Today I woke up to the news that one of my African-American broadcasting heroes, Bryant Gumbel, is recovering from a bought with malignant lung cancer. Gumbel is 61 years young, and his presence in the broadcasting community has had a major impact for several years.

I call him a pioneer, because Bryant broke into the national media at a time when it was not too popular to have a black man in a leading position on the TV news, or even in Sports news, although more likely than not, African-Americans were dominating all of the popular American sports the moment we were allowed to compete against non-black athletes.

USA Today reports that…Gumbel was among the first announcers to cross over from sports to general entertainment. After working as a reporter and studio host for NBC Sports, he became an NBC Today show host. In recent years, he’s returned to TV sports including working as the NFL Network’s first play-by-play game announcer although he hadn’t previously called football games…

Bryant Gumbel defeated all of his competition to rise to the esteemed position as lead Host on the ”Today” show, on the NBC television network. He is credited with promoting Katie Couric and for mentoring current ”Today” show host Matt Lauer throughout their careers.

It is unclear to me if Bryant was a regular smoker of cigarettes, but he is known to enjoy a celebratory cigar from time to time, but there is no evidence that any of that is the cause of his cancer battle.

One does not have to be a smoker to develop lung cancer, but it is usually at cause for the disease.

Bryant Gumbel announced Tuesday morning that he had cancer surgery two months ago to remove a malignant tumor near his lung. The subject came up during a live taping of the  ”Live! with Regis and Kelly,” where Bryant is filling in this week for co-host Regis Philbin,who is undergoing hip replacement surgery, Gumbel brought it up to explain why he could not dance with co-host Kelly Ripa.

Needless to say, Kelly and the audience were stunned. Bryant said that he kept it away from his staff and close relationships, but he did tell his immediate family. The broadcaster is notoriously private.

The former ‘Today’ show anchor says he had a tumor and part of his lung removed two months ago.

He states that  he is seeing his surgeon next week.

“I’m hoping they greenlight me to play golf again,” he said.

http://wp.me/pEzT2-kk

Senator Harry Reid was correct to say that the Republican’s are resisting Health care reform much like the Democratic senator’s that were resisting the abolishment of slavery, prior to the Civil War.

They want us to not have health care, so that the majority of us will die off quickly and they are committed to our death from disease.

I applaud Senator Harry Reid, who is only speaking the truth, to those that already know that they hate us, as much as they loved slavery.

I am glad that Bryant has the financial ability to provide health care to his family and himself,and I encourage all men to go seek the highest level of medical care you are able to receive, even if you have to go to a free clinic.

Your family and future may depend on it.

Sources-

http://bossip.com/188206/bryant-gumbel-on-the-mend-after-cancer-surgery/

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2009-12-08-bryant-gumbel-lung-cancer-surgery_N.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/08/bryant-gumbel-cancer-anno_n_383844.html

Controversial Los Angeles Laker star Ron Artest is caught up in an investigation of welfare fraud against his sister Latoya Holmes-Ivey.

Police and housing authorities raided the home Latoya Holmes-Ivey and her three children rent at 336 E. Burgess Ave. Wednesday morning.

Holmes-Ivey is suspected of receiving federal housing assistance, as well as other social services, while receiving financial assistance from her millionaire basketball/rapper brother, and not reporting it.

That is welfare fraud, and is a criminal offense.

A tip came from a former CPA that handled Ron Artest financial affairs a Tennessee-based accounting firm called TriStar Sports and Entertainment.

According to court documents, the ex-employee sent an e-mail to the Housing and Urban Development Office in Indianapolis claiming that TriStar, under the direction of Artest, was using one of his bank accounts to pay all of Holmes-Ivey’s bills.

 The man requested to remain anonymous, saying that he could not, in good conscience, fail to report such an ethics infraction.

Ron Artest may want to check the wording in that non-disclosure form that I am certain the former accountant signed, as the accounting firm’s reputation has got to be destroyed by this leak. Confidentiality between their clients is key to their business.

If the former CPA did sign a non-disclosure form, then his disclosure of this information, even if it is to be found true, will be admissible in court, and will be the reason that all charges will be dropped.

 Housing authorities said that if the allegations are true, Holmes-Ivey would have used at least $34,000 in taxpayer money she was not entitled to. According to court documents, the ex-employee sent an e-mail to the Housing and Urban Development Office in Indianapolis claiming that TriStar, under the direction of Artest, was using one of his bank accounts to pay all of Holmes-Ivey’s bills.

 The man requested to remain anonymous, saying that he could not, in good conscience, fail to report such an ethics infraction.

 Housing authorities said that if the allegations are true, Holmes-Ivey would have used at least $34,000 in taxpayer money she was not entitled to.

