From the Pastor – December

In my second year of teaching middle school at Mt. Hope-Redemption Lutheran School (MHRLS) in Bloomington, MN, a parent came up to me and asked, “Do you have a speaker confirmed for the school’s annual athletic awards night?” I said that I had not lined up a speaker yet, and he responded that he had some ideas … a couple weeks later he had shared the news that he had arranged for Herb Brooks to be our speaker. At the time, being new to Minnesota and the hockey culture there, I had no idea that Coach Brooks was the coach of the University of Minnesota hockey team, and he had recently coached the USA Olympic Men’s Hockey team to a Gold Medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics. Needless to say, the normal gathering of 40-50 parents and grandparents swelled to over 400 people attending this middle school event. Walt Diseney went on to make a movie about the 1980 Hockey Team and Coach Brooks; the movie was called “Miracle on Ice!”

In developing the USA Hockey team, Coach Brooks emphasized the importance of the team over individuals. He reminded his team and the families gathered in the MHRLS gym that the name on the front of the jersey, TEAM USA, was more important than the individual player’s name on the back of the jersey. A team working together can accomplish more when individuals are in “synch” with each other and all focus on their mission and goal. He said that it’s amazing what can happen when a TEAM is formed and athletes work together for a common goal and purpose.

In Holy Baptism, God calls us to be part of His family (‘Team’), and He puts His name on us and gives us a “jersey of righteousness;” we are called to function as a “Body of Christ” (‘Team’) and work together to carry on Jesus’ mission and ministry. Paul told the church in Corinth, that was struggling with division and was more concerned about the individual’s name (on the back of their jerseys), that, “Just as a body, though one, has many parts … all its parts form one body, so it is with Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12).”

When God calls groups of people together around His Word and His sacraments (The Church), it is amazing what God can do in and through us. Individuals can soon lose their focus, become distracted, and can consumed with “what is in it for me.” Working independently or standing on the sidelines and letting others do all the work is not part of God’s plan. On the other hand, when God forms a ‘Team’ (church) the goal is to share His Word, forgiveness, and grace with others.

‘Teams’ that are built on God’s values and God’s Word are shaped by the power of the Holy Spirit who gathers us into His ‘Team’. Paul urges the church in Philippi to be “…united with Christ…then make my (Paul’s) joy complete by being like-minded (‘Team-first’ – focusing on the name on the front of our spiritual jersey), having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” (Philippians 2:1-2).

Coming together as a ‘Team’ (church) often goes against the grain or expectations of our culture. But when we are drawn by God’s Word we can focus on a common goal, we can strive to be engaged and participate with the ‘Team.’ We can look for ways to collaborate rather than isolate ourselves, we can become consumed with His mission, not our agenda; we can focus on adding value and not worrying about who gets the credit or recognition. ‘Teams’ work through challenging times and strive to stay in synch with God’s Word by helping others on the ‘Team’ to become effective and better at using their gifts and abilities. “The better we get at ‘TEAMING,’ the stronger the church becomes (Kevin Gerald, It Takes a Team, p. 69).”

Pastor Schuldheisz