Happy Reformation Day!

It's been 488 years since Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the church door at Wittenburg.

Praise God for that day!

May we be true to the pure Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Bush Picks Alito

This morning President Bush announced that he has nominated Judge Samuel A. Alito to replace Sanda Day O'Connor's seat on the Supreme Court. Looks like a good choice, Mr. President.

Mid-Season Fantasy Football Update

On August 11th, I wrote:

"The draft was last night in our Fantasy Football league. My neighbor and I co-own a team this year. We are in a 10 team league and we had the 3rd pick. LaDanian Tomlinson went #1, Mike Vick went #2, and we were able to land the best player in the draft...Peyton Manning. We sat in front of the computer, stunned at our good fortune at watching Vick go #2. Here is the rest of our team in the order we drafted them:

2. Corey Dillon RB
3. Torry Holt WR
4. Mike Vanderjagt K
5. Muhsin Muhammad WR
6. Brian Westbrook RB
7. Caolina Defense
8. Randy McMichael TE
9. Carson Palmer QB
10. Eddie Kennison WR
11. DeShaun Foster RB
12. T. J. Houshmandzedeh WR
13. Daniel Graham TE
14. Chicago Defense
15. Nate Kaeding K"

Well, it's mid-season and a good time to analyze how our draft went, and how our season is going.

I'll start by analyzing each draft pick:

#1 (#3 overall in the draft) - Peyton Manning - BUST.
We were totally wrong about Manning. He is NOT the best player in the draft, and as far as fantasy points go he is not the best quarterback on our team. We were far too patient with him and it cost us some games.

#2 - Corey Dillon - BUST.
He has also had a disappointing year. Not horrible, but he wasn't worthy of a #2 pick.

#3 - Torry Holt - A+
We had to bench him this week b/c of injury, but he has been our star receiver. A must start.

#4 - Mike Vanderjagt - BUST.
We put him on waivers this week. Our backup K, Kaeding, is having a much better year. With many kickers available, we should have used this pick to get a rb or wr.

#5 - Muhsin Muhammad - OK.
Has had some decent games, but is trapped in a terrible offense in a terrible division.

#6 - Brian Westbrook - GOOD.
Has put up some good #s, including one incredible game, but is not an elite back, yet he's our best.

#7 - Carolina Defense - BUST.
We gave them up to waivers a few weeks back because our back up, da Bears, are doing so much better.

#8 - Randy McMichael - GOOD.
Not bad for a tight end and this low of a pick.

#9 - Carson Palmer - MVP.
We got him with the 83rd overall pick, and he's the top QB, and only behind LT in points so far this year.

#10 - Eddie Kennison. OK.
Started out the year strong, but has waned of late.

#11 - DeShaun Foster. BUST.
Dropped him and picked up his teammate, Stephen Davis, who has given us some pretty good #s.

#12 - T. J. Houshmandzedeh. GREAT.
Has given us very good numbers for such a low pick.

#13 - Daniel Graham. BUST.
We dropped him fairly early.

#14 - Chicago Defense. A+
Another example of how our back up choice has excelled beyond everyone's expectations.

#15 - Nate Kaeding. GREAT.
Our back up kicker has become a very solid starter.

We have failed to put together any trades, but we have picked up some decent players from free agency and off waivers, including Antonio Bryant and Jerry Porter.

We started out as the hottest team in the league, winning our first two and scoring the most points both weeks. But then we went on a five game losing skid, including two weeks in which we only scored in the 50s. That stinks. Bad.

This week, week 8, we finally got back on track scoring more than we ever had and upsetting the comissioner's team. We have to climb two spots in the rankings to make the playoffs. Due to this week's performance, we should move up one slot and with a victory next week, we'll be in the top 6 again and poised to make the playoffs.

Goodbye Busch Stadium

I don't even remember the first time I went to Busch Stadium because I was too young to remember. In the 70s at Busch I saw Hank Aaron, Pete Rose, Don Sutton, Steve Carlton, Willie Stargell, along with Cardinal greats like Lou Brock and Ted Simmons. The 80s were an awesome decade to be a Cardinal fan, with "Whitey Ball" giving us another World Championship in 3 World Series appearances. Ozzie Smith, Bruce Sutter, Darrell Porter, Willie McGee, Tom Herr, Vince Coleman, Terry Pendleton, and others made the 80s a very high point in Cardinal history.

