I'm not sure if you've heard or not, but here in a couple weeks, something called the 'Super Bowl' will be played. Apparently, it's a football game of some importance to those who follow the sport, and word has it that the two best teams in the National Football League over the past season - the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints - will be competing for some sort of trophy or ring or trip to Disney Land or something.

Now, you may think that since I grew up in Indiana, I would be a Colts fan, what with them being from the state capital and all. This is, however, untrue - I root for the teams that I do because I followed my dad and his allegiances. And while he was devoted to the Cincinnati Reds (no championships since 1990 and only three in the past 65 years) and the Purdue Boilermakers (the definition of good, but never good enough), he had absolutely no affiliation with the Colts. So, I grew up not caring about the team that would become the most successful football franchise of the past decade. In other words, thanks dad. At any rate, since the quarterback of the Saints is Drew Brees, a man who is not only tastefully named, but also doubles as my favorite athlete (because of his past at Purdue), I've adopted the Saints as my third sports team, and that means they're mine for life. It's true - I'm a Hoosier who's adopted a team from New Orleans that's going against the poster team of the NFL. And that means that as I talk to people back home or see the Facebook status updates of all my Indiana friends, it can feel awfully lonely to be a Saints fan.

Fortunately, I'm not really alone. According to this poll at ESPN.com, while 81% of people in Indiana are rooting for the Colts in the Super Bowl, that leaves 19% that are rooting for the Saints. And surprisingly, there ARE people from Louisiana - 4% of them, in fact - who are rooting for the Colts. This is even more stunning, considering rooting against the Saints in the Bayou State has become treason synonymous with rooting for Hurrican Katrina.

The point, though, is this - sometimes, the minority is right. And in two weeks, there will be a minority fanbase celebrating a Super Bowl victory, whether that' s in Indianapolis or New Orleans. And when it comes to religion, the same is true. After all, when you consider the religious demographics of the world, there is simply no consensus on who or what God is. The most popular opinion, Christianity, encompasses only a third of the world's population; if we're right, 67% of the people currently alive on earth are wrong. And you can subsitute any religion or number you want - the point is the same. Even if there is NO God or right religion, that will mean that 84% of the world was wrong.

Therefore, this is not about what's popular or what other people think. Instead, religion is about pursuing the TRUTH about God - no matter what that is. And the key word here is 'truth.' After all, I've rooted for Drew Brees to win a championship for 13 seasons now (four at Purdue, nine in the NFL), and this is the first chance he has in all those years. My desire for him to be a winner has absolutely zero impact on the actual fact of the matter.

So, God either exists or he does not. Jesus was either real or he was not, and he either lived, died, and rose from the dead, or he didn't. And no amount of wishful thinking, fanatic rooting, or popular voting will change those facts, no matter how much we want them to. We can want God to be real, and that won't make him, she or it pop up out of thin air; and we can desperately wish for religion to be an evil human invention created to subjugate the weak and poor, and that won't make a bit of difference if God is really out there somewhere.

Take heart, then, if it can feel like you're all alone from time to time when it comes to what you think about God. After all, the minority will absolutely be right in the end.

When I was a freshman in college, I was often drawn to the upper classmen who lived in my dorm for advice and guidance. After all, they were more accessible than my professors, and they certainly knew more than my boneheaded classmates (who, of course, felt the same about me). One of those upper classmen was sort of a mix between Ghandi and Yoda; no matter what we talked about or how irreverent we were being, he always had the ability to say something thoughtful and full of wisdom, and no matter how much we tried to give a counter point or argue, we almost always conceded that he was right. So you can imagine my surprise one day when the Sage of Floor 2 made this ironic statement:

"The older I get and the more I learn, the more I realize just how little I know."

I have no idea if that comment originated with our wise dorm mate, but it's stuck with me ever since, and truth be told, I think of it more and more as I do this ministry thing. And I thought of it last night as I read this article about a writer named Mike Penner. I'd heard of him before, reading about his tragic suicide this Thanksgiving, but I hadn't given him much thought. Reading Rick Reilly's piece about him, though, made me pause and ask a million questions - probably the very same questions you would have if you thought about Penner's life for more than a few moments.

And since last night, I've thought and thought about those questions. As I write right now, I've come to the only conclusion I can possibly come to - I know a whole lot less than I'd like to believe. I have absolutely no idea what it would be like to struggle with an issue like one's own gender, and I have no clue as to how I'd even begin to sift through the 'morality' of such a question. I'm not sure what I would say or do if someone came to me looking for guidance on an issue like this, and I absolutely, positively don't know what Jesus would have to say about it. As I've wrestled this whole topic in my head and in my heart, I've found that I'm definitely losing the battle with confusion and doubt.

