BSA, Generous Sponsors, and Chick-fil-A

The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit…
…But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”
…This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad…
1 Corinthians 12:12-26 (selected verses)

Charity golf tournaments are the best! They have, for me, the perfect combination: playing golf, hanging out with good people who care about “bigger than ourselves” things, community spirit, fun, a good score because it is team golf, and supporting a good cause via dollars and awareness.

In this case the good cause was BSA (Boy Scouts), the setting was Hasentree, the sponsors were John and Gayle Akerman (Lathe Life Creations), the foursome included George Dudley, Howard Dudley, and Rick Mayo, and the score – 66 – was not too shabby.

First a note about our sponsors:

The success of these tournaments depends on different organizations sponsoring teams. Nobody (well, almost nobody) is concerned about winning so much as raising dollars and awareness for the good cause.

Lathe Life Creations (lathelifecreations.com) is a small business run by our good friends Gayle and John. They make absolutely beautiful, presentation-quality, hand-turned pens. John recently retired as a career BSA executive, so this tournament was a perfect opportunity to mix passion with opportunity with business.

We called ourselves – in jest of course – The Dream Team.

Three of my favorite Lathe Life Creations

Of course there is a devotional component!

Let’s be clear, I’m not out there turning over rocks, always looking for some tie in with this ongoing theme of exploring faith. But I will admit to – always – looking at the world around me through a faith-sensitive lens.

This time (and because I don’t play enough golf for the lessons to sink in far below the surface) what struck me is this juxtaposition of individual commitment and the group or community context.

First, the “Captain’s choice (Texas version)” format. Here are the guidelines:

Everyone hits from the tee.
We pick the drive we like the best and all hit our second shot from there.
Then we pick the best approach (hopefully on the green!) and all putt from there.
Repeat until the ball is holed.
The “Texas” variation provides that we must use at least three tee-shots from each member of the team. Consequently, sometimes we had to choose a tee-shot that was right, but not necessarily the best.

It is important for everyone, therefore, to do their individual best – while not only being encouraged by the community but with the community dependent on everyone’s commitment and success. There is some great theology in that idea!

The second part of this equation is commitment. This is a principle I have talked about before, but a truth I need to relearn every day. When I make a decision regarding a shot it only works well if I am committed. When I waver in my commitment – usually halfway through my swing – the result is never good. It is only when I follow through with all my heart and my concentration that I have any chance of pulling it off.