God and Golf

August 20, 2008

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

What a wonderful celebration we had last Sunday!  We give thanks to God for all the energy and love that filled the sanctuary, as we commemorated our 150 years of ministry together.  Special thanks go to the members of the History Committee (Joyce Pyle, Dee Taylor, and Marlene Kelly) for all their hard work over the past several weeks.  

Among the ministers we have celebrated during this series is the Rev. Don Johnson, who served here from 1986-1990.  He is retired now, and living in Oceanside, CA with his wife Marileen.  An avid golfer, he recently wrote a book connecting the game of golf with the Christian life.  It’s called Another Zone:  God and Golf. Along with his greetings, he recently sent us a copy of the book, which we will make available in the church library.

I am not much of a golfer, and my swing is horrendous - more like Charles Barkley’s than Tiger Woods’.  I can, however, see the game’s allure, and why it is so attractive to people who enjoy being outdoors and need to forget about the world’s troubles for a round or two.  But I’ve never connected the game with spirituality like Don Johnson.  After perusing the book, I picked up a few choice quotes, like this one from the chapter titled “Your Will Versus Relaxing”:

    All kinds of mistakes happen when you force yourself beyond your capacity.  One of the major things that will happen (if you are right handed) is that you will push your right hand and wrists through the ball so it will pull the ball to the left.  Or, another action that results from imposing your will is hitting the ground before the club strikes the ball – you dipped your right or left shoulder in trying to hit the ball farther.  Or, another possible consequence is miss-hitting the ball - - taking your eye off the ball – because you so willfully determined to hit it farther.  Your anger is vented in a radical and uncontrolled swing.  We all know what an uncontrolled swing is.
    As your game collapses, your anxiety increases and your will to do better is intensified to the extent that your swing is out of control.  To play within your capabilities is to live by grace.  When you push yourself beyond your capabilities you are essentially saying to yourself that you do not accept your present skill of golf.
    Living in the context of doing God’s will – the most inner part of your being – is the most relaxing and energizing stance that you can possibly have.  

GUEST PREACHER THIS SUNDAY

We are pleased to welcome the Rev. Ray Kruger, retired Presbyterian minister, as our guest preacher this Sunday.  He will be preaching a sermon titled, “God’s Compellingly Compassionate Love.”  I will be out of town with my family for a wedding, and will be back Monday night.  If there is an emergency, please contact the church office.

Have a joyous weekend, and once again, Happy Anniversary!

Grace,

Magrey