september – october, 2014 newsstand price cdn $4.95
More than a Game Doing All He Can For Everybody Else There in the Struggle Christ First, Game Second
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SEVEN Magazine Men. God. Life. A Christian magazine for Canadian men. Relevant, exciting and biblical.
Men of Integrity Devotional Especially written for men, personally challenging, eternally rewarding. Available in a 60 page booklet or as an email devotional.
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september – october, 2014
ON THE COVER:
MORE THAN A GAME Athletes, coaches, chaplains and more—this issue of SEVEN looks to connect sports with spirituality, featuring an inside look with a pair of pro players.
FEATURES: 13
A-plus Attitude gets Hockey Pro to Olympic Gold | Scott Taylor “Who the heck is Dan Hamhuis and what’s he doing on my Olympic hockey team?” was the popular question when Canada announced its men’s roster earlier this year. Sportswriter Scott Taylor shares how faith helped Canucks’ d-man Dan Hamhuis become a valuable part of Canada’s winning lineup.
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Smilin’ Hank Burris: Doing All He Can For Everybody Else | Scott Taylor As great a quarterback as the Ottawa Redblacks’ Henry Burris is—and his on-field success and statistics certainly bear that out—he’s also a family man who grew up in a Christian home that believes that “do unto others...” is more than a wise old saying on a plaque in grandma’s kitchen…
More than a Game Doing All He Can For Everybody Else There in the Struggle Christ First, Game Second
24 There in the Struggle, Along for the Journey | Aaron Epp Sportsman-turned-chaplain Lorne Korol has seen his share of personal strife and been given more than his share of second chances. Now, the Winnipeg Jets and Blue Bombers spiritual leader seeks to provide a place of prayer for the city’s pro athletes. 31
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Christ First, Game Second | Steven Sukkau Tony Dungy has seen the highest heights of professional football and the lowest lows, and through it all, his faith has guided him. “I think you can glorify the Lord in every circumstance, how you respond to failure, how you respond to disappointment says a lot more than how you do in successes,” Dungy says.
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PK Podium Fearless in the Box
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one – A promise keeper is committed to honouring Jesus Christ through worship, prayer, and obedience to God’s Word in the power of the Spirit. two – A promise keeper is committed to pursuing Christ-centred friendships with a few other men, connecting regularly, understanding that he needs brothers to help him keep his promises. three – A promise keeper is committed to practicing biblical integrity: spiritually, morally, ethically and sexually. four – A promise keeper is committed to strengthening families and marriages through love, honour, protection, and biblical values. five – A promise keeper is committed to supporting the mission of his church by honouring and praying for his pastor, and by actively giving his time and resources.
seven – A promise keeper is committed to influencing the world by his fervent love for God while loving his neighbour, seeking justice for the poor and oppressed, and making disciples of Jesus Christ.
The Single Life Sports and the Single Life
38 Out of My Depth Jesus’ team isn’t made up of all-stars
The name reflects the seven promises that form the basis of the Promise Keepers organization, which works with churches to minister to men across Canada.
six – A promise keeper is committed to reaching beyond racial, social, economic, generational, and denominational barriers to demonstrate that power of biblical unity.
COLUMNS: 5
SEVEN is a Christian magazine for Canadian men that exists to help men lead more fulfilling lives and leave enduring legacies.
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DEPARTMENTS: 7 Pulse: Bits. Blips. Beats. Blurbs. 12
Music Review: Sing some new songs…
36 Power Play: Toys. Tools. Technology.
19 Publisher: Brian Koldyk Editorial Director: Jeff Stearns Managing Editor: Rob Horsley Copyeditor: Kelly Rempel ADVERTISING Rick Verkerk rick@promisekeepers.ca 1.888.901.9700
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The PK Canada logo features a maple leaf, indicating our dedication to serve the men of Canada. An arrow breaks into the maple leaf symbolizing the impact we believe God wants to see Promise Keepers and men making in our nation. A special thank-you to all the pastors who continually encourage us to communicate God’s truth with grace and love.
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PROMISE KEEPERS CANADA
Visit our PromiseKeepers.ca for the latest info, videos, audio messages, men’s articles, books and other resources.
SEVEN Magazine Men. God. Life. A Christian magazine for Canadian men. Relevant, exciting and biblical.
Men of Integrity Devotional Especially written for men, personally challenging, eternally rewarding. Available in a 60 page booklet or as an email devotional.
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P K Podium
Fearless in the Box Don’t back away—live in the power of God By Kirk Giles
My youngest son, Samuel, plays on a travel softball team. I am often amazed at how fast some 11 and 12 year old boys are able to pitch a softball—underhanded. There are times when the batter does not have time to think; he just has time to react. As these pitchers are developing their skills, the one common element that goes with the speed is a lack of control. They can throw it fast, but you never really know where the ball is going to go. For a boy standing in the batter’s box, you can imagine the angst he must feel as he has everyone telling him to swing, but he is wondering if his head is going to be taken off with the next pitch. It is very common for these boys to be moving their feet and backing away from home plate as the pitch is being thrown. Their instinct is for their own safety, not for hitting the ball. Some of them have been hit by a pitch, they know the pain, and they have no desire to experience it again. Many times, the boys do not even realize they are backing out of the box; their body just reacts this way. As a coach, one of the most critical lessons you teach a boy learning to hit a ball is the importance of keeping his feet planted and staying in the batter’s box. If his body is pulling him away from home plate, he will not make solid, if any, contact with the ball. If he keeps his feet planted like they are in cement and swings properly, he can use the power from the ball to hit it a long way.