Note that the investigation and any future charges will be against Holmes-Ivey and NOT Ron Artest. It is the responsibility of the benefactor of Federal aide to report any income or gifts to the Welfare department so they can determine if the individual is actually in need at that time.

The neighbors of Holmes-Ivey said they were skeptical of her, because she used to brag about who her brother was.

“I never understood why she was on assistance because of that, when she told me he was her brother,” said Marcia Taylor. “The people who do need the assistance don’t get it, when the people who don’t need it get a lot of time.”

None of the parties involved were available for any further comments on this matter.

Follow the story here, as well as this trusted source, The Indychannel.com…

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/21726762/detail.html

The AP is reporting that the legendary professional Basketball player Allen Iverson is set to announce his retirement from the N.B.A. Iverson , a former Most Valuable Player for the N.B.A. has been in the league since the 1996 season, in which he was drafted in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Iverson

He played with the Sixers for 10 years. During his tenure he was Rookie of the Year, League MVP, 2x All-Star MVP, and led the league in scoring for four years. After his rookie season, during which he led the 76ers in points, assists and minutes, Iverson was named the 1996 NBA Rookie of the Year and was a member of the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

The 10-time All-Star played three games this season with Memphis before taking a leave of absence to attend to personal matters. He was waived after the two sides agreed to part ways.

The New York Knicks considered signing Iverson last week after he cleared waivers, before deciding he would take too much playing time away from younger players they are trying to develop.

With no apparent interest from any other NBA teams, Allen Iverson is set to retire.

Iverson will always be credited for popularizing the streetball style move called the cross-over, and for his exciting tricky aggressive driving style of play.

He was never the tallest on the floor, just the most dangerous player that always wanted the ball.

Allen Iverson is a sho-in for the Hall of Fame, and I suspect that he can still run with the best of them, given a team that can design their plays to allow Iverson to shoot at will.

I personally enjoyed the years I got to watch him compete in the NBA, and I look forward to seeing what he does in the future.

Thanks for the 100 percent effort Allen Iverson…you were worth watching and you will be missed.

Read the full story here…

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hPZfEWbAiIKgjsNDLhC1jiVSsJZAD9C78M580

From the week of Nov. 8-14

Sports:  In professional boxing, Manny Pacquiao stopped Miguel Cotto in 12 rounds on Saturday to claim his seventh world title in a seventh weight class. Pacquiao’s speed and power dominated the less-formidable Cotto. The 145-pound Filipino knocked Cotto down twice in the bout. Pacquiao earned a minimum $13 for the fight.

Our Take: This fight could set the stage for a Pacquiao versus Floyd Mayweather Jr. match. Such a match up would draw significantly more fans to the ring, than have shown interest in the sport over the past several years. A battle between the top two names in boxing could start a turnaround in the popularity that hasn’t existed since the ‘70’s, ‘80’s, and early 90’s. Mayweather will run into trouble with the fans if he doesn’t give them what they want to see—a fight against Pacquiao.

Entertainment:  “The Blind Side” opened in theaters on Friday and looks to become a box office hit. The story of the Tuohys family, who took in a 6-foot-4, 300-plus pound homeless boy in high school and watched him grow into a first-round NFL draft pick, will inspire many people. Michael Oher, the movie’s main character, now plays for the Baltimore Ravens.

Our Take: In addition to some great sports footage, this movie looks to be an emotional and uplifting story of how one family’s decision to give a boy a new chance can really make a difference. The originality of the story should draw people to the theaters.

Quote: “I just think what Michael Jordan has done for the game has to be recognized some way soon.” –LeBron James

Our Take: LeBron James’ declaration that he wants everyone in the league to stop wearing number 23 jerseys raises a red flag. James included himself in the statement, saying that he will switch to number six. Making a remark during this part of the season is slightly alerting that James may be preparing for future plans. What caused this change of heart from wearing the 23 to commemorate Jordan to now wanting everyone to cease donning the iconic number? It could be that James is setting himself up for a change of teams. The free-agent-to-be could be preparing to jump ship in Cleveland and head to Chicago, which will have the ability to bring James on board in the summer.

Oddity: Mike Tyson was arrested for allegedly beating up a photographer at the Los Angeles International Airport. Arizona officials are checking to see if Tyson violated probation that stemmed from a 2007 drug charge for cocaine possession and a DUI that sent the former boxer to jail for 24 hours. Both Tyson and the paparazzo were booked and released on suspicion of misdemeanor battery.