But you know what? I'm not so sure that's a bad thing. See, the more that I discover what I don't know, the more I appreciate what I do, and the more I'm faced with my own limitations and shortcomings, the more I understand just how amazing it is to have a savior and God who has nothing of the sort. For all my questioning and lack of answers, I take heart in what Jesus said about himself when he was here:

God's Spirit is on me; he's chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor, Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, To set the burdened and battered free, to announce, "This is God's year to act!" - Luke 4:18-19, The Message

The bottom line is this: we are all burdened and battered, and through Jesus Christ, we can have freedom. And what that freedom means to each one of us, individually, will be different, depending on what particular thing enslaves us. The point, though, is that no matter what it is, Jesus can set us free.

I still don't know what I think about what plagued Mike Penner, and I'm not sure I'll ever have a definitive answer. But that's okay, as long as I have a God in my corner who does.

And that won't change, no matter how old I get.

(note: the following is in no way a political commentary, nor is it an attack or endorsement of any political figure which may or may not be mentioned. Furthermore, if you're really that sensitive about who you do or do not vote for, perhaps something you're wearing needs to be un-bunched.)

Monday was a day of shocking news that shocked absolutely no one. When it was announced, everyone collectively nodded their heads, since the revelation not only made perfect sense, but was one that could have been made long ago. But while Mark McGwire's admission that he's a dirty, rotten cheater was news to absolutely no one, that's not what I'm talking about.

I'm talking about Sarah Palin joining Fox News.

Fox News and Sarah Palin truly is a match made in heaven. The station is widely known as a safe haven for Republicans and Conservatives all around the nation, and of course, Palin is as Republican and Conservative as they come. So, for the next few years, whenever you see Palin waxing philosophically about her brand of politics on Fox News, it shouldn't make you think twice about whether or not this is appropriate.

And I'm not going to mock or make fun of Palin or Fox News - after all, both the 2012 presidential hopeful and news station have the right to believe and say whatever they choose. And certainly there are other politicians and stations on the opposite end of the spectrum. I've got no problem with this; after all, the world would be a boring place without differing opinions. But I do think it's time for Fox News to change its slogan - 'Fair and Balanced.' After all, as if it weren't evident before, the hiring of Palin as a consultant is as 'Fair' and 'Balanced' as Jimmy Kimmel talking about Jay Leno and NBC.

As Christians, however, I think we can learn a thing or two about Palin and Fox (or, if you prefer, other stations and other politicians): it's impossible in this world to be fair and balanced. We all have opinions and beliefs, and each one of us is willing, from time to time, to fight for those values. There's nothing wrong with that - in fact, Jesus taught us that he didn't come to make everything fair or balanced. Instead, he came wanting us to choose a side. Either you're with Jesus, or you're not - there is no middle ground; there is no balance or fairness.

When you read this blog, you should know where you stand: I love Jesus, and I think you should too. I'm not fair, balanced, or interested in giving credibility to those who disagree with my position. Hopefully I'm not obnoxious or disrespectful, and I would like to think my beliefs are based on logic and reason as much as they are wishful thinking. But still - I'm anything BUT unbiased. And I would hope that each person who professes to trust in Jesus for their eternal salvation would be in the same boat; Jesus didn't come to make us all hold hands and sing songs around the campfire. Instead, he came to give the opportunity to follow him, and if we don't, then there is no consolation prize.

So, in my mind, Fox News may as well change its name to 'Conservative Republican Network of Champions' - everyone knows where they stand, so they may as well be honest about it.

How about you?

(note: I understand that most of you don't care about baseball and/or the Cincinnati Reds. However, I do. So there. We can still be friends, and you can still like Jesus.)

Hope is a good thing.

As sports fans, we all have hope that this will be the year that they remember for decades; this will be the team we tell our grandkids about; this will be the game they feature in a movie in twenty years. This hope is what keeps us going year after year and game after game, even in the face of long odds and the cold slap of reality that every year every team but one is a failure.

As a Cincinnati Reds fan, that hope has been a thing of the past for me and my brethren over the last decade. For nine straight years, the team has lost more games than it's won, and with the exception of a dissapointment or two, in most of those years, that fact was anything but a surprise. We went into each season knowing full well that we were going to be terrible, and as fans, our pessism was well warranted.

Well, as of yesterday, consider us Reds fans as officially hopeful for the future. And hope, thy name is Aroldis Chapman. Chapman, the newest Red, is a 22 year old flamethrowing left handed pitcher from Cuba, and is, perhaps, the most talented amateur pitcher in the world. The best case scenario for the pitcher is that his 102 mile per hour fastball and array of secondary pitches leads to a long career in the majors as the anchor of the World Champion Cincinnati Reds in the very near future.

Will it happen? Maybe, maybe not. After all, there are always risks in sports (and in life), and potential isn't always lived up to. But still - there's hope. As Christians, though, we don't have to hope like sports fans do. Instead, our hope as God's children is more than just dreaming for the future - it's an assurance based on divine promises. The apostle Paul talked about this very thing when he wrote to the church at Galatia:

Know this—I am most emphatic here, friends—this great Message I delivered to you is not mere human optimism. I didn't receive it through the traditions, and I wasn't taught it in some school. I got it straight from God, received the Message directly from Jesus Christ. - Galatians 1:10b, The Message

In other words, when we place our trust in God through His son Jesus, we're not just saying, 'gee, I hope one day this works out.' Instead, we have a God given guarantee that things will work out for eternally, and we have the assurance that we not only belong to God, but we're part of His eternal Kingdom, from this moment to our last. And we have the opportunity to breath easy, knowing 100% that Jesus will return one day and we will be with Him for eternity.