Sports will so often imitate our real lives. Fear controls a lot of men—many times we do not even realize it. The fear of job or financial insecurity will cause some men to compromise on what they know to be right in order to keep their position of security. There are men who live in fear for their marriage, what will happen with their children, or what the doctor will say about their health. Stress can be a sign of a deep rooted fear we may have about losing something. When we are afraid, we move our feet to what we believe is a more secure place where we are in control. In reality that pitch can still hit us no matter where we are standing. All we are doing is removing the opportunity to make solid contact with a ball. We are losing our chance to hit a home run. Imagine if there were thousands of men standing firm in the grace and strength of God. Imagine men who knew who they are in Christ and were fearless because of Him. Imagine men who would not back away from the unknown, but stay in the batter’s box and live in the power of God. This is what the 2014/2015 Promise Keepers Canada National Men’s Conferences are all about. Join thousands of men and be counted as a man who is Fearless because His feet are firmly planted in Jesus.
Kirk Giles is the president of Promise Keepers Canada. However, his most important roles as a man are husband to Shannon and father to Carter, Joshua, Sydney and Samuel.
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Equip your men to have meaningful relationships with other guys.
Brothers A Workshop from promise keepers Canada
Learn how you can host a workshop at your church. Visit promisekeepers.ca to get started.
seven – issue thirty-eight september – october, 2014 page 6
puls e
Bits + Blips. Beats + Blurbs. by Rob Horsley, PULSE Editor
BLURB
MORE SPORTS RIVALRIES GONE BAD …And people say that hockey is a violent sport… In the last edition of SEVEN’s “The Pulse” we shared an odd story from both The Huffington Post and The Daily Mirror in which notorious prison brawler Charles Bronson (no relation to the film star by the same name) was up to his old shenanigans in yet another altercation with guards at his facility—only this time he came prepared. As originally shared, Bronson reportedly greased himself up with lard before inciting the brawl so as to make himself more difficult to apprehend by prison staff. The cause? Bronson was apparently incensed to the point of fisticuffs when his favourite football club’s archrivals won the English Premier League championship match. While this story may have satiated your weird news fix for the time being, the folks at The Daily Mirror are not so easily satisfied. In honour of Bronson’s bizarre altercation, the outlet took it upon itself to compile a list of some of the most bizarre and perhaps disturbing incidents arising out of sports rivalries gone wrong. Take for example the Brazilian soccer fan who was killed by a flying toilet in early May after violence erupted following the match’s 1-1 conclusion. Pretty ugly stuff. Sticking with soccer, there’s also France’s Zinedine Zidane who memorably head butted Italy’s Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final—his last match as a professional—after Materazzi allegedly made inappropriate comments about Zidane’s sister, an act to which Zidane maintains he’d “rather die than apologize” for. And of course, who could forget the infamous Tonya Harding incident in which the famed figure skater was forced to resign her title as world champion after being accused of organizing an attempt to break the legs of rival skater, Nancy Kerrigan? To check out the full list, head to http://tinyurl.com/psappfa to read (from The Daily Mirror online). Be advised that some of the items are indeed disturbing. (Huffington Post/The Daily Mirror)
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pulse
BLIP
MAN IN CHINA BUILDS BATMOBILE FROM RECYCLED PARTS
(The Daily Telegraph / The Daily Mail)
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rkcilF/lhoR .J llerraD :tiderc otohP
SHANGHAI, CHINA—Usually we reserve this kind of thing for Sandy McMurray in our Power Play section, but this one was too cool to pass up… In late July, the UK’s Daily Telegraph reported that Shanghai resident Li Weilei has constructed a life-sized replica of the “tumbler” Batmobile as portrayed in director Christopher Nolan’s Batman/Dark Knight trilogy. The Daily Mail also reported that Li recreated Nolan’s tumbler model for a mere £7,000 using “10 tons of waste metal.” This also isn’t the first time Li has undertaken such a project. “We’ve built a dozen [of] Batman’s cars,” he says in an interview with The Daily Mail, adding, “Two of them are in Shanghai, while the rest are on display in other parts of the country.” Li’s replica measures 10 feet in width, and is apparently “completely street legal,” though for copyright reasons, it has not and will not ever be referred to as a “Batmobile.” The only thing keeping Li’s replica off the streets of Shanghai is its lack of a working engine, reports Dan Bloom of The Daily Mail.
