I still can't believe they lost! Since no other staff member has tackled this sports tragedy yet, I thought I would give it a shot. So where do I begin? With grief? Yes, I am still grieving from time to time, especially when I read The Wall Street Journal yesterday -- calling it perhaps the greatest "choke" in sports, except the infamous boot by Bill Buckner of the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. Yikes! It all seemed too good to be true when the Falcons were dominating the Patriots. In the end, it did turn out to be "too good to be true." Yes, I am really bummed out about this.

However, I will try to put it into perspective. I was amazed at the Falcon players who said they were still a very tight team ("brothership"). They planned to learn from this and come back even stronger next year so they could put themselves in a position to win it all. That is a positive and hopeful way to look at it. Maybe we can learn from that, especially if -- no when they win it next year. Also, I don't want to ignore the great year they had up until the final minutes of this game. As a fan I would still rather have had the experience of seeing them in the Super Bowl - even with the bad ending - than not seeing them there at all.
 
I go back to what I said in the Children's Sermon last Sunday morning - even before we knew the outcome of the game. There were at least two things happening that were more important than the Super Bowl on Sunday. The first was worship and gathering around the table of our Lord to celebrate communion. Maybe it wasn't as exciting - but I believe it was much more important. As we say around JCPC, "Worship Is the Most Important Thing We Do."
 
We also took up a collection for the "Souper Bowl of Caring" to help those who are hungry. Serving others in the name of Christ is still more important than the Super Bowl. Maybe next year for the Falcons to win it all, but we can worship God and serve others in the name of Christ every day of our lives. So "Rise Up" today and do that!

Prayer for Today

We give thanks, God, for the joy of sports and competition - even when our team loses! Yet, we know there are more important things in life. Help us to maintain our perspective in life - to see things as you see them. We pray this in the strong name of Jesus the Christ - who rose up from the dead that we might all have new life! Amen.