Wearing the Superbowl Ring to the Game

New England Patriots, 19 - 0, Until the Game Ended

I hope everyone enjoyed the Superbowl, played in our backyard. I watched the UOP Stadium go up during my frequent trips to teach in Yuma. Before that I enjoyed the turf battles over who would build it. The East Valley cities did not work together until Glendale (West Valley) received the nod. Suddenly, the East Valley decided to unite against the evil West Valley. We are the blue collar guys, who think a seven-course dinner is a large bag of Fritos and a six-pack of Bud. Scottsdale is the elegant venue. Chandler (East Valley) has a $3 billion Intel robot-run chip plant. Glendale has the world headquarters for Petsmart.

Time after time, the favored team saunters into the stadium while everyone derides the poor victim. Oh how I enjoyed watching Ohio State arrive last year as the anointed college football (BCS) champions, with a Heisman player on their team. The other team was scorned, pitied, and ignored. Ohio State was thrashed and Mr. Heisman looked like and acted like a loser by half-time.

This year the New England Patriots had the 19th game won before they began. I began to cheer the Giants for holding the invincible Pats to a small margain. When the game was won in the last seconds and a miracle Pats play was quashed, I was elated. Finally, an interesting Superbowl!

Bouts of self-congratulations have ruined the Lutheran organizations. I hesitate to call them synods. They are all so obsessed with Management by Objective that they should be seen for what they are. I first heard about MBO in the LCA. Then I learned about Fuller Seminary promoting Drucker's MBO. ELCA, WELS, ELS, LCMS - all are obsessed with MBO, but not concerned with doctrine, unless that means enforcing false doctrine.

Fear drives the Lutherans now. That is why mediocrities are so terrified of having anyone discuss the real issues.

I was bringing in my shoes from outside when I remembered a friend asking me about scorpions. They are definitely in Phoenix, but I have never seen one, live or dead. He said, "I hear you better shake out your shoes when you leave them outside. The scorpions will crawl in and sting you." I still leave my shoes outside, but every time I am tempted to put them on immediately, I hear those words, like a bad dream after anaesthesia. "Scorpions. Crawl in. Sting."

If anyone starts to address the doctrinal issues, the scorpion-baiters will start shouting, "They will divide our beloved synod. I love my synod. Don't let them wreck our synod."

No, let the leaders do it by themselves.