But I digress...

Alright! This weekend is the precursor to Superbowl Sunday!! This weekend hosts the AFC and NFC conference championship games. This year, the games will be followed more closely than ever before because of the potential history-making, undefeated season of the New England Patriots. The Pats will be playing against their arch rivals, the Denver Broncos... calm down I just wanted to make sure you were awake. They'll be playing against the San Diego Chargers since the Broncos took the season off and decided to play in the CFL (Canadian Football League) instead. (Judging from the way the Broncos played this past season, they couldn't even have won the CFL Championship Game). But I digress...

The New England Patriots remind me of church planting (Now that's a stretch, you're probably thinking). Think about it though. They are sort of a journey man team, that get very little credit and recognition for their amazing efforts. They are not a "sexy" team like the Dallas Cowboys of the nineties, or the Los Angeles Lakers of the Ervin 'Magic' Johnson days. They just plod along, putting the wins behind them and looking on to the next task. Few people pay any attention to the herculean efforts that sorround each weeks win, and in fact, when they win 'ugly' they are villified as being not such a great team after all. Some pundits have even predicted that they won't win the Superbowl. I, on the other hand, know that they will, and I'm rooting for them.

Church planting is an unheralded, difficult and often thankless venture. The wins are not long-celebrated, and there are many (believe it or not) rooting for us to fail, so that their contentions that we were never meant to do this in the first place, are justified. Like the Pats though, "We will not falter, and we will not fail" (Credit to President Bush for the quote). Church planting might not be "sexy" but nothing is more fulfilling to see, than a transformed and refocused life. So with each life that is impacted by a church plant, we celebrate the win and then move on to the next "game" until all have heard, and the gospel is preached to every nation. The Patriots remind us that taking new territory is never easy for the pioneers, but they pave the way for an infinitely easier and better life for everyone that follows. How aptly named that team is, especially if they succeed in going undefeated in their last two games of the season. Go Broncos, I mean Pats!!! Oh, before I forget... have a great weekend.