June 18, 2010

Kopp Disclosure
(John 3:19-21)

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God knows every dad knows it would never happen on Mother's Day; but my youngest's baseball league has scheduled a make-up game for Sunday, uh, Father's Day at 3:00 p.m.

Geez.

O.K., I'll miss over four hours of World Cup action.

Not.

Truly, I'll miss over four hours of the U.S. Open.

Sigh.

Again, this would never happen on...

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I'm wondering which show will draw more ratings?

World Cup?

WNBA?

U.S. Open?

Re-runs of BBPBHO's oval office assault on the oil leak?

Scarface?

@#$%

Getting back to Father's Day which I won't be getting to this year as wife and next to youngest son are away for prospect camps in Indiana and Pennsylvania through late Sunday while I'm missing Tiger's continuing drama or another thrill from Phil, I think a lot about my dad and how I'm thankful for the privilege of still having him around.

Though I don't like to admit it, he's usually right.

When I said BBPBHO would never win because he was/remains totally unprepared for the job, he said, "We live in a rock star culture. We live in a land where someone can make millions for inventing a pet rock or hula hoop. He's a fad. We'll get over him; but not until..."

When I said BBPBHO will serve two terms, he predicted, "We live in a rock star culture. We live in a land where someone can make millions for inventing a pet rock or hula hoop. He's a fad. We'll get over him; but not until..."

He describes Republicans as people who hate to see anything happen for the first time.

He describes Democrats as people with both feet planted firmly in the air; or when you look closely into their eyes, it's hard to discern if they're having a vision of God or just wet themselves.

Parenthetically, he thinks fundamentalists are like Republicans and mainliners are like Democrats.

He has no patience for people who live off the fat of the land while doing everything or nothing for God's sake to destroy it.

He explained the illogic of trying to be rational with the irrational.

He warned that people who ask for mulligans or improve their lies cannot be trusted.

Yeah, he's usually right.

Dang.

@#$%

Of course, I know I'm blessed.

I've met lots of folks who don't prize their dads; which may be why I've got a little league baseball game on Sunday afternoon.

One of my older sons doesn't especially prize me; and I deserve a good portion of his disdain.

As Dr. Wolfgang Lowe said to me when I kept asking questions that he couldn't/wouldn't answer while studying in Germany as the USA was about to boot Nixon, "Unfortunately, Herr Kopp, we are not all omniscient."

Be that as it is, I've met lots of folks who can't relate to God as Father because they can't relate to their much too human versions.

@#$%

Just as you can't blame Jesus for some Christians who could use some Jesus in their lives, God as Father can't be blamed for some fathers who haven't been more than a biological connection to their kids.

God is sovereign as Father, saving as Son Jesus, and sustaining as Holy Spirit; which should make addressing Him as Father kinda cool.

Of course, if you're one of those sickos who make inappropriate transferences...

False witnesses to the truth don't change the, uh, truth.

Bad human images don't change divine realities.

God as Father is good news.

So if you can't celebrate the human version on Sunday when I'll be coaching a baseball game that would never be scheduled on Mother's Day...

@#$%

Staying with sports, Justin Rose finished 4th as a 17 year old in the 1998 British Open at Royal Birkdale.

Everybody thought he was destined for stardom.

It didn't really happen until he won this year's Memorial (6/3-6 in Dublin, Ohio); prompting this candid/cold observation/confession from a reporter: "Well, there is an expiration date on expectations, a moment when you either have to arrive or excuse yourself" (Golf World, 6/14/10).

That brought more old advice from my dad back to mind: "Potential doesn't complete the job. Jesus did not quit until He finished the job."

@#$%

I thought about that while meeting with a predecessor, founding visionary of the Confessing Church movement, and pastor of a local "emerging" church in town.

We've concluded the church needs to become the Church and start modeling Christianity rather than some kinda navel-gazing religion.

With that in mind, we're praying about how God can use us in mutual submission to each other in ministry in reality more than theory.

We're convinced that would make our Father very happy.

Admittedly, we know it'll be a hard adjustment for folks who are into idolatry, the way things never were or maybe were but are no more, and the commonalities of fundamentalists/Republicans and mainliners/Democrats.

Excellent!

We're going to live a lot longer with our Father than anybody else; so picking priorities is a no-brainer.

Kinda like coaching a baseball game for my kid on Father's Day.

Kinda like the Rose story as metaphor for...

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Blessings and Love!