Our Take: It appeared Tyson was turning the page in a life that was filled with mistakes and missed opportunities. If the re-enactment of his cameo in The Hangover that is alleged to have occurred at LAX is true and Tyson is found to have violated his probation, the marketability of the former heavy-weight champ will take yet another hit. Tyson is a risky personality to work with, but the public seems to continue to have some form of fascination for him. As long as that exists, he will be insulated from the worst consequences of his behavior.

Number: 55

Our Take: Milwaukee Bucks rookie guard Brandon Jennings has been lighting up the league since he stepped onto the court. Jennings is becoming a successful case study for players skipping the first year of college and heading to Europe to make a buck. Many were skeptical of Jennings decision, but his recent scoring of 55 points against the Warriors on Saturday broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s franchise record for points scored in a game as a rookie. Jennings fell three points short of Wilt Chamberlain’s all-time rookie record. It appears Italy worked out for the kid from Compton. He has a multi-million dollar deal with Under Armour as the company’s first basketball endorser and he is the early season favorite for ROY honors.

Here’s this week’s dip into the Hoverboy wading pool with one of the oddest ripples that Hoverboy ever caused.

This box of cereal, from 1985, was the last  officially licensed Hoverboy product until the comic book revival in 2007.  The box art (painted by the great Dexter Munroe) was available  for only three months in ‘85, and only in the American Southwest, and parts of Maine.  Hoverboy cereal was discontinued (after decades of success), because  polling  proved the  character was no longer popular following the 1982  shooting spree by Bucket-Boy co- creator, Bob Stark, at a Michigan shopping mall.  It’s a wonder this cereal lasted as long as it did.

The real tragedy came when America’s Best decided to repurpose the cereal shapes and box artwork with a new rising star in the world of sp0rts, basketball player Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

In their haste to get the new product to market, the usually professional AB Co. art department only changed the head and face on the box , leaving the unfortunate pistol in place.

As liberal as America was in the Eighties, they still weren’t willing to buy a cereal featuring a black man holding a gun in New Mexico (and parts of Maine).  The cereal sold very poorly, and eight people died as a direct result of seeing the box on shelves.  For the next decade, America’s Best  gave up on celebrity based breakfast foods and focused on toaster pastries and tropical juices.

It was their next, and final  foray into the lucrative world of celebricereals that ultimately closed the doors of one of the nation’s best known breakfast brands.

After years of keeping away from star based breakfasts, ABCC jumped in with both feet in May of 1994, once again bringing out the original “Buckets and Fists” cereal under a new name, trading on the enduring fame of well known movie star and sports hero, O.J. Simpson.

In what seemed like a stroke of excellent luck for the early morning foods giant, three weeks later, Mr. Simpson was arrested on suspicion of murder, causing sales of the cereal to be astoundingly strong for a month and a half, selling over a million boxes, until the factory was mysteriously set on fire by a large crowd on August 22, 1994.

For more of the fascinating world of Hoverboy, go to www.hoverboy.com and strap into your hover-chairs for the floating ride of your life.  As the old comics used to say “It’s Somewhat Fun!”.

Ty the Guy.  See you at the Toronto convention this weekend!

Brandon Jennings had one of the most memorable rookie performances of all-time last Saturday.

After not scoring in the first quarter, Jennings went on to drop 55 points on the Golden State Warriors. He broke the Bucks’ single game rookie scoring record, which was held be the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabber.

That was only his seventh game.

Through nine games, Jennings is averaging 24.8 points, 5.8 assists and 4.7 rebounds per night. He was overlooked on draft day and not taken until the 10th pick, but this kid is becoming the best rookie the league has seen since Shaquille O’Neal back in 1992.

Here’s a must-see video of Jennings before his amazing game, along what led up to that incredible moment and his journey to the NBA.

The New York Times has a short piece up in their Arts section on a show featuring a collection of Polaroid portraits of star athletes by Andy Warhol.  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (whom our thoughts are with) is there, as is a slightly-crazed looking Muhammed Ali and a Samson-haired Wayne Gretzky.  Oh, and O.J.  Remember when he was just another famous athlete?  It seems insane now to mention him in the same context as Kareem and Gretzky, but that’s how big he was at the time.  Wish I could go see this in person.

Today ex-New Jersey Nets and former NBA star Jayson Williams sad, and long drawn out self-inflicted downfall both personally and financially is about to come to a conclusive resolve. The retired NBA star accepted a plea deal in  his shooting case, and will face prison.

A person with knowledge of the case against retired NBA star Jayson Williams says the former player has agreed to a plea deal that would send him to prison for up to three years for shooting a driver55-year-old limousine driver Costas ”Gus” Christofi at Williams’s estate .

It has been reported that Williams was playing with a shotgun while giving a tour of his 30,000-square home when the weapon fired, killing Christofi.

