As I type this, the Raiders are playing a pre-season football game against Minnesota. While I am watching with half an eye, the rest of my attention is being given to preparing for an event that has loomed large on my calendar since last February: Draft Day for my Fantasy Football League. For those of you not interested in football or especially in fantasy football, you may wish to question the sanity of a pastor who engages in a pastime that occurs mainly on Sundays during church services. To the contrary, the actual games played are merely the end process of a week's worth of pondering statistics, matchups, injuries, weather reports and game times. The main draw to my main fantasy league is the fact that the core of the group has been participating for 15 years now (we started back in college as a way for work colleagues to have an 'away from the job' connection.) An added bonus is that I will be able to attend a draft in the same room as these friends for the first time in 9 seasons!
Our league scores a little differently than most, so many of the official rankings put out by mainstream media sources need a little tweaking to be effective for my draft preparation. All this got me to thinking about a Fantasy Ministry League. Who would you pick to be on your team if you could pick from ministers across the spectrum?
Some folks would go for the glitzy players, the ones that would make highlight reels every week. No matter the situation, these players are going to have the headlines. Some franchises can be carried quite a ways on the strength of such players. Others will try to draft the hot rookies, hoping to cash in on the next "big thing" and be set for several seasons to come.
Still others will quietly build a corps of rock-solid contributors. These are the 'lunch box' players: those that rarely if ever gain headlines for their abilities or accomplishments; but those who make a dramatic impact over the course of the season. To me, these are the wise team owners. Faithfulness and consistency will build a team that performs better over the long run. Don't get me wrong, some of these players are also 'highlight players' and some are even among the 'hot rookies' but they are not drafted because of that - but because of their faithfulness.
So as I look over the spectrum of ministry and imagine building a church staff, I doubt that many would recognize the names that I would surround myself with. But these are men and women that make ministry not only possible but productive - and even enjoyable. The greatest news is this: we are already on the same team; and I am not the One in control!
Those of you still confused by fantasy football, and especially fantasy ministry, don't worry - I should return to 'normal' before too long.
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