Here are the games I most enjoyed attending at Busch (in chronological order):

1. Seeing Hank Aaron play for the Atlanta Braves. I don't remember the year, but Hank Aaron was my very first sports hero. I was probably only four years old, but all I could talk about was Hank Aaron and I remember sitting in the upper deck behind home plate and seeing Aaron play. Back then I loved home runs less for their baseball value and more for the opportunity to see that Cardinal fly around on that big screen in the outfield.

2. Sometime around 1981 or so we were at a Cards game when Garry Templeton totally lost control and flipped us the bird (us being the Cardinals fans). We had pretty good seats behind the Cards dugout and Garry apparently got tired of the boos and decided to show us how felt about it. He was soon traded to San Diego for another shortstop...named Ozzie Smith. Talk about a good trade!

3. 1986 - My Dad was hired to take pictures of speedster Vince Coleman for a set of baseball cards. I got to go out on the field before the game and shake his hand. I couldn't believe how muscular he looked up close. I learned that day that to see someone on TV is one thing, but to see them face to face is another. I also remember how weird that astroturf felt to walk on.

3. 1987 - My senior year of high school. I load up with a bus full of students (Student Council if I remember correctly) to go to Busch to see the Cardinals play our arch rivals, the Cubs. A little more than half the kids are Cards fans and the rest are dreaded Cubs fans. The Cards produce a late game comeback providing much fun to taunt the sCrub fans on the 90 minute ride home.

4. 1996 - NLCS - My wife and I join our friends Tim and Sarah for Game 3, a Cardinals victory over the Braves. Gant goes deep twice. We get to take advantage of the new rail system in St. Louis, parking over in E. St. Louis and riding the light rail right up to the gates of the stadium. We're sitting in the upper deck behind home plate. Old Willie McGee is the crowd favorite.

5. 2004 - August 31st - After my mother's successful surgery that morning at St. Luke's, Dad and I go downtown to see the Cards beat the surging Padres. We buy tickets in front of the stadium from a teenager...we sit thirteen rows behind home plate for really cheap. Edmunds, Renteria, and Pujols all homer. Woody Williams gets the win.

(6) 1998 - Mark McGwire hits home run #62. OK, so I wasn't there! But my Dad was, and that counts. Although it's been tarnished by the whole steroid thing, it was big at the time.

I also attended a preseason Cardinal football game back in the early 80s, but that was rather cold and uneventful. The best thing Bill Bidwill ever did was get that team out of Busch stadium, so the stadium could be customized into a ballpark instead of a multi-purpose cookie cutter.

The powers that be did a good job of improving Busch through the years. Adding natural grass was a real step forward. By 2004, Busch had been transformed into one of the best looking ballparks in America. After attending that Padres game in 2004, I began to wonder if they should just keep the old ballpark and forget the new one.


The best part of Busch Stadium is the arches. Watching this year's NLCS, I loved the images from the hidden camera in front of home plate. Looking up at the catcher and batter, the arches in the background had a beautiful glow at night. I appreciate the effort the architects made at keeping this feature in the design of the new ballpark, and I recognize that the modern arches of the old Busch couldn't be duplicated exactly in the new "retro" ballpark, but I feel they came up short in their effort to retain this charming distinctive to St. Louis baseball.

The Old Busch is actually Busch II. The old Sportsman's Park became Busch Stadium before the current stadium was built. Now that Anheuser-Busch has purchased naming rights for the new ballpark, the name will carry on.

Goodbye Busch II. Thanks for the memories!

Cardinals Have No Momentum

It's the middle of the fifth and Oswalt has a no-hitter going. The Cardinals gave the Astros a run with a wild pitch. Mulder has had no command of his pitches. Oh well, unless something changes soon, looks like a Astros-White Sox Series.

Another White Jesus

Is it just me or does it seem like every Bible that has illustrations of Jesus always has him as looking very white and American? At least the folks at Crossway have made him a little darker than what I'm used to seeing in Bibles, but I still think that Jesus was darker than we tend to imagine.