In 1992, Williams was accused of breaking a beer mug over a patron’s head at a saloon in Chicago. Two years later, he was accused of firing a semiautomatic weapon into the parking lot at the Meadowlands Sports Complex. He was never criminally charged in either case,which led to him being free to murder the innocent driver in cold blood.

A report concerning the case is quoted here from Wikipedia….

That April, Williams was acquitted of the more serious charges against him, but the court’s jury deadlocked on a charge of reckless manslaughter, and he currently faces a retrial on that charge. He was convicted on four counts of trying to cover up the shooting. In January 2003, the family of Costas ”Gus” Christofi settled with Williams in a wrongful death civil lawsuit for $2.75 million.

On April 21, 2006, a Hunterdon County appeals court ruled that Williams can be retried on a reckless manslaughter charge stemming from the shooting death of Christofi.^[2][3] The court repeatedly delayed the retrial for a series of reasons, such as the State’s 2008 appeal of a ruling relating to prosecutorial misconduct at the first trial.^[4] A September 2009 hearing is expected to resolve the misconduct issue so that the retrial can begin.^[5] The maximum sentence for the charged manslaughter is 10 years…. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jayson_Williams

Williams had been offered plea deals that would have allowed him to spend less time in jail, but they were turned down by the defense attorneys.

Maybe it has something to do with his contentious divorce he is going through with his wife Tanya Young Williams.

She filed the divorce papers on Valentine’s day of this year, because she is mad and fed up with the conflicted Williams. 

The divorce papers were filed in the Manhattan Supreme Court just hours before the seventh anniversary of the day Jayson fatally shot his limo driver in his New Jersey mansion after a booze-fueled night spent entertaining a some Harlem Globetrotters and friends. 

In the papers filed Tanya alleges that Williams threatened to kill her, faked committing suicide, falsely said that he had stomach cancer and urinated in the kitchen sink. His wife also allegedly found cocaine and condoms in his drawer, sources familiar with the case said.

Tanya Williams, who is black, also claims in the court papers that he cruelly bragged to her that he performed oral sex “on white girls.”

“Here is a guy who has spent wildly and dissipated marital assets and has, of course, acted reckless and been just absent, violent and not a father, not a husband,” said her lawyer, Malcolm Taub.

That sounds like a reason to want to be locked away in prison for as many years as possible.

One of the earlier offers, the person said, came just before a hearing last month on whether a racial slur used by a detective and other conduct by the county prosecutor’s office should result in dismissal of the reckless manslaughter count and the cover-up convictions.

 State Superior Court Judge Edward Coleman later rejected the defense’s claim that, had they known about the slur, they would have changed their trial strategy.

If calling a black perpetrator of a murder or any crime at all a racial slur, in this case it was the ”N” word, is the grounds to be acquitted of a crime, then a lot of brothers in prison would be set free, and some of them need to stay there.

I am not condoning the vile usage of the word by any race of law men, but I think the murder trumps the racial slur.I say send the person that used it to sensitivity training, but it is an insult to the deceased family, to allow it to be used as a grounds for dismissal.

I contend that the deliberate use of a racial slur is basically bad behavior, but the use of it in this investigation had no affect on the trial of Jayson Williams, and would not have been used to impeach any of the evidence. It simply was an O.J. Simpson style of racial defense, but the dynamics are incredibly different.

There are some actual occurences where it could be used to impeach a witness, or cast suspicion on an investigator, and the false usage here only diminishes the relevance of the real cases. We need to stop using race as an excuse for all of our bad behavior, and I can see how that might frustrate a lot of white people who  generally are not racist, but may not be held up as examples of racially sensitive beings…I mean are any of us immune to being imperfectly human,…I don’t think so.

Jayson Williams will plead guilty to aggravated assault charges on Friday and will have to serve at least 18 months in prison.

That should give him time to think about how to deal with his soon to be ex-wife, as well as make it difficult for her to get at him.

I used to admire Jayson Williams, because his father was a construction contractor just like my dad, and he, just like me, had been involved in expanding the family business. I also saw on a documentary about him, how he actually helped build his expansive estate, along with his now deceased father. It reminded me of my own family, except without the NBA money and fame.

It is truly sad for me to see how he made a shamble of his life, and I can only hope he gets it together.

For more details on these sad developments for Jayson Williams, click on the links below…

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4670272

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/regional/item_2mrfaFcTI6sqKNk1E1UCvM

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/11/19/general-nj-jayson-williams-plea_7140600.html

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar announced this week that he has cancer.

Since it is another celebrity blog I won’t mention that I don’t really do celebrity blogs since I seem to be doing them more and more. (Before you know it I’ll be reading heat magazine!)

If you don’t know who Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is then I think either you are from a different planet or you are very young.

