FOOOUUURRRR!
On Friday we arrived in Odessa, Texas. Saturday morning the alarm went off and I drug my tired body out of bed. I was asked to play golf in a local tournament.
That's a nice idea except I don't know how to play golf! The first and last time I played was before Mikhail Gorbachev was sworn in as Russia's president and Tiger Woods was 13.
We arrived at the golf club and I got my loaner clubs out. They were wrapped with a bungee cord on each end. Lynne said, "This putter right here is a genuine antique." He should know they are his.
All of the Men began to arrive in their pickups and get out their top of the line hi tech gear. I was the only one who didn't have his very own glove stuck in his back pocket.
These men weren't wearing cowboy hats today. No sir.
They were were wearing sweat wicking golf hats with names like "ping" on the front.
The manager of the club loaned me his empty golf bag. I got more compliments on my golf bag then anything else. "That sure is a good looking bag." Wow that bag can hold everything!
Ben Wall showed up and we jumped in a golf cart and away we flew.
Now I looked like a respecable golfer... sitting in the golf cart.
I can't tell you how stupid I felt as I swung and missed the ball.
The three men who were on my team were so encouraging. They cheered everytime I hit the ball.
Even if the ball headed for the parking lot they would give positive comments about my swing or how far I hit it... even if it was in the wrong direction.
There wasn't a time that I hit the ball that they didn't say something nice.
I felt so akward, embarrased and out of place. Did I mention that I lost six balls!
If it wasn't for their encouragement I probably would have left.
When one of the guys made a bad hit they would use that to encourage. The men were fun to be with.
In this tournament we were put into teams of four and each of us would hit and then we would pick the best one of the four and play from there.
I tried to copy everything they did.
My golfing skills did not help the team until the very last hole.
We were on edge of the sloping green. They had me go first to see how the ball rolled. I hit the ball a couple feet to the left and it curved around and around for about ten feet and dropped right in the cup!
You would have thought I had earned the green blazer the way the men cheered. High Fives all around.
When we got back to the club house the guys didn't mention all of my mistakes...they talked about my one good putt.
Since Friday
I have reflected on the golf tournement with the rules, special clothes, insider language and how the guys treated me.
I compared it to church in my mind.
How stupid and clumsy new comers to Christianity must feel. I wonder if I have been as encouraging and quick to overlook mistakes as my teammates were when i missed the ball three or four times or sent it to the bottom of the pond. When I was golfing I couldn't do anything wrong at least that is how they made me feel. They didn't make fun of my antique clubs...they loaned me their high dollar graphite ones and told me "you can't hurt these things."
Golf for many of these men is not a hobby but a passion
They tried to recruit me to thier golfing community with words like.."one good hit and you could be hooked for life."
How'd that feel? Wasn't that nice. You're a natural. You are doing great!
I want to be a part of church who treats everyone the way these guys treated me on the golf course.
High Fives all around. Good job! That was beautiful!
posted by Jeff Cash @ 5:54 AM
6 comments
6 Comments:
I feel your pain Jeff. In many years of golfing, I don't think I ever beat my dad and he played with only one hand. I've given up golfing, at least untill I retire. I have taken up disc (frizbee) golfing. I actually nailed my first hole-in-one the other day. It's a much easier and cheaper way to play the same basic game.
Your golfing story reminds me of a song by a Country singer, Toby Keith. The song is titled, 'I love this bar.' From the title it's not to difficult to guess what the song is about. Typical of many Country and Western songs. But there was something about it that really struck a cord with me. The song talked about how every person from any walk of life was welcome in this bar. It didn't matter what their occupation was, where they lived, what color their skin was, how much money they made. In fact, one of the few lines that's repeated is "Come as you are." I often have wondered, shouldn't this be how the church is? I mean, does it really matter how much money one makes or what their occupation is? God loves every person from every walk of life and the message He sends us through His Son is, There is "No cover charge. Come as you are." This Toby Keith song was at the top of the Country charts for weeks. Wouldn't it be nice if the church was just as willing to accept sinners. Wouldn't it be nice if the church was just as willing to offer them Living Water to lift their burdens instead of drinking their burdens away at the local watering hole. Revelation talks about what Heaven will be like. Funny how drinking establishments seem to understand this better than some churches do. Don't get me wrong, I love the church. But, It should be a place where people feel welcome to Come as they are.
Love ya man, Rusty
Hey Jeff,
Great story and very encouraging. It is funny you say that because I just had a guy who is a youth minister at one of churches here in Arlington ask me to golf and I told him - "I disc golf but I would hurt someone if I had a club in my hands." You are right. The church would be a better place if we could learn to welcome people in to the body with all that they are where they are. God bless you and let me know when you guys think you may want to go to SIx Flags and we will see what we can do. Take Care and tell your family we said hello.
I love how you can take culture and craft it into a lesson from God about God. You have a great gift.
peace.
Jeff, I realized a long time ago that the only business I had on the golf course was running cross country. Your story reminded me of that.
Amazing story - on several levels. The congregation we've been attending for the last several years was deliberatly founded by a group of 30-somethings who wanted to create a church that would be welcoming to their neighbors. The message and doctrine didn't change, just the methods, appearance, and approach.
Your story does a great job explaining what we try to do each Sunday morning. They call us a "seeker" church ... but I wonder ... shouldn't every church be a seeker church?
Golf as a ministry:
The cool thing about golf (a sport I detest BTW) is that you get several hours of walk and talk time with your mates. This is why businessmen like it so much. My dad used golf when I was a teen as a way for us to talk without fighting.
Wilderness Golf -
We played this on a retreat once in Ceta Canyon near Lubbock - might be perfect for Uganda. Everyone gets only one club. You pick a target (see that tree over there) and then you hit toward it. You're allowed to move the ball one club length each shot to get it out into a reasonable shooting location - if you get within one club length of the target - you're in the hole.
Tons of fun - puts the hackers on par with the serious golfers.
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