Nittany Lion jersey (see picture above) in preparation for Saturday's game with Ohio State. It made for a great bible study ice-breaker and it also helped me to illustrate the point of the Mark text that we shouldn't go around wearing long jerseys just so that we can be greeted with respect in the marketplace.

.

Go Penn State!

Buckeyes in the Pulpit

This morning, BEFORE the big Ohio State/Penn State game this upcoming Saturday, I find four buckeye nuts on the pulpit. Ah! The pre-game festivities begin!

Every year in the church I serve, there is an acute tension between the Nittany Lion pastor (me) and my Buckeye congregations. A few years ago when Ohio State won, I was a good sport and wore a church member's OSU alum varsity jacket during worship. I walked down the sanctuary aisle wearing that jacket and as is my usual routine, paused at the altar for a brief prayer. It was during that silent prayer that I heard several people snickering in the congregation as they began to notice what I was wearing.

Last year, a gracious associate pastor who is an OSU alum, wore my Penn State hat for five seconds during worship since Penn State took care of OSU the day before.

The picture above includes two members of my previous church who had a little OSU/PSU pre-game fun before the big game.

This year is an even bigger dilemma as this Sunday is Stewardship Sunday, the day we invite people to make financial commitments to support the work and ministry of the church for the coming year. Do I want my beloved Nittany Lions to win or do I want the congregation to be in a good mood for a successful stewardship Sunday? It's a no win situation.

Go Penn State!

Is Goldy Gopher a Christian?

At last Saturday's Penn State/Minnesota football game at Penn State, Penn State defensive end, Jerome Hayes pauses before the game to offer a prayer. Goldy Gopher also decides to bow and pray with him.

Minnesota apologized earlier this week for the incident since Goldy was making light of the prayer, but since confession and forgiveness are at the heart of the Christian faith, maybe Goldy Gopher is a Christian after all!

Is this Guy Really 82 Years Old?

"We're Lousy" - Joe Paterno

We're off to a typical pre-season start to the Penn State football season. You gotta love Joepa!

Giving Back

Way to go Joe and Sue Paterno!

http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/062209aab.html

Pastor Robert, a Buckeye Fan?????????

In front of over 200 people at our Wednesday evening Food Court last evening, Pastor Rick Tettau grabs a microphone and gets everyone's attention.

"I'm happy to announce that Pastor Robert is now a Buckeye fan."

Everyone begins to cheer and celebrate that this Pennsylvania kid has finally seen the light. Just as the roar dies down, Pastor Rick offered these words:

"April Fools!"

As we approach Holy Week (week of April 5) and begin to think about what Jesus has done for us by dying on the cross to offer us forgiveness of our sins, mercy, and newness of life, we realize that this is no April Fools. The events of Holy Week really did happen and Jesus went through all the pain, suffering, and agony to offer us salvation.

P.S.

See you for Holy Week services:

Sunday, April 5 - Passion/Palm Sunday Worship, 8:30/9:45/11:00

Thursday, April 9 - Maundy Thursday Service, 7 P.M.

Friday, April 10 - Good Friday Service, Noon

When a USC Pastor Serves a PSU Church

My older and wiser brother is a United Methodist pastor in our Penn State dominated home church in southeastern, Pennsylvania. He also happens to be a graduate of USC which will be playing Penn State on New Year's Day in the Rose Bowl (4:30 P.M., ABC)

Somehow, the local York, PA newspaper found about this little piece of trivia and recently did a story on what it's like to be an SC pastor in a PSU church. You'll find the short video interview on the right side of the link above.

Enjoy the video.

Have you seen this soft & cuddly Nittany Lion?

Sometime on Friday, October 31, the soft and cuddly Nittany Lion stuffy, which stands about 6 inches tall, was kidnapped from the front desk of Faith Community church.

A ransom note was placed in my church mail box today which had early elementary age large print on the envelope with the words, "PASTOR ROBERT."

Inside the envelope was a letter from the kidnappers which utilized words clipped from various newspapers and magazines explaining that more instructions will be given if I want to see my Nittany Lion cub alive again. The front office staff did not see the perpetrator take the little harmless stuffy but investigators are presently interviewing staff members and suspicious church members on where they were on the day of the crime.

I can only imagine where lil Nittany is at this very moment...probably in some dark cellar with Buckeye Brutus nearby.

Nittany...if you have internet wifi handy and they haven't taken your smart phone, go to daddy's web blog and know that I will not stop searching for you even if it gets to feel like it's early in the fourth quarter and we're losing 6 to 3. Remember to keep hope. Buckeye Brutus might get careless and fumble the deal and we'll be able to rescue you.

Your spot on my office desk furniture will not be the same without you. Your friend, Pittsburgh Steeler piggie which sits next to you in my office has also made a vow to not blow any more leads until you are found and returned safe and sound.

Hang in there lil Nittany. Thank goodness we have a bye week.