In my introductory note I listed some present day mentors. There are two who have a great deal of ongoing power of revealing the Word of God: Walter Brueggemann and N. T. (Tom) Wright. Walt is primarily in the Old Testament and Tom in the New Testament. Both are helping me to see over and over again that the scriptures are more alive than we realize in the world in which we live.

My desire is to have my life solely focused on being with God. All other relationships and actions flow through that primary relationship. But much of my life and many of other people's lives I observe, seem to make the relationship with God as just ONE MORE thing to do. One more relationship or activity to have to do. Sure, we want to know God. We want God to be there when the critical moments of life happen, but to really work at this primary relationship..."in light of everything else I have to get done"...feels like a burden.

In a wonderful video series called "Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People", John and Nancy Ortberg talk about how many folks who are "church" people, treat their spiritual life as though it is one slice among many other slices of a pie. When they have time, or when they schedule it, they will work at or pay attention to the spiritual slice. That often gets reduced down into "going to church" or "working at the church" or "raising or giving money to missions" or doing a daily devotions and so on. What God has asked from us for aeons is that we give our whole life to serving God, and let all the other parts of life, all the other relationships, including with our families and ourselves, to be part of that singular spiritual slice/life.

However, in the modern world, we reduced church down to "oughts and shoulds"...tasks or obligations that need to be done. Many of us have done those tasks for years and now we are resentful that the new folks or the younger folks won't take up the tasks and carry them on. What I hear though from new folks and younger folks is that they want to take up the cross...the deep spiritual moment to moment journey with God...instead of the tasks. There is panic in many churches that if these younger folks don't take up the "tasks" the church will fall apart or it won't function as it is "suppose to." God has managed for all these years to keep the church "on task." He gave the gift of Jesus to save us from believing more in our accomplishing our tasks than in his task. I do not fear that "our" church, but more specifically, the church of Jesus Christ, will fade or die or lose its vision if those who follow us don't fulfill all the tasks that we think they should...because we did. God save us all!

I am in the midst of the spring season of coaching soccer for Molly's 10 and under team. There are 12 girls in the 4th and 5th grades. I look forward to this time, even though it squeezes my regular schedule. The relationship and the fun, the teaching, it is a piece of heaven for me. The first year it was hard for Molly to have me coach her. But at this point that has faded.

As a non-soccer player (let's go swim) I first felt overwhelmed by not really knowing the sport. At this point I have learned that there is more to coaching than teaching skills. In fact I see my role more as helping the adults to chill and have fun because the girls do whether we win or lose.

We have finally developed a signal from the girls on the field when my assistant coach and I are yelling too much at them and they are having a hard time focusing on the game. They just cover their ears with both hands and we get the message.

I am learning that I don't have to be the expert. Rather, I am a guide. The girls are starting to work together more on the field and to talk to one another, to help one another. That is our ultimate goal. And it strikes me that that is the model that Jesus taught his disciples. There is not one superior leader, but a team of leaders working together. Learning together. There may be guides or visionaries to set the direction, but we are all on the road together. Isn't soccer great! Go Cheetahs.