Kenny Hibbard

This past Sunday, I left the second service early so that I could make it to Panther Stadium by noon. Once again, I had the privilege of doing the opening  prayer  for a Panther Game! In front of 68,000 or so people I stood on the 50 yard line and said the Invocation!  (actually…. it was probably only like 40,000 people as Panther fans are like many of us at Team Church….they rolled in a few minutes after the game had already started ..HA HA)

I was able to bring my two sons and a friend to enjoy the afternoon. The three boys were a little star struck by hanging out on the sidelines with the players. They heard and felt the enormous roar of the crowd when the offensive players were introduced one by one! Steve Smith got the loudest applause and screams…followed by Cam Newton.

Hanging on the sidelines of an NFL game is a very cool experience for boys and adults alike! It is a WEiRD experience because it does not feel normal at all.  You have 68,000 people looking at you, larger than life athletes running around you, camera men jockeying  for position, security guards everywhere telling you where to stand and NOT stand, music and screaming so loud that it is hard to hear yourself talk and sideline TV reporters doing live news feeds as this is all happening. Very Cool….but not common everyday experiences.

However, the real WEiRD and unusual part that actually took the boys by an even greater surprise was when we we escorted to our seats. We spent about 45 min on the sidelines. However, a little while after the game started we had to go sit in the seats they provided for us.  These were nice (free) seats. However, we were surrounded by Redskin fans who had probably started drinking about 9am.  By the time we got to our seats……what is far too Normal these days….was obtrusively WEiRD for the three boys and even for me.  Rude fans sloshed beer on us, used four letter words as if they were everyday adjectives, gawked and spoke sexually to every girl who walked by and slurred jeering comments to the Panthers on the field and to the Panther fans. I would like to say that it was just the Washington Redskin fans that acted this way…but it was not. Panther fans were just as guilty. As a matter of fact two female Panther fans got escorted out by security for fighting with a group three rows up from them and throwing their beer on them!

As I gave a few of these people a certain glare that communicated “REALLY?” and pointed to my 6-year-old sitting next to me……I realized something gut wrenching.  These people are all over 30 and do not have a clue that their actions are distasteful and improper.  I even heard one guy scream at another concerned parent……“This is normal…we are at a football game!”

We are concluding our WEiRD series this Sunday. I will be teaching on a very simple concept found in Matthew chapter 5!  It does not have the sex appeal of the Lust talk, the emotion of our Anger message or bite of the Money sermon.  However, I promise you……it is currently a normal way of living that as Christians we must turn the tide on and be WEiRD if we are to be all God desires for us to be and live the best possible life in relationships with others around us.  Parents will especially take home a few nuggets of practical and applicable truth as they deal with growing kids.

This past Sunday….our giving was over our weekly budget needs for the first time in a while. Great job…..lets all keep giving as God directs! We are still in need of digging our way out of the summer drop in giving. I know we can do it in just a few more weeks if we all determine to give as we should and not just as we think we can.