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What a brilliant fortnight it has been for the American futball team at the World Cup! (That’s all British talk, by the way. We’ve been listening to a lot of those guys announcing the matches for two weeks.) All the USA red, white, and blue face paint, crazy hats, flags, and banners have provided a really super build up to this weekend’s Fourth of July celebrations. This morning at coffee with some of my buddies, even while we were commiserating about the loss to Belgium, we realized that we are only one month away from NFLfootball, which kicks off on August 3. Whether your preference is futball, football, or no ball at all, you have to admit that as a nation we pretty much go nuts when it comes to sports.

The big news this week in Brazil was that even in a loss, American goalkeeper Tim Howard was a huge winner. With 16 saves—the most in a World Cup match in 50 years–the 35 year old seemed to be mind reading the Belgian team’s kicks on goal. Now this is a stretch to be sure, but work with me here…  As kick after kick was deflected and the balls bounced anywhere but in the back of the net, the Belgian team might have been thinking this about Howard’s incredible goal play:

            You have searched me and known me…

                        you discern my thoughts from far away.

            You search out my path…

                        and are acquainted with all my ways.

            You hem me in, behind and before.

Actually those are words from Psalm 139, which is our soundtrack for summer this week in worship. They are part of a Hebrew hymn that celebrates God’s inescapable presence and persistent hold on us. (Just for the record, I had to work pretty hard to connect the scripture with World Cup and the Fourth of July for this update!)

We will be sharing in Holy Communion at all services this week, and as has been our summer tradition, please feel free to come as you are. If you haven’t had a chance to “Dive in,” and make your “$plash” for summer, click here.

If you saw the West Orange Times last week, you may have read a nice long article about my Greece trip from this past April. Kathy Aber, one of our travelers, was the author. Kim Shelley, a video producer, who travelled with his wife, Charlotte Donaldson posted this synopsis of our trip on YouTube, if you are interested in seeing some of what we experienced walking in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul in Greece and Turkey.  http://youtu.be/L4ldSRQqBRs

I guess that’s about enough “foot or fut” metaphors for one day. See you SUNday!

Bill

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