puls e
BITS
ITSY-BITSY SPIDER CAUSES MAN TO BURN HOUSE DOWN WITH HOMEMADE FLAME-THROWER SEATTLE, WA—Don’t get any ‘bright ideas,’ fellas. In mid-July, The Huffington Post reported that a man residing in West Seattle apparently burned his house down whilst defending it from a particularly antagonistic arachnid (or so he thought). Andres Juaregui writes that the man, who remained nameless in the his report, told firefighters at the scene that he “saw a spider in the laundry room and decided the best way to take care of it was with a lighter and a can of spray paint. “He set his wall on fire, then the blaze quickly spread,” writes Juaregui. In another report from KOMOnews.com (with files from the Associated Press), “the building, which is a rental home, will cost roughly $40,000 to repair.” As well, according to the same report, the contents of the home will cost another $20,000 to replace. HuffPost reports that Red Cross is finding temporary housing for the man and his female roommate. (The Huffington Post / KOMOnews.com / Associated Press)
MAN SENDS WIFE A LESS-THAN-HELPFUL SPREADSHEET OF SEX EXCUSES
BLURB
And hey, speaking of really, really, really bad ideas… While 1 Corinthians 13:5 specifically mentions not keeping a record of wrongs, it appears that at least one man has gone in an altogether different and completely unadvisable direction. Cavan Sieczkowski of The Huffington Post writes than an unnamed man (parts unknown) took it upon himself to record all the times between early June and mid-July in which his wife turned him down for sex—via a three-column spreadsheet. Sieczkowski writes, “In column A he recorded the date…in column B he recorded the response (yes or no) and in column C he wrote down the excuse his wife used against having sex on a particular night. According to the article, someone claiming to be the wife took the spreadsheet to the popular website Reddit to share with online readers. Responses to the posting were mixed, some siding with the wife, others siding with the husband. Most can probably agree however, that there has to be a better way than making a spreadsheet to work through such disagreements as a married couple. “I’m not a marriage counselor,” writes Bob Powers of Someecards, “but I’m pretty sure that if you and the spouse aren’t sleeping together as much as you’d like, the way to turn her on is not with passive-aggressive use of Microsoft Office.” Exactly. (The Huffington Post)
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pulse
BEAT
A FOND FAREWELL FROM MANAGING EDITOR ROB HORSLEY Over the last twenty-some months, I’ve had the great honour of working for this great magazine that you’re currently holding in your hands (or possibly reading via computer screen, tablet, or mobile). It’s been a great run, and I am truly proud of all that I, along with my fantastic editorial director and PK Canada marketing guru Jeff Stearns, have accomplished through the work of this fantastic publication. Likewise, it’s with the fondest and most sincere of sentiments that I bid our readers a joyful adieu. After a little more than two years at the helm of SEVEN, I am leaving my position as managing editor and moving on to pursue other non-publishing related ventures in the beautiful city of Saskatoon. And while it is indeed a difficult decision to say goodbye, I am excited to report that SEVEN will once again be in great hands following my departure. In my place comes Steven Sukkau, a capable young man and personal friend to whom I am most pleased to pass the torch of managing and caring for this publication I’ve come to love and care for so deeply. You may have noticed his byline in the past several issues, as his reporting has already contributed in making SEVEN the great magazine it has always been. When I took over from then-managing editor Doug Koop, SEVEN had just gone to press with its 25th issue. And while I am somewhat saddened at not having reached a similar issue, I remain immensely proud of all we’ve accomplished in the past 13 issues. From “supernatural” to “social issues,” to the “sports” edition you’re currently reading, SEVEN has covered a gamut of topics, all of which I hope have brought insights and inspiration to those of you who read and continue to support what we do at SEVEN and through the greater work of Promise Keepers Canada. I have truly been blessed to serve you in what we do. All the best, and God Bless you all. Sincerely yours, Rob Horsley
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review
When it comes to family, let God take the lead Reviews by Cindy Janssens
MAN OF GOD: LEADING YOUR FAMILY BY ALLOWING GOD TO LEAD YOU By Charles F. Stanley (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2013) Charles F. Stanley has been senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of Atlanta since 1971. He has authored more than 50 books and is the founder of In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley, a worldwide radio and television broadcast that seeks to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. In Man of God, Stanley shares wisdom gleaned through years of ministry and personal experience, and frames it in a conversational, father-to-son format. His straightforward principles contain sound, scripturally-based advice for fathers seeking to become a true man of God and lead their family on a journey with Christ. • Stanley asks and answers questions such as: • What does it mean to leave a godly legacy? • How is it possible to be a man of “steel and velvet”? • What does it look like to be a good provider? • Is there a way to have better communication in my marriage? The accompanying eight-session study guide makes this an excellent, comprehensive, easy-to-use tool for men’s ministry, containing all the preparation guidelines and study questions needed to lead well. Although men who are single or alone may find it hard to relate to many of the principles, this is a good basic book to share with men in the church who are struggling as a husband and father. As Stanley outlines what it means to allow God to lead a man into maturity in Christ, he alludes to personal struggles he has faced along the way, including quick references to his own divorce and strained relationship with his son, Andy. The transparency of the hidden self that Stanley encourages in men, which allows the Father to administer healing and result in growing maturity, would have allowed the systematically laid out principles in this book to appear less formulaic and achieve deeper impact and integrity, had Stanley spent more time sharing his own testimony of God’s grace in spite of his failures as a husband and father. Stanley’s recurrent invitation to accept God’s forgiveness and experience spiritual rebirth, no matter what mistakes have been made, conveys a message of hope and transformation. It’s a message of hope for any man looking to become the leader, teacher, father, husband and man of God he was designed to be. Cindy Janssens is assistant to the president of Promise Keepers Canada.
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music review
Sing some new songs… Music Reviews by Aaron Epp
IF WE’RE HONEST Francesca Battistelli Word/Fervent While listening to If We’re Honest, the latest album from New York City-born singer-songwriter Francesca Battistelli, I couldn’t help but think of Amy Grant’s classic 1991 album Heart in Motion. Like Heart in Motion, If We’re Honest is full of upbeat, radio-ready pop songs. And like Grant, Battistelli uses her music to point to the hope found in God. Standout tracks include “Write Your Story,” a song about surrender sung over symphonic synth sounds, and “We Are the Kingdom,” a pulsing pop piece that pledges allegiance to the Lord. In a video she posted on her website in the weeks leading up to the album’s release, Battistelli described If We’re Honest as more personal, more honest and more spiritual than her last two releases. She also said that the songs on the album are more worshipful. “That’s really my heart and where this all started for me—in the church and my desire to lead people in worship, and just be in the presence of God,” Battistelli said. “I hope this record is that for people: I hope it just helps them in their walk with God and the time they spend with him.” If We’re Honest is well worth checking out. Honestly.