Back Home At Busch

Tonight is game 6 of the NLCS. This is THE key game. If the Cards can win I think that the momentum will carry them past Clemens and into the Series.

Baseball is a team sport, but two individuals are the key to their team's success tonight. For the Astros, it's all on Roy Oswalt. If he pitches like he did in game 2, I'm not optimistic about the Cards chance of winning. For the Cardinals, it's Tony LaRussa. Can he inject the confidence into this Cardinals team that will enable them to play the type of baseball that they are capable of playing? If so, on to game 7.

If you compare the rosters, the Astros have more talent than the Cardinals. They have a better starting rotation. They have a better closer. Overall, they have better hitters. But I am hopeful the Cards will win the next two games at Busch because the Astros donÂ’t haveÂ…

1. The best player in baseball: Albert Pujols.
2. The scrappiest, grittiest, biggest heart, most kid-faced, best clutch performer in baseball: David Eckstein.
3. The best history in the National League: 9 World Series Championships and 16 National League Championships.
4. The best fans in baseball: the Cardinal Nation!!

Cardiac Cards!

HOUSTON, TX - It was the 9th inning of game 5, the visiting Cardinals were down to their last out. Minute Maid Park was in a frenzy. David "the Pest" Eckstein was at the plate. 1 ball, 2 strike count. 1 simple strike was all that was needed. The previous two batters went down swinging. 1 simple strike from baseball's most overpowering closer. 1 simple strike for the team that had 79-1 record this season when they carried a lead into the ninth inning. That 1 simple strike never made it to the catcher's mitt. David Eckstein ripped a single past the outstretched glove of Morgan Ensberg. And just like that the Cards had the tying run coming to the plate in the person of Jim Edmonds.

Five pitches later Edmonds was on first with a walk. Albert Pujols stepped into the batter's box and missed Lidge's first slider that was in the dirt. The next pitch from Lidge was a mistake...a colossal mistake...a put the champagne back in their crates and start packing your bags for St. Louis mistake...a hanging slider right in the center of home plate that Pujols sent for a big time ride.

Cards win 5-4.

The momentum has shifted...thanks to David Eckstein. Old Busch Stadium will host baseball at least one more time. How about those Cardinals?

Listen to the 2005 DG National Conference speakers...

...online here. Scroll down to get to speakers' messages.

2005 Desiring God National Conference

This weekend I took five other men from our church to Minneapolis for the 3rd Annual Desiring God National Conference. This year's theme was "Suffering and the Sovereignty of God." Speakers were John Piper, Carl Ellis, Mark Talbot, David Powlison, Steve Saint, and Joni Eareckson Tada.

You can read two excellent summaries of the conference at www.challies.com and www.coffeeswirls.com.

Especially stimulating was Professor Mark Talbot's address. Most interesting was his biblical defense of this shocking statement: "God is the creator of sin, but is not guilty of committing sin."

What's Good for the Goose...

In the mid-90s liberals, in an effort to sway conservatives toward voting for their candidates, promoted the idea that one should not cast a vote based on one issue. In other words, because so many conservatives (of which the heart of our country is composed) refused to vote for pro-choice candidates, they attempted to minimize the importance of the abortion issue and hopefully, convince some voters to vote for moderate/liberal candidates.

But when it comes to Supreme Court justices, liberals seem to abandon this philosophy. Abortion is THE litmus test of the left. Yes, other issues are important to the left: gay rights, the environment, etc. But let's face it, nothing strikes fear into the heart of liberals more than potentially losing the "right" to kill unborn babies.

Preaching: How do you like your lectern?

About a year ago, we removed the lectern at POGC because I had gone completely mobile. I walk around the congregation throughout the message. Prior to that move, I preferred a small, wooden lectern with enough room to lay out my notes, but not so large that it would serve as a barrier between the me and the people. How do you like your lectern? Or, if you are not a pastor or preacher, as a listener, what do you prefer? Does it matter to you if the pastor is behind a large lectern, plexiglass lectern, small lectern, no lectern?