9 Observations About '09

1. Businessman Bernie Madeoff was given a 150 year prison term in 2009 for enticing people to invest in a Ponzi scheme. A Ponzi scheme is taking money from one investor to pay off another investor without producing real goods or services. Yet in 2009 we heard a constant buzz petitioning voters in our state to legalize a Ponzi scheme up for vote in 2010. Gambling is a Ponzi scheme. Gambling, or betting, is an investment of one person used to pay off another investor (bettor) where no tangible goods or constructive services are produced. Why if it is illegal for Madeoff to do this, should we vote to make it legal in Alabama?

2. The healthcare delivery system debate consumed millions of dollars and untold man-hours in 2009. All physical health care is temporary in that we eventually all die. Spiritual healthcare is permanent as it impacts the immediate, the future and the forever. Missions, individual faith sharing, and communities of faith doing ministry, (just another way of saying church) are effective delivery systems for spiritual healthcare. Perhaps if we devoted more time and money to the spiritual healthcare delivery system it might change both the need for and nature of a new delivery system for physical health care.

3. A professional golfer acknowledged that he had transgressions in his life. Even though the saucy details attracted most of the attention, I found his use of the word “transgressions” interesting. Frequently in the religious world this term is another word for “sins.” This public figure notably avoided popular euphemistic phrasing such as “lapse in judgment,” “mistake,” or “a poor decision.” It is likely that neither the golfer nor his publicist selected the stated word with a full awareness for the meaning and message conveyed, but if the word choice was deliberate, indeed it was also correct as the actions were sinful. As in any repentance story, acknowledging that the actions were sinful is the first step to getting back on the course. (Pardon the pun.)

4. Most important fact I learned in 2009. Malcolm Glidewell, author of Outliars quotes neurologist and music specialist Daniel Levitan: "In study after study, of composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice-skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master criminals... this number comes up again and again. Ten thousand hours is equivalent to roughly three hours a day, or 20 hours a week, of practice over 10 years... No one has yet found a case in which true world-class expertise was accomplished in less time. It seems that it takes the brain this long to assimilate all that it needs to know to achieve true mastery." In his book, Glidewell gives examples from sports, music, and business to show that the 10,000 hour concept is not just a theoretical conclusion but a practical truth. Are we preparing our children to perform at the maximum level of their faith? Suppose that a child growing up at Dawson took advantage of almost every present opportunity the church offers to practice their faith:

52 Weeks of Sunday and Wednesday evening church per year = 156 hours x 18 years = 2708 hours
7 years of Vacation Bible School or Kidlife = 180 hours
4 years of Scripture Seekers class and practice time = 100 hours
12 Years of attending summer youth church camp or day camp = 480 hours
4 years participating in mission trip = 600 hours
18 years of 20 minutes of personal or family 20 minute devotions = 2018 hours
All of this totals slightly over 6,000 hours and depending on which study you read the average 18 year old has probably watched closed to 25,000 hours of television and videos. Without some intensive Christian training at home it appears we are preparing our children and youth to excel at television and video. He has who mental calculator and a conscience let him go figure what still needs to be done at home.

5. Incidents of violent crime dropped both locally and nationally during 2009. Politicians, sociologists, and law enforcement officials are all taking credit. While these figures all shape and contribute to such a trend, so to do Sunday school teachers and other church-based spiritual mentors. Crime is first and foremost a spiritual issue. If you are teaching children to know and love the God who is revealed in Jesus Christ, you are a crime fighter.

6. The most uplifting moving I saw in 2009 was Blindside. Seeing people help other people improve is inspiring and contagious.

7. The most helpful book I read in 2009 was Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. While not a best seller, the book presents Biblical truth in practical terms. This book will be available Sunday, January 10, in Dawson’s Church Market Place.

8. My most memorable day in 2009 was Monday, July 20. I began the day by riding in a crowded old school bus with a group of mission volunteers to an outdoor medical clinic in Peru. As our bus approached its intended destination, the nearly 200 physically impaired and needy people awaiting our arrival applauded and cheered. At the time they were cheering we had not seen one patient. The crowd’s excitement was purely in anticipation of what was to come. Later that afternoon I observed one of the local men in need receive eye glasses from our mission team. His encounter with the mission team was life-changing for him. He could now see well enough to return to work. And he accepted the good news of Jesus as a result of our work with him. Pardon me sports fans, but that day was better than winning the Super Bowl, the World Series and even the National Championship.

9. I have no regret over anything I did for the glory of God in 2009. My only regret is not doing more. By the grace of God, the renewing of my mind, and with the power of the Spirit I will do more in 2010.