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LOWBORN Anberlin Tooth & Nail When a band calls it quits these days and its members are still on good terms, the trend is for them to take a “victory lap”—one final tour to say farewell to fans before they hang it up and move on to other things. Rock quintet Anberlin are currently in the midst of their final tour, which culminates in November with three performances in the band’s home state of Florida. Anberlin’s victory lap is different from most, since the group has a new album to promote. When they announced the end of the band in January, the group also announced the release of one final album. Lowborn arrived in stores in July, and it is a fitting coda to the group’s formidable career. Longtime fans will not be disappointed, and the album is likely to earn Anberlin new admirers as well. Before Lowborn’s release, lead singer Stephen Christian promised that the disc would be “eclectic and chaotic, just like a good Anberlin record should be.” Christian and his bandmates delivered. Since forming in 2002, Anberlin have consistently made engaging, forward-thinking rock music that is on par with’—if not better than—their “secular” counterparts. It’s sad to see them go.
NEON STEEPLE Crowder Sparrow/sixsteps Some are calling it “folktronica”— roots music with electronic flourishes. Whatever it is, I want more of it, because Neon Steeple is an impressive release. On his first solo album, former David Crowder Band frontman David Crowder delivers 14 songs that bridge the gap between folk and pop as well as bluegrass and electronic dance music. “There’s a sun coming up in my soul,” Crowder sings on “My Beloved,” an upbeat number driven by frantic banjo-picking and a relentless drumbeat. The song sets the tone for the rest of the album, which includes a guest appearance by legendary singer-songwriter Emmylou Harris on the alluring ballad, “My Sweet Lord.” “Neon Steeple is a collection of songs and sounds looking forward to the past and counting the present as sacred,” Crowder said before the album’s release. “It is a longing for belonging, a search for home. It is a collection of choruses that believe that this is not all there is. It is the sound of the Appalachians and Ibiza. Folk music and EDM. The music of the People. Folktronica. Digital and Analog. The Ones and Zeros and the Handshake. The Banjo and the 808. Neon Steeple is both a critique and a hope.” This is worship music for the 21st century. Hallelujah. Aaron Epp is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer and aspiring music critic.
features
A-plus Attitude gets Hockey Pro to Olympic Gold Hamhuis thrilled to have played a part for Canada’s winning team
By Scott Taylor
When Hockey Canada announced its 2014 Olympic roster, the roster that would go on to win a gold medal, one name raised eyebrows, scrunched noses and even inspired a few nasty blogs. Who the heck is Dan Hamhuis and what’s he doing on my Olympic hockey team? While Hamhuis and some guy from San José named Marc-Edouard Vlasic were named to the team—a team that was loaded with big-name superstars, by the way—high profile NHL defensemen such as Chicago’s Brent Seabrook, Calgary’s Mark Giordano, Washington’s Mike Green and Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang were left on the sidelines. Fans and media experts alike had trouble coming to terms with it. How could Canada possibly win with Hamhuis and Vlasic and not Seabrook and Letang? In fact, the announcement of “Dan Hamhuis, Vancouver Canucks,” sent many Canadian journalists straight to their keyboards to wonder aloud why a guy who doesn’t get big offensive numbers and plays on the West Coast would be named ahead of so many established stars. Hamhuis didn’t notice. He merely thanked God for the honour and spoke in the intelligent, measured terms that he always does. “Looking at the players…on that list, it’s pretty incredible the amount of talent that’s on that team and the amount of talent that’s left off the team,” Hamhuis said that cold morning back in January. “I’m sure the managers agonized over a lot of the decisions in putting the best team forward.” Notice that last line. It will tell you a lot about Hamhuis. It wasn’t about Dan Hamhuis. It was about the team. From the moment Hamhuis was named, it was always about team.
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fea tu r es
A-plus Attitude
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features
“It never gets old putting on that Canadian jersey,” said Hamhuis recently. “It comes with a lot of responsibility, too. We have a very proud hockey nation that wants to win.” Hamhuis was named to Canada’s Olympic team for a lot of reasons. At the top of the list is the fact he is one of Hockey Canada’s “guys.” He’s an unselfish player who has always answered the call for his country. Hamhuis was a brilliant junior defenseman who played on two World Junior Championship medal-winning teams (bronze in 2001 and silver in 2002). He also played on Canada’s IIHF World Championship teams in 2006, 2007 (gold), 2008 (silver), 2009 (silver) and 2013 while a member of both the Nashville Predators and the Canucks. When it comes to national teams, the IIHF team is not the most romantic one to be part of (the tournament is played at the end of the season when the best NHL teams are in the Stanley Cup playoffs), but Hamhuis always puts on the Team Canada jersey when asked. Hockey Canada does not forget players who are loyal. And Hamhuis fell into every other category coveted by GM Steve Yzerman and head coach Mike Babcock—he was an elite stay-at-home defenseman who was responsible in his own end and would do exactly what he was asked by the coaching staff. In other words, his character and team-first attitude was exactly what the brain trust was after. Of course, Hamhuis comes by his check-your-ego-at-the-door attitude honestly. In his life, it’s faith first and everything else falls into place. He’s turned his life over to God, so giving a couple of weeks of it to a hockey coach is easy. “I’ve long believed that God has a plan for everything,” he says. “So after getting over my excitement at being selected, I just felt quite at ease, sort of at peace, really. I had a lot of experience with Hockey Canada and how they do business and I knew immediately what my role would be.” For many players, Hamhuis’s job would be agonizing. During the Olympic tournament, he would occasionally be the team’s sixth defenseman, but for the most part he would be number seven and for some games, he might not even suit up. The coaches had their top five d-men in mind before the Olympic tournament began. Hamhuis would be a sub. For many of the game’s superstars, that would be untenable. For Hamhuis it was simple, “What do you need me to do, coach?” He was flawless. He did not see the ice at all in Canada’s 1-0 win over the United States in the semifinal game and then, in a bit of an odd twist, he sat on the bench for almost all of the gold medal game. Then, with Canada holding that 3-0 lead over Sweden, he played the entire final 1:04 of the third period. He was on the ice to be among the first of the Canadian players to celebrate gold.
