I thought of a lot of things.  I thought of the times my dad used to turn on the television on Sunday afternoons and we’d watch the Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish dominate everything that moved on the old parquet floor of the Boston Garden.  I thought of the times immediately after when I’d run outside, pretending I was their point guard Dennis Johnson (I was pretty short as a child) and dribbling through orange cones and chairs and anything else that could defend me.  I thought of the countless number of times that I would go out as a young teenager and practice my turn around jumper ala Larry Bird, or my baby hook ala Robert and Kevin (I had grown a bit at that point).  I thought of the Wheaties box I bought the first week I moved to Massachusetts – July 9, 1998 – with a commemorative picture of Bird on it.  I have yet to open it.

I also thought of the playoffs in 2002 when Pierce and Walker took the C’s to the semifinals, and I would sit in my pastor’s house and watch the games over chinese food and ice cream with Lonnie and Ruth Snell.  They almost did it then, but they definitely were not the best team, and typically in the NBA, the best team wins.  Ironically enough, that year Shaq and Koby were the leaders of the best team, the Lakers.
And then I thought about what Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers must have gone through last year.  The worst team in the league.  The joke – and they were a joke – of this great professional sports area.  To bring your team from that to win the world championship is a feat that not many people’s psyche would have allowed.  But quitting, losing, and ultimate defeat were words that were not even in the dictionary when Ainge pulled off the trades that would ultimately bring them to win it all.  Not just bringing in Allen and Garnett, but also Posey, House, and Brown, and still made them a team, something even this Celtics fan denied could happen in a year.
“Two years, maybe, but I’d give it three, and even then, the new “big three” will probably be showing their age too much to win a championship.”
And then last night happened, as the Celtics destroyed the Lakers in a fitting end to their dominant year, and as I sat with my friends, some old friends, some new, (A shout out to Jay, Al, Steve bramlett, Jon, and Ben inserted here) I thought about this moment,and I thought about what it takes to be a champion.
It takes a team, committed to something more than personal glory, committed to something more than a “me first” mentality, to show up on a regular basis, and admit in their action, I will do what it takes to accomplish the task at hand.
That’s what I want to be a part of, and the vision may be different for me (no trophies for this one), but the end result wil be so much more satisfying.  To see people connect into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.  And I love the team I get to accomplish this goal with.

What’s your Championship?

This post was written with Randy Elrod’s Watercooler Wednesday in mind.

Relevant Magazine has asked several religious leaders (most of whom I highly respect, specifically NT Wright) about their views on homosexuality and the church.  Here is the article should you be interested in reading it.

Your thoughts?

Last night was the last official night for my life group, as we will be splitting and moving into the next phase of our life group lives.  Once again this has been a phenomonal experience for Carie and I, and last night was no different.  We have been so blessed by growing spiritually and relationally with the likes of Garret and Sue Walker, Phil & Leslie Kenney, Ben Daggett, Whitney Jones, Pam Watson, Mark Duclos, Nicole Lagace, MB Makara, and my long time friends Steve & Amy MacArthur. 
Every week, we’ve met together to pray, read and study the Bible, read other books like “Sex God” (don’t ask), and eat and fellowship together.  It’s been an amazing ride for which I’m thrilled to be a part and I’m still looking forward to seeing what God does with my next group.
Officially I won’t be leading my next group, but I’ll be a part.  For the rest of our lives (God willing), we’ll be a part of a group of people who help to lead one another into authentic community with God and each other.

How about you?  Are you a part of a group of people who love and care about you both relationally and spiritually?