SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2010

THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

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Dear Friends in Our Lord Jesus:

One of the greatest athletes of the last century was Bruce Jenner, the man who represented the United States at the Olympic Games in Montreal in 1976 and won the gold medal in the decathlon.

Without question, the decathlon is one of the most grueling events at the summer Olympics. It includes ten separate running, jumping, throwing, leaping, sprinting, and vaulting events, spread over a two-day period. The winner of the decathlon richly deserves the title of "world's best athlete."

Bruce Jenner staked his claim to greatness back in 1976. His endurance, tenacity, strength, and physical conditioning were his trademarks -- along with his ear-length, floppy, bouncy black hair. But Jenner is more than an athlete. He also has a strong spiritual life. He not only loves and worships the Lord; he also refuses to BLAME God when things don't work out on the field of competition. In an interview with Larry King several years ago, here is what Jenner said about a fellow decathlete: "I had a friend who also ran the decathlon. He was a Christian, very religious, and he messed up one of the events. After it was over, he came to me and said, 'It was God's will.' My first reaction to that was God wasn't the one who stepped out of the discus circle."

He continued: "There's a fine point here, but you have to take responsibility for being able to use the power of prayer AND take responsibility for your own life. I wouldn't have looked at it his way. I would have blamed it on me. If I foul three times, that's not God's fault. I'm the one throwing the discus."

As we journey through the Easter season, let us continue to give thanks to God for his mercy and love.

-- The Very Rev. Dr. Steve Sellers +