Olympic Faith

While watching the gymnastics during the Olympics tonight the relationship between the sport and spirituality seemed obvious. There is a certain correlation with the disciplined life of any athlete, but the gymnast seems to embody those practices, and more.

• The hours of dedicated practice involved, urging muscles to react immediately and instinctively to the challenge at hand.
• The encouragement from fellow team mates, even after a disappointing exhibition.
• The dependency on a coach to provide guided, individual lessons, offering critiques and resolutions to perfect form.
• The discipline of letting go of the bar, trusting that the placement of the bar hasn't changed and that after the rotation one can return to hold on tightly again to the bar - until the next release.
• The confidence to take one's gifts and skills into the public for scrutiny.
• The belief that one's daily best efforts will reflect the practice and the willingness to be coached, but more importantly, the overwhelming desire that beats at the base of one's inner core.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, You are our life coach; watchful for areas in need of correction and praising areas of accomplishment. You know what heights we are capable of reaching and hold that as our bar of victory. O God, we are not looking for medals of decoration, but the honor of living our true life, inspired by our devotion to you and the desire of our soul to be pleasing in your sight. Let us diligently offer our prayers and study to provide the muscles needed to continue in strength and endurance. Let us be agreeable to suggestions of correction of form, realizing that often we cannot provide a neutral, balanced opinion of ourselves. Let us bravely, release our grip, to fly unfettered, knowing that it defies our natural sense of survival and logic. You are there to spot our return, to applaud our safe return and to offer a hand up when we miss our mark, resulting in a hard landing. Let us try again, and again, for when everything flows as intended, coached and practiced, it is a beautiful sight! Amen.