My first encounter with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wasn’t actually through basketball. It was through the film game of death.
In this film, Bruce Lee had to go up floors of this building fighting various flavour (and fighting styles) bodyguards of ‘the boss’ to seek his revenge.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is 7ft 2″ and is sitting in a chair sitting down he is almost as high as Bruce Lee at 5ft 7″, Bruce Lee is wearing a bright yellow all in one thing (copied by Tarantino for Kill Bill) and runs at Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kareem kicks him right in his chest and the foot print is from his waste to his chin. It has to easily be the coolest moment in the film without any doubt. Check it out:

After that back in the day when you could watch NBA basket ball on Channel 4 late at night or when I spent a lot of time watching Yo! MTv Raps I watched Kareem play in the NBA. Basically he is the original dapper, forget about your Kobe Bryants, or your Shaquille O’Neals or even your Michael Jordans!!

You can check out a very cool mix (with a very cool tune) of the man himself, on youtube here, check out the cool 80’s shorts

So I think I am saying live life to the full.. even the strongest and fittest can get struck down with horrible diseases..

Brandon Jennings scored 55 points vs. the Warriors, 11/14/09

Amazing. Unbelievable. Extraordinary.

In two words, Brandon Jennings. The 10th overall pick in the NBA draft this summer by the Milwaukee Bucks.

The rookie point guard sensation made his first indention in NBA history on Saturday when he scored 55 points against the Golden State Warriors en route to a 129-125 win at home.

55 points.

29 points in one quarter (the third).

He did not even score in the first quarter. That’s right, all 55 came in the final 3 quarters.

“I just started getting in the groove and felt really good in the third quarter,” Jennings told the Associated Press.

“We just gave the ball to Brandon and let him go to work,” Bucks coach Scott Skiles said.

In only his seventh NBA game, Jennings topped the 51 points scored by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then Lew Alcindor, on Feb. 21, 1970. The NBA rookie record was set by Wilt Chamberlain with 58 points for Philadelphia against Detroit in a January 1960 game in Bethlehem, Pa.

Abdul-Jabbar had held the franchise rookie scoring record.

“That was a great performance,” said Warriors forward Corey Maggette said, shaking his head. “I don’t know if anyone has done that since Magic (Johnson). He was something pretty special tonight.”

Jennings, who made 12 of 13 shots in the third period, and 21 of 34 overall,  has been the definition of electric this season.

Criticized for his decision to play in Italy last season coming out of high school, he has made fools of all those naysayers.

He’s averaging 25.6 points per game, and more importantly in my book, his team is winning. The Bucks are 5-2 at this point.

Entering this season, we all knew Jennings had great scoring ability. The comparisons to Iverson were endless, so we knew he could put the ball in the basket and create, create, create.

He’s arguably the quickest guard in the league. He’s a lefty, to boot. He can shoot and get to the basket anytime he wants.

But to take the reins of the team this soon, this quickly, is impressive.

And he’s not all about scoring either. He dished out five assists and grabbed five boards against the Ws, and he’s averaging five assists and four rebounds on the season.

But what I am appreciative most is that Jennings has the potential to save Milwaukee basketball, and those Bucks fans desperately need a savior.

It’s been a while since the Bucks have been relevant, and that can make for some long, hard winters in the midwest. But thanks to a gutsy risk by Bucks management – taking Jennings with the 10th pick after hardly seeing him play or develop overseas – Bucks loyalists seemingly have found their man.

I’m a huge fan of seeing teams with great basketball tradition resurrected, and the Bucks were once a tremendous club, back in the days of Alcindor and Oscar Robertson in the early 70s.

It’s great to see. I can’t even explain it, but I couldn’t even begin to tell you what Milwaukee fans are feeling right now. There is significant hope, optimism and glee. All because of one man.

Brandon Jennings. Leaving ‘em speechless.

I recently posted on Facebook that I was preaching on this text, and several either wrote me e-mails or posted on my wall that they wanted a chance to read it . . . .

__________________

I have some dear friends who experienced hard times a couple of years ago. I’ve known them long enough to know what kind of spouses and parents and family members they are. They were and are humble and faith-filled people.

They raised a lawyer, a teacher and a worship leader. They care for their aging parents. They are considered the wise and stable ones in their congregation–and for good reason. They are also generous from every facet of their lives. Money, vocation and time have always been shared for the good of others. So, it was hard to watch them go through a painful experience when one of the young men they mentored cheated them out of their entire estate–they and at least ten other families before his crime came to light.

If anyone deserved not to suffer in this way, it was my friends. It devastated them then and for some time afterward. If you spoke with them about it now, though, their testimony would be different. They would tell you how they had come to place faith in their efforts, their accumulated possessions, the money they had saved, and the way they went about their spiritual practices , far more than in the gospel or in Jesus who offers it and calls them to respond.