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fea tu r es
A-plus Attitude
Milwaukee that was a really difficult time for me. I’d just been cut by the Predators and I was living on my own for the first time and it was a challenging time. But we had a great chaplain in Milwaukee named Iggy Cafaro. He challenged me to really understand my faith. He really encouraged me to dig deeper.” When Hamhuis got back up to the NHL, it was Predators chaplain Pike Williams who taught him more about his journey with the Lord and now, in Vancouver, he and wife Sarah not only have a home church, but they spend many hours together getting deeper into their faith. “Sarah and I work with a number of community groups and we take part in as many weekly sermon studies as we can,” he says. “We get together with other members of the church on Tuesday nights and break down Sunday’s sermon and study the Bible. It gives both Sarah and I a great opportunity to really get something out of our faith together. “I have so many opportunities here in Vancouver. Being with the Canucks, working with chaplain Dave Klassen, has made my faith a lot stronger. He’s helped me understand my life even more.”
“Obviously I would have loved to have been a part of the regular six and play more minutes but I took pride in being the seventh defenseman,” says Hamhuis, the consummate team player from start to finish. “I just wanted to do the best job I could and contribute whenever I was on the ice. I also wanted to be a great teammate on the bench and in the dressing room. “It was really cool to be able to play the last 1:04 and finish out the gold-medal game. The coaches expressed to me that they really appreciated the role that I’d accepted. It was nice to get that little reward there at the end.” Although his name isn’t a household word like Crosby, Toews or Stamkos, Hamhuis is still a very good hockey player. He’ll be starting his 11th season in the NHL, his fifth in Vancouver, and last year he had five goals and 17 assists and was a rock-solid plus13 while playing in 79 of 82 games for the Canucks. He’s now played in eight international tournaments (where he has won five medals) at both the junior and senior level, was the top defenseman in the CHL in 2001 and played in the Stanley Cup final in 2011. Since the day he left his home in Smithers, B.C. to play junior hockey at age 15, he’s probably spent more time in or around hockey arenas than he has anywhere else. He’s also found the time for his family—he’s the father of three—and his faith. “I grew up in a Christian home, in the Christian Reform Church,” Hamhuis says. “I went off to Prince George to play junior and that was a challenging time for my faith. There was a great pastor in the church in Prince George and he helped me a lot. “It was my first year in the American Hockey League in
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DISCOVERING THE DIVINE DESIRE BENEATH SEXUAL STRUGGLE
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fea tu r es
Smilin’ Hank Burris: Doing All He Can For Everybody Else Quarterback takes brand new Redblacks into the ranks of the CFL
Paul Huggins and Henry Burris have a lot in common and none of it has anything to do with heritage or the actual playing of football. Both men are involved with a Canadian Football League expansion franchise and both are trying to help create something lasting and meaningful out of nothing. Right now, the new Ottawa RedBlacks are quarterback “Smilin’ Hank” Burris’ team. Paul Huggins, meanwhile, is just trying to make sure the players have an opportunity—and a place—to worship. “I have only been with the team for a month, including training camp,” says Huggins, the expansion chaplain, if you will. “During that time I have been a trying to get to know the 85 guys who were at training camp and now the 60 guys who remain with the team. “Through it all, Henry has been faithfully promoting the team, making public appearances, doing what needs to be done. As a result he and I have had very little time to actually get to know each other. I could tell you he has been super friendly, engaging to all, but I must admit, a lack of current depth of relationships is a challenge this early in a pioneering ministry with a brand new team.” It’s the same for everybody. But there is one thing Huggins already knows about the RedBlacks’ 39-year-old quarterback: It’s all about team and making sure everyone is comfortable and happy. Because as great a quarterback as Burris is—and his on-field success and statistics certainly bear that out— he’s also a family man who grew up in a Christian home that believes that “do unto others...” is more than a wise old saying on a plaque in grandma’s kitchen. Let’s get those football numbers out of the way early: Heading into the 2014 campaign, Henry Burris Jr. had played 15 seasons and 226 games in the Canadian Football League. He had 324 touchdown passes, 3,672 completions and 51,529 total yards and was ranked fourth all-time in the CFL. He’s also won two Grey Cup championships and was the MVP of the Grey Cup game in 2008.
