SOUL SURMISE

Sports Surmise On Taking Part Being As Important as Winning

In my final year at school we were entered into an exam called Use Of English. It was a one off. I think we had an essay or two. It was short. With no revision needed I revelled and when my grade was higher than those a few months away from three and four A grades in their A Levels I caused some surprise and consternation. With the essay options I got lucky; “Sport is more about the taking part than the winning. Discuss.” With my love for writing even then, the honing of my ability in the Debating Society and my love for sport I was on a winner!

I remembered that essay this weekend when I was considering a change in attitude in my own sporting fandom in the midst of the fan tension around the Liverpool – Manchester United game and the QPR- Chelsea match. Both these games had gained some hyped hatred following on the field spats between Patrice Evra and Luis Suarez and John Terry and Anton Ferdinand respectively. Managers and Football’s governing bodies were trying to defuse tension as the week went on and that was a rare and welcome contribution. However, there was still booing and tensions in the stands at both games. It is the ugly face of football, maybe even uglier than awful refereeing decisions just now, and they are ugly!

I can do nothing about what goes on with thousands of gathered football fans but I can change myself. Indeed as a Christian minister, that is the very business I am involved in! This season, with my team reaching the possibility of winning trophies, I took a conscious decision to change my attitude to the opposition and to be a better loser. The amazing thing is that it has caused me to enjoy the spectacle of my favourite sport in a wonderful new way. I have started to see even Manchester United as the other eleven players in the entertaining competitiveness of what I am watching. The matches against United and indeed Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal have become great games of football that it is a joy to be a part of and to sometimes win and sometimes lose. Without these teams there would be no point. What I have come to enjoy this season is the fact that the Manchester clubs are walloping London clubs in the League, yet London clubs are still in the Champions League and Liverpool have just dumped both Manchester clubs out of the domestic Cup competitions. There are a lot of teams who could win trophies, nobody is winning all the trophies and that is a wonderful thing for the excitement of being a fan.

So, in this competitive season, I think taking part is fun in itself. If my team, Manchester City, finally win the League that will be to be celebrated and I will celebrate! But fair play to Manchester United, with a much weaker team, they will not let go and they might well pip us to it which would be an amazing achievement. That will be no reason to hate even in my Facebook status or over coffee. It is time for respect of other teams and other teams’ supporters. How to lose is as important as how to win and I am learning how to do both in brand new ways?

How Can I Give You Up (Hosea)

It wasn’t vows you’ve broken

But my soft and tender heart

Oh the ache of the shredded rip

Of my insides being torn apart

And into the dark black night

That’s where my love went

I drowned here in a flood of tears

That my heart spent

 

How can I give you up

How can I let you go

When Grace is who I am

And forgiving all I know

 

I’m not a tablet of stone

I breathe and feel deep down

Like nails hammered into flesh

The vile thud of adultery’s sound

Maybe no one hears the cry

When emotions are left paralysed

Sticks and stones don’t hurt me

Like a lovers lies

 

How can I give you up

How can I let you go

When Grace is who I am

And forgiving all I know

 

I’ll romance you back to life

You’ll know me once again

Whatever it takes to take you

To the story of love’s end.

Lyric For The Day 28.1.12 from Frozen Lake by Iain Archer

" I wanna be someone who makes you feel beautiful

I wanna be someone who does

I wanna be someone who makes you feel beautiful

I wanna be someone

Who covers you with love..."

  - from Frozen Lake by Iain Archer

This was on our family compliation CD this afternoon and it is just so hard to beat. Whether directed to wife, lover or everyone I meet this is a grand design of human ambition.

TOMORROW IN FITZROY

Tomorrow morning at 11 in Fitzroy we get an insight into the warm and tender heart of an angry God as we follow Hosea into chapters 10 and 11... a creative sermon is in the writing! It can't be done in traditional exegesis! We will hear from one of our members Carole McFarland who works for London City Mission. Also the countdown to our Community Bible Experience where we will be reading the entire New Testament during Lent. Vibrant worship will have a Rend Collective slant.

In the evening, at 7, it is our monthly Faith on Trial where Christianity comes under a cerebral microscope. Tomorrow night it is the BBC's William Crawley speaking about Science and Faith. It'll be quality and no doubt deeply thoughtful.

Lyric For The Day 27.1.12 from Joy by Mick Jagger

"My soul is like a ruby
And I threw it in the earth
But now my hands are bleeding
From scrabbling in the dirt
And I looked up to the heavens
And a light is on my face
I never never never
Thought I'd find a state of grace

Oh joy, love you bring
Oh joy, make my heart my sing
Oh joy, joy in everything"

-          From Joy by Mick Jagger

I have discovered the Rolling Stones for the first time this winter and one of the things that has most surprised me is the morsels of Christian Gospel that can be found in their train wrecks of hedonism! Here again, in Mick Jagger’s solo career, a clear and poetic expression of Christian grace. Something very special was given, the singer threw it away and needed an outside party to save what was lost through an act of grace. Obviously the fact that Bono joined Jagger on lead vocal on this song suggests that Jagger was writing with the U2 singer in mind but it is not a co-write; fascinating!