And what has this study taught us is the gospel? We can simply turn again to the words of Jesus for the answer (Mark 1:15):

• The time has come – (kairos=This Greek word means a moment that affects all of history–past, present and future).
• The kingdom of God is near – (God’s work is not happening at a distance, but nearby and in our personal experience).
• Repent – (Stop doing what you are doing and turn toward what God is doing).
• Believe the good news – (Place your faith in this message).

My friends, however subtly, were not paying attention to their need to repent and revel in God’s grace. Instead, they had begun functioning as if righteous living grew from their efforts and was deserved. Further, they had begun to evaluate the experience of others accordingly.

They were not judgmental in the classic sense. They believed deeply in evangelism and service to others. Inwardly, though, they believed the hard circumstances faced by others were due to unfaithfulness and that they were deserved. They had begun to see themselves as favored, better than others who had made different choices. They were happy to serve and be generous and kind, but a moral superiority had crept in unannounced. Now, with their humbled circumstances, this sentiment was stripped away. Over time a renewed love for Jesus and the power of the gospel was rekindled. Nothing stood in the way anymore.

_________________

One of the insights we have gained in this study of following Jesus is that all types of people surrounded him. Some recognized and loved him, embracing faith easily. Others were curious and earnest to learn more. Still others hung around to take in the spectacle, while some were hateful and plotted his death. In this scene from Mark’s gospel, we find three such categories of people:

1. Those who brought their sick friends and family members for Jesus to heal them. In a time and place where the average lifespan did not go much beyond the mid-40’s, and where people lived in close proximity to one another in open air homes and marketplaces, this would have been a significant number of people. Once people knew where Jesus could be found they hurried to get their sick loved ones and turned them into obstacles in Jesus’ path. Love for family and friends motivated this action, whether or not they were prepared to embrace Jesus’ gospel message of repentance. Their cry was, “Jesus save my loved one” more than “Jesus save me.”

A story I have told quite often is that of a high school student who once approached me at a summer camp, asking me to pray for her terminally ill friend, and asking counsel on how she could persuasively invite her friend to believe in Jesus as her Savior. As we talked, I became aware that this young woman did not personally believe herself so I asked her, “Why is it so important for your friend to become a Christian when you do not believe yourself?” Her reply was that she was not the one who was dying.

This young woman serves as an example of those who sought help for their loved ones.

2. Those who were sick. Many were helpless and unable to speak for themselves. They required the intervention–or shall we say intercession–of others to be brought before the Messiah. Imagine the path Jesus walked, persons reaching out to touch him in a gauntlet of disease and torment, and then the rejoicing in the wake of his passing and the restoration from his touch.

I once travelled on an airplane to Los Angeles. As I disembarked, I fell into step behind Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Strolling five feet behind this seven foot basketball god, I watched the entire LAX terminal part like the Red Sea in front of him. Everyone stopped what they were doing, whether talking on cell phones, selling frozen yogurt or yelling at their children. The only words spoken were a chorus of his reverently whispered name as he passed. That experience gave me just a glimpse of what the travels of Jesus would have looked like, only in his case there would have been a pressing in just to get a touch of his cloak.

3. Those who stood in judgment.

Interestingly, it is in the middle of this scene that the Pharisees who travelled the 70 miles or so to see this phenomenon also surround Jesus–not to marvel at the scene of the sick who were healed, but to criticize the disciples for not observing general hygiene practices–practices we teach our children to observe or are appalled when others do not observe–especially with our heightened awareness of communicable disease. Ironically, rather than concern about the lack of hygiene from so many sick persons gathered in one place, the Pharisees are troubled by the disciples not washing their hands before they ate.

These were men with leadership responsibilities and access to influence the political elite. They had sacrificed time and expense to come witness the ministry of Jesus. They had rigorous and extensive spiritual practices crafted over years of experience. They must have felt their concern was legitimate and that they had a right–perhaps even a duty– to express it.

Jesus’ response to them is not one of sympathy for their condition as with the sick. Neither does he debate them about the virtuosity of washing one’s hands. He goes for the jugular of the deeper issue preventing the Pharisees from embracing the gospel–their substitution of a relationship with religious tradition and practice over a relationship with God.

They washed their hands but not their hearts.

They prayed the prayers of their people, but held no conversation with God.

They followed the rules created by the elders of their people, but could no longer recite the expectations of the merciful God behind them.

And what are God’s expectations? Again, we go to the gospel: that we would stop all forms of wickedness–the unholy as well as the holier than thou– and turn around and face God who is bringing his kingdom into being.