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By Scott Taylor
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fea tu r es
Photo by Neal Goggins/Flick
Doing All He Can
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Burris went to Temple University, a school in Philadelphia founded in 1884 by an ordained Baptist minister and operated by The Grace Baptist Church until 1907. He set 20 school passing records at Temple, but went undrafted by the National Football League and signed with the Calgary Stampeders in 1997. He started his professional career on the Stamps practice roster, but by 1999 he had taken over from the injured Jeff Garcia and Dave Dickenson as the team’s starting quarterback. He eventually signed a free-agent deal with Saskatchewan, then played a few games in the NFL in 2002. He returned to the CFL in 2004 and has been a beloved CFL star ever since, playing in Saskatchewan, Calgary, Hamilton and now Ottawa. He and his wife Nicole have also raised two young boys and made almost every part of Canada their home. However, to understand Henry Burris Jr., one must understand that he grew up in what he calls, “a middle-class family.” He was given every opportunity to develop his athletic skills and in high school, he was a four-sport letterman who could have also played college baseball had he chosen to go that route. “A lot of people don’t understand, we worked hard growing up,” he says. “I was a farm boy. I woke up, did whatever we did on the farm, went to school, came back and had to bale hay in 120-degree temperatures, with hornets and wasps flying around. “We weren’t rich. We were a very middle-class family. My parents did everything they could to provide us with opportunities so we could reach our dreams.” Henry Jr. still considers his parents—his father Henry Sr. and mother Caresse—his role models. “I was blessed. I have amazing parents,” he says. “My parents worked their butts off, nine to five every day. My dad (now a social worker) went through a lot. He was a big-time baseball player. He didn’t get an opportunity to play in the pros because of the colour of his skin. He served his country; he was drafted into the war in Vietnam. “My parents did what they could. They still do the same thing the always did back home, helping kids reach their dreams as if they were their own children. They drive kids to games, try to get the kids scholarships, get them financial aid.” Burris grew up in a “church-going home” in tiny Spiro, Oklahoma (pop. 2,164), and has tried to live the way his father taught him—to use his God-given skills to help other people. Rod Alm, director of Athletes in Action’s Campus Division in Saskatchewan, remembers the 2013 Grey Cup breakfast, an event where players shared their stories and gave their personal testimonies. “The highlight of that event was hearing directly from the players,” Alm told the Regina Leader-Post. “To hear from people such as Kent Austin (head coach, Tiger-Cats), Henry Burris (then-quarterback, Tiger-Cats), and John Chick (defensive
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fea tu r es
Doing All He Can
lineman, Roughriders) and to listen to them confess their faith in Christ openly, gives you a rare insight into men who play a difficult and often violent game.” For Burris, however, an event that he always cherished was his annual Calgary Stampeders’ food drive—a fund- and food-raising event that gets average Calgarians involved with those who are underprivileged. With Burris as the spokesman, fans were encouraged to bring non-perishable food items or cash donations to Stamps games and drop them off with the Purolator and Food Bank volunteers. In return, fans had an opportunity to win an autographed Burris jersey. All proceeds from the food drive supported the Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank, which still distributes food to more than 140,000 Calgarians each year. It’s something Burris has already said that he won’t let die. But that’s Henry Burris: The man who is going to try and create something out of nothing in Ottawa. Last year, Burris led a young Hamilton Tiger-Cats team to the Grey Cup game, but with five quarterbacks in town, he knew his days with the Ti-Cats were numbered. After the 2013 season, he had offers from both the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the new franchise in Ottawa and while he had concerns about playing with an expansion team, it was his wife Nicole who made the decision easy for him. “Nicole had remained based in Calgary with our two sons, and she thought she’d like the opportunity to be closer to her family,” Burris says. “She said ‘Ottawa is a lot closer than Winnipeg to Springfield, Massachusetts,’ and so we decided on Ottawa.” So only a few days after the Tiger-Cats released him, Burris signed a three-year deal with the Redblacks and was immediately named the team’s starting quarterback. He also immediately committed himself to doing everything he could to make the RedBlacks a competitive team in its inaugural season. “Wherever I play, I’ve always felt like we should succeed,” the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Burris told the Ottawa Citizen at the time. “As competitors, that’s how we should be wired.”
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Even though he’s 39, the RedBlacks thought enough of Burris to give him a three-year contract. Of course, with his natural ability and his commitment to a tough, off-season workout program, Burris has not lost a step. As he says, “I’ll continue to keep chuckin’ and runnin’ as long as I’m able to escape the defense and my family continues to support what I do.” It would appear he will be able to do that for awhile yet. Burris is under contract until he’s 41, although, in the CFL, nothing is guaranteed. “Nicole and I have had the retirement talk,” he says. “I know when the time will arrive. It’s all based on how my body feels.” For now, as team chaplain Paul Huggins points out, it’s about building something new and wonderful in Ottawa. For the RedBlacks, having a man of faith and a man with faith at the controls of the offense certainly can’t hurt. However, for Henry Burris Jr., there is more to this than just winning football games. “Of course, I want people to remember me as a guy who was successful on the field,” he says. “But I also want them to know that I was a good guy, a giving guy, off the field, as well. That’s even more important.”
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seven – issue thirty-eight september – october, 2014 page 23
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fea tu r es
There in the Struggle, Along for the Journey Winnipeg chaplain Korol provides a prayerful place for city’s pro athletes By Aaron Epp
We forget that they’re human. We sit in the stands, marvelling at their prowess as they run down the field—scoring touchdowns, making tackles, executing plays with an athleticism that, at times, seems beyond human. We look up to them as heroes, and forget that they face all the same things we face: Stress, anxiety, health problems, challenges with their families. Lorne Korol knows this side of professional sports well. For more than a decade, Korol has worked as a chaplain for professional athletes in Winnipeg. He has spent six years working with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers football team, and five years with both the Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose hockey teams. Korol also spent 12 years working with the Winnipeg Goldeyes, a club that plays in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. Leading chapels and Bible studies, building one-on-one relationships with the athletes, discipling Christian players, organizing outreach events, and even conducting weddings and funerals are all part of his work. When a player is struggling, either on the field or off, he knows he can turn to Korol. “They get asked for so many things,” Korol says of the athletes. “I try to provide a safe space for them where they can share things with me.”