The fact is that we live in a world where so much can go wrong, whether through our mistakes or just random chance. And while in every other area in our lives, we have the potential for failure. With Jesus, however, we CAN'T fail, because it's not up to us. Our salvation isn't based on our own goodness or ability to live up to good standards, and our ability to know God isn't through anything we've earned. Instead, being a Christian means that we trust in who Jesus is and what Jesus did and does - and for that reason, because he is faithful, we can always have hope, 102 MPH fastball or no 102 MPH fastball.

And hope is a good thing - but hope in Jesus is better!

As much as I may not want to admit it, I'm a fairly emotional person. And by 'emotional,' I mean, 'emotional about the dumbest things.' Get me at a wedding or a funeral or something else significant that people are typically emotional at, and I've got the reaction of a piece of paper. But watch the trailer to The Blind Side? Watch 'Cold Case' or a particularly touching episode of 'Scrubs'? Suddenly, I've got to make up an excuse like, 'my allergies are acting up,' or, 'it must be dusty in here.' It's the weirdest thing.

And so you'll have to forgive me when I share that you can add the biblical book of Exodus to the list of ridiculous things that make Drew cry a little. Even if you're not much into church, you know the story - the nation of Israel is enslaved by the Egyptians, so God calls Moses on his burning bush phone and Moses leads the Jews across the Red Sea to freedom. And God didn't even use guns, much to the chagrine of Mr. Heston.

Here's the thing though - go back and re-read the text, and this time, try to look at it from the perspective of the Egyptians instead of the Jews. Suddenly, the story of triumph and God's faithfulness to his people turns into a story of tragedy, affliction and national disaster. It wasn't just that God sent plagues of frogs and boils and hail - he literally took the life of every firstborn son in the nation of Egypt. From their point of view, it's truly heartbreaking, and it can be hard to harmonize with our idea of a loving and gracious God who loves everyone.

At the end of the day, though, the Egyptian perspective on the Exodus should remind us that what we have as Christians is anything but cheap. Oh sure, the New Testament talks about salvation with words like 'free gift,' and 'by grace,' and all that, but it costs something. Each one of us has earned the same type of misfortune that the Egyptians went through - maybe we haven't enslaved an entire people group, but if we were in their shoes, we probably would. And besides, a law breaker is a law breaker, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant the law is that is broken. That's why we should never forget that our salvation ISN'T free - it cost Jesus everything.

I guess the reason something like the book of Exodus can make me emotional is that I know just how many mistakes I've made, and I know that if God wanted to - no, if God acted in a way that was just and right - I would have to go through the same types of things they did. That's what I've earned; that's what I deserve. And yet, that's not what I'll get, because of something someone else did for me. That, friends, is amazing.

On second thought, maybe getting emotional about this isn't quite as silly as getting emotional about a Disney movie. 

It sure feels good to win one.

It can be hard to determine the success or failure of a church. After all, much of what we aim for is hard to tangibly measure - it can be hard to 'see' spiritual growth, and next to impossible to gauge a person's priorities. Therefore, most churches rely on an imperfect standard to figure out whether or not they're doing their job: numbers.

Like any other congregation, at Ashland Christian Church, we keep a detailed account of different types of numbers. But one of those numbers stands head and shoulders above any other that I could bring to your attention: 25. Before 2009 began, the leadership at ACC sat down and drew up a series of numberic goals based on our mission and method statement, 'Connect.Call.Cultivate.' And the most exciting number on the page was '25' - the number of baptisms we hoped to have over the year.

Well, last Monday, just a couple days before the end of the year, we had a baptism at our church - the 25th one. I bring this up in this space not to brag or to say 'look at us,' but rather as a simple way of saying, 'thank you.' See, as we look at the individuals who gave their lives to Christ over the last 12 months, we can see that each person was a friend or family member of one of you. Therefore, this isn't my victory or a victory of the church's leadership; this is YOUR victory. This is the result of YOUR prayers and YOUR work; this is what happens when YOU care about other people and YOU share your faith.

This is undoubtedly what I am most proud of when I consider our ministry in Ashland. At many churches (and other institutions), there's one person who's the 'leader' or the 'face' of the congregation. But the leader of the Kingdom of God is Jesus, and the rest of us are just serving him. That's why I'm so proud that it's not about me, or any other individual at ACC - it's about us, as a family and a community, Connecting, Calling, and Cultivating together.

So, here's to you, Ashland Christian Church member. Because of what you did, in 2009, we saw 25 people make a decision to follow Jesus. And those decisions, for each individual, has changed the direction of their eternity. We hope and pray that we can be a part of 25 more decisions in 2010, and the only way that will happen is if you, once again, share your faith and be the church that Jesus always wanted.

And when that happens, friends, no matter how you measure it, we are a success.