• Because we are in relationship with a God who rescues and saves we would do what we can to prevent illness and to care for those who become ill.
• Because we have a relationship with God we would want to pray rather than simply mumble rote words handed down to us by others.
• Because we have a relationship with God we would create some traditions and practices to help us foster that relationship, but we would never want those traditions and practices to become obstacles to others entering into that relationship. Nor would we want them to become substitutes for the relationship with God we once knew.

My exposure to Christianity is very broad. The result is that I have witnessed nearly every possible way that tradition and practice crowds out a relationship with God, both for we Pharisees who try to enforce them, and for those lying in the street hoping to get a glimpse of a real Savior. Examples of those traditions and practices include:

1. Expectations that Scripture should be read with a certain dramatic flair to make it meaningful, OR, that it be read in a monotone so as not to decorate God’s holy words.
2. That a pastor’s dress must be formal in honor of God, OR, that it should be nonpretentious and common.
3. That a preferred worship publisher of songs should be used because that publisher is doing new and exciting stuff, helping people feel close to God in worship, OR, that all music from this publisher should be thrown in the trash because it is too old to use anymore.
4. Anger over how communion is served. Name a style someone is angry that it is done that way.
5. Leaving the church because the starting time was pushed back 15 minutes.
6. A preferred order of worship, as if someone is doing something immoral if the order of worship is adjusted.
7. The size and placement of the pulpit.
8. Diet. This one is becoming particularly tiresome in our modern age. It is so hard for even families to enjoy a meal together because of the dietary morality we push onto others.
9. Gender and roles each gender can play in family, society and congregation.
10. Which translation of the bible is best.
11. The proper size of a congregation before it is too big, too small or too mediocre.
12. The organization of a congregation, whether built on cell group, Sunday School class groups, small groups, age groups, gender groups, ethnic groups, interest groups, or multiple worship service groups.
13. Who gets to decorate the worship space and/or the taste of the one doing it.
14. How visitation is done and who does it and when.
15. Whether or not a church uses attendance pads to help keep track of church attendance.
16. The use of technology.
17. The use of instruments, whether they are used at all and which ones are proper.
18. The right temperature for the worship space.
19. The decibel level of a church sound system.
20. Definitions and use of theological terminology.
21. What school parents choose for their children.
22. The process church leaders use when major decisions must be made.
23. Whether or not one thinks they can figure out a prophetic timeline and predict when Jesus will return.

And I have only scratched the surface.

This congregation has known its share. Rather than review the list of this congregation’s experiences, though, it is my prayer that we all are tired of being twisted and harmed by relying on tradition and practice to guide our faith, and that we yearn to be reacquainted with following Jesus–Jesus who has compassion for the sick, Jesus who confronts our judgmentalism and calls us back to God, Jesus who offers us the gospel of God’s great grace.

Leaving judgmentalism behind does not have to be hard. After all, we are near to Jesus already. If we have embraced him as our Savior his Spirit lives in us. We remind ourselves of his presence as we worship. We hear the gospel read each week, and pray in his name. This proximity helps us hear and respond if are willing.

And as we draw near and listen, we must be ready and willing to be called into something new, not just old things that were once new to us and now have become a comfort. When we draw near and listen, we will be given new songs to sing, new traditions and practices to enjoy, new places to live, new friends to love, and yes, even difficult or painful circumstances into which we can bring the redeeming light of Christ.

We can coach ourselves to listen for what God is doing and respond to it more readily, rather than lapsing into judgmentalism and disdain of others. Rather than respond with what we were taught, or what we have done before, or what keeps a tradition alive, or how much we HATE new initiatives that bring life to others as they seek to follow Jesus, we can better respond by asking “what the bible says” or “what does God want?” or “how would Jesus respond?” or “What builds up the kingdom of God.” These questions look forward to building the Kingdom rather than backwards to how others did things, simply hoping they somehow still honor God even though we substituted a vital relationship with God for a relationship with religious trappings instead.

And even then we must be careful. Charles Sheldon wrote the book In his Steps in 1897, the fictional story of a congregation that began the spiritual discipline of asking “What would Jesus do?” and chronicling their adventures. Recently, the practice of asking this question resurfaced and became the WWJD? movement, complete with reminder bracelets, t-shirts, bible covers, bumper stickers and many other trinkets. What started out as people asking this question as a sincere way of following Jesus, became a new type of Pharasiasm, with Christians judging each other either because they wore such a bracelet, or because they did not. It didn’t matter which side of the fad you were on. It served as yet one more example of how easily we lapse into worshiping the forms of worship, rather than the God who created us.

____________________

All types of people follow Jesus. Even Pharisees are allowed to follow. Others have it easier because they admit they or a friend has a desperate need. Pretension is much more easily set aside when this is the case. But a Pharisee has to admit the pretension. It is one of the additional nets they must cast aside in order to take up their cross and follow. What pretension, what tradition, what hallowed practice must you set aside so that you can start to follow Jesus once more?

-mark l vincent

One of Basketball’s greats has been in another stage of battle, and this time, this is very serious, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the newly-resigned assistant coach of Lakers has been suffering Leukemia for a year now.

He has not revealed this to everyone, but according to him, this is the right time to tell them. He insists that he is regularly having a medical check-up with a doctor and is about to change his lifestyle.

The 6-time NBA MVP had only suffered a broken wrist as his only serious injury in time, but this one might even be worse. Let’s pray for him instead.

The New Orléans Saints football team has been doing so well, and I have been amazed and happy for ex-San Diego Charger Drew Brees, and San Diego native and homeboy Reggie Bush, that I have not paid that much attention to their basketball team, the Hornets.

I know they have some great players, most notably Chris Paul, but I generally would wait until after football season to check out the other remote NBA squads whose names are not the Los Angeles Lakers.

I do not want my little cousins in New Orléans, Jefferson Parish,Slidell, and all the other counties that are associated with New Orléans to think I am tripping…I love my southern heritage, and I identify with my people all throughout the south, including Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana,I have not forgotten where I come from, like so many of us that moved out west so long ago that we can not remember.

In honor of my folks from New Orléans, I am sad to report that your team, the Hornets, have fired their head coach today, after only 9 games this season.

Scott had a  3-6  start to the season, and had lost  124-104 at Phoenix on Wednesday .

The AP is reporting that…when Scott took over as coach following the 2003-04 season, he was the Hornets’ third coach in three seasons. He was the NBA coach of the year in 2008, when Chris Paul led the Hornets to a 56-26 record. That season, the Hornets beat Dallas in the opening round of the playoffs before losing to San Antonio in the seventh game of their Western Conference semifinal series.

The Hornets have announced that the former Laker star will be replaced by  General Manager Jeff Bower.

Owner George Shinn said in a statement that the move gives the Hornets the best opportunity “to reach our goals this season.”

The Hornets also announced that former New Orléans head coach Tim Floyd, who resigned as the USC coach before this season started, will be one of Bower’s top assistants.

I hope that Byron Scott comes back to the Los Angeles Lakers as a coaching assistant, so he can be in line to take over for Phil Jackson, who is being  paid $12 million this season, and has talked about wrapping up his career.

Phil Jackson has won his 10th NBA title ,passing Red Auerbach on the championship coaching list , and had gone through some health issues last season, that were resolved.

Let’s wait and see, and in the meantime, I wish the best for the Hornets’, Byron Scott, and the city of New Orléans.

Click on these sources…

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/11/12/byron-scott-unlikely-to-have-good-options-unless-phil-jackson-r/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/12/byron-scott-fired-hornets_n_355677.html

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar announced yesterday that he is undergoing treatment for a rare form of leukemia.

The league’s only six-time MVP said his prognosis is optimistic.

This is only the latest in a series of setbacks for Abdul-Jabbar, who was the league’s all-time leading scorer when he retired in 1989.

In 1983 his home was consumed in a fire, taking with it his valuable collection of oriental rugs and 3,000 jazz albums.  This contributed to his bankruptcy four years later.

Bill Simmons’ The Book of Basketball ranks Abdul-Jabbar as the third greatest player of all time-behind Bill Russell and Michael Jordan, and ahead of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird-but only after calling him a ‘ninny’ about 200 times during the course of the 700-page book.

David Halberstam’s The Breaks of the Game recounts the incident after Johnson’s first game as a pro. The then-20-year-old hugged Abdul-Jabbar after the center hit a game winning skyhook.  ”You’ve got to pace yourself,” the veteran told the rookie, in essence.

Abdul-Jabbar’s basketball exploits and cameo appearance in Airplane, the legendarily politically incorrect film in which an El Al flight had a beard and an elderly white woman “spoke jive” with a young Samuel L. Jackson, are well known.

But his The Epic Story of the 761st Tank Battalion, WWII’s Forgotten Heroes is not.

That’s too bad, because this accessible book recovers the forgotten story of the all-black battalion that served in the Battle of the Bulge and other European campaigns. Abdul-Jabbar learned about the battalion from a family friend during his childhood.  His purpose in writing the book was to honor their service by letting a younger generation know what they had done.

Although as a Celtics fan I had a visceral dislike for Abdul-Jabbar during my childhood and remember fans mobbing him as they stormed the floor after the Celtics’ victory in Game 7 of the NBA championship series, I do wish him well in his recovery and do recommend that people read his book.