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Korol knows the pressures athletes face because he’s been involved with sports his entire life. Growing up, he played hockey, football and baseball. At the age of 19, he decided to focus on baseball and played up to the provincial team level over the next eight years. At 28, he was hired as the technical director for Baseball Canada in Ottawa. He got married the following year, and the year after that, his wife gave birth to a baby girl. Korol grew up the only son of two devout Christians, but as soon as he was old enough to stop going to church, he did. He became what he calls a CEO Christian: Christmas-and-Easter Only. “We grew up Catholic and sadly, it didn’t really catch for me,” Korol says. “I focused my attention far too much on my sports.” Off the field, Korol found himself giving in to the party lifestyle that tempts many athletes. Drinking and promiscuity were prominent, and he continued to indulge in them even after he stopped playing. By the end of 1997, his destructive habits had cost him his marriage. In the fall of 1998, Korol’s good friend invited him to The Meeting Place, a faith community in downtown Winnipeg affiliated with the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. As he walked into the sanctuary, Korol heard the worship band playing a U2 song instead of a hymn; people were sitting on chairs, not pews; and they were wearing jeans and T-shirts, not their “Sunday best.” It was unlike any church Korol had been to before. “I felt like the pastor was speaking directly to me,” he recalls. By that December, he had made the decision to become a Christian. He hasn’t looked back since. “I never really embraced a relationship with Jesus Christ… until I was 35 years old,” says Korol, who is now 51. “I praise God, the God of second chances.”
features
Caption: Korol and Blue Bombers punter Mike Renaud (right) have developed a deep friendship over the past five years. “It’s certainly something we can’t do without,” Renaud says of Korol’s work with the Blue Bombers. Photo credit: Aaron Epp
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fea tu r es
There in the struggle
Those second chances have included a second marriage: Korol describes his wife of six years, Heather, as a beautiful, godly woman, and affectionately refers to her as “my bride.” He has a strong relationship with his “wonderful daughter,” Jessica, a University of Winnipeg student and hockey player who is also a Christian. Korol calls his chaplaincy work his second go-round with sports, having worked most of his life in amateur sport. After connecting with people from Athletes in Action, a ministry that uses sports to carry out the Great Commission, Korol started his first chaplaincy, for the Goldeyes, in 2001. A few years later, he found himself doing the same for the Blue Bombers and eventually the Manitoba Moose (now the Winnipeg Jets). For football, Korol reports to Dave Klassen, the National Pro Ministry Director for Athletes in Action, Canada. For hockey, Korol reports to Laurie Boschman, director at Hockey Ministries International, an organization that combines hockey and Christianity. A typical week with the Bombers looks something like this: Korol begins each day by sending a devotional to the athletes on his e-mail list—some 150 current and former players. The Bombers have a five-day week: They practice the first four days and play a game on the fifth. If they are at home that week, Korol leads a Bible study for interested players on the second day, and a Bible study for the coaches on the fourth day. On game day, he leads a chapel service for the visiting team, and then two-and-a-half hours before the game, he leads a chapel for the Bombers. During Bible studies, the players have a chance to dialogue with one another and go deeper into the text Korol’s chosen. On game day, since they are focused on playing, Korol does all the talking, giving an encouraging message he hopes will make the athletes stronger in their faith. Fifteen minutes before kickoff, he leads a pre-game prayer. Korol likes to remind Christian players that they aren’t playing for the adoration of the crowd, but rather, they are playing for an audience of one: God. Before a game, he gets players to look out at the empty stands and pick a seat where they imagine God will be sitting. After the game, those players look up at the seat they chose beforehand and ask God how they did. “The challenge is to say, okay, dear Lord, may you give them the strength and courage and perspective to play to the best of
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their abilities,” Korol says. “We pray for a spirit of competition, and that they leave it all on the field for God.” During the game, Korol is on the sidelines, encouraging the players. This is one of Korol’s ministry strengths, he says. Players receive a lot of instruction and criticism from coaches, either directly during games and practices or while watching film. Coaches don’t mean to come across as extremely critical, but when the ratio of coaches to players is so low, there is not a lot of time for them to encourage players as much as they would like. “That’s where my role as an encourager becomes valuable in particular when players are struggling,” Korol says. Korol’s encouragement has meant a lot to Mike Renaud, punter for the Bombers. Renaud says that being benched in 2011 was a particularly tough time in his life. Without Korol’s guidance, Renaud says he isn’t sure he would have had the willpower and determination to get through that difficult experience. Korol reminded Renaud that God has a plan for his life. “That was four years ago,” Renaud says. “I’m still here, I’m still a Blue Bomber, and without Lorne, things might have been different.” Renaud describes Korol as a humble, gracious man who is always there for the players. The two have developed a deep friendship over the past five years and check in with each other almost daily. “It’s certainly something we can’t do without,” Renaud says of Korol’s work. “We need to be supported… so that we can play the game of football.” Henoc Muamba, a former Blue Bomber who now plays for the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, agrees with Renaud. He says that chapels, Bible study and one-on-one time with Korol always reminded him of what’s written in Matthew 6:33: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” “To get into the environment where Lorne would lead us in a Bible study and seek God, it was really refreshing and I enjoyed it every single time,” says Muamba, who still keeps in touch with Korol. “The Bible says, ‘Seek first the kingdom of God.’ A lot of times in life, we want to get certain things, we want to get certain accolades and we put God in the backseat. Bible study was always a great reminder… of that verse.”
features
Korol catches up with Blue Bombers defensive tackle Bryant Turner after a practice. “Walking alongside people when they’re hurting, walking alongside them to grow in their faith, help them become better men of God, better husbands, better fathers—that’s kind of my role,” Korol says. Photo credit: Aaron Epp
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fea tu r es
There in the struggle
While the Bible studies and chapels are important, building one-on-one relationships withw the players, coaches, support staff and front office staff—regardless of their beliefs—is an integral part of the job. “Walking alongside people when they’re hurting, walking alongside them to grow in their faith, help them become better men of God, better husbands, better fathers—that’s kind of my role.” Helping players going through difficult times can be challenging, though. “Pro sports is a very cut-throat business. A guy can be there one day and he’s released the next. That’s really hard when you see guys move on,” Korol says. “It’s hard to not get emotionally involved, so it can be draining as well. Yet, it can be fruitful when you can help them.” Korol says that when he is relating to non-Christians, his work is about first downs, not touchdowns: building high-trust relationships and finding out about people. They may ask questions about faith and be at the 10-yard line, and a conversation with Korol might nudge them further to the touchdown goal of faith in Jesus Christ. “It’s really fruitful because what it does is take the pressure off those players. When they see me coming in the dressing room, they know I’m not going to force their hand or convince them of anything in a bait-and-switch conversation.” Seeing the Christian athletes he works with go and do the same is rewarding for Korol, who views sports as a platform to honour and glorify God. Being able to combine sports with faith is the best part of the job. “It really comes down to the relationships, and being able to win the lost and to build into those players that want to grow spiritually, and then ultimately to spiritually multiply them so that they can make disciples of others.” For those in the Winnpeg area wanting to support Korol’s work, attend the Impact, Pro Sports and Faith Night fundraiser September 23 hosted by former Blue Bomber Milt Stegall at the Pinnacle Club at the Investors Group Field. To learn more call (204) 371-5523 or email tfriesen@lakeviewinsurance.com. Lorne Korol is the chaplain for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Winnipeg Jets. A former baseball player, Korol understands the pressures athletes face. Photo credit: Aaron Epp
seven – issue thirty-eight september – october, 2014 page 28
features
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seven – issue thirty-eight september – october, 2014 page 29
Christ First, Game Second Pro coach Tony Dungy sees everything through the lens of Jesus Christ
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By Steven Sukkau
Tony Dungy is one of the most celebrated figures in pro-football history. Starting his National Football League playing career in Pittsburgh, he found success as a defensive back and later on special teams for the Steelers in 1977 and again in their Super Bowl championship season the following year, leading with interceptions on the team. Dungy would go on to play for the San Francisco 49ers and finally end with the New York Giants in 1980. After retiring as a player, Dungy would go on to a historic coaching career, one marked by many firsts: the only coach to defeat all 32 NFL teams, the youngest assistant coach at age 25 and youngest coordinator at 28 in league history. Dungy has seen the highest heights of professional football and the lowest lows, and through it all, his faith has guided him. “I think you can glorify the Lord in every circumstance, how you respond to failure, how you respond to disappointment says a lot more than how you do in successes,” Dungy says, in an interview posted on I am Second (iamsecond.com). Dungy found success despite bucking many coaching trends and popular coaching philosophy. He saw the role of coaches as primarily teachers at their core, and strove to treat players with respect at all times, rather than correcting by belittling or yelling, guiding instead of goading. Dungy also made a point of keeping faith and family above football, and was known for his calm demeanour, even when the game was going badly. “I want to do it the right way, I want to do it so that our young men are people the community is going to be proud of. I want to do it in such a way that we’re doing the right things with our families… I believe it can be done,” Dungy says in his “I am Second” segment. Current head coach of the Buccaneers, Lovie Smith, explains in an interview with Inside Bay Area that working with Dungy taught him that a coach doesn’t have to scream. “I think as you look to young coaches coming up in the ranks, a lot of us have a picture of how a coach is supposed to be, how he is supposed to act...And I think what Tony Dungy showed me is you don’t have to act that way.”
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Coach Dungy
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In an interview with Palm Beach Post, Dungy explains, “I really wanted to show people you can win all kinds of ways. I always coached the way I’ve wanted to be coached. I know Lovie has done the same thing. For guys to have success where it maybe goes against the grain, against the culture.... I know I probably didn’t get a couple of jobs in my career because people could not see my personality or the way I was going to do it.... For your faith to be more important than your job, for your family to be more important than that job.... We all know that’s the way it should be, but we’re afraid to say that sometimes. Lovie’s not afraid to say it and I’m not afraid to say it.” Dungy put out his coaching philosophy in detail in his memoir, Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life, a book that made such an impact on former Miami Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron that he bought 1,000 copies to give away. “It dispelled so many myths about the coaching business— that you had to be a yeller and a screamer to win. You can be your own person, treat people with respect, be very demanding but demanding in a way that doesn’t trample on people. And you don’t have to give up your faith to win in the NFL. It confirmed and re-affirmed an awful lot of the beliefs I held about coaching.” However, Dungy also faced many trials in his career. Despite a winning record with the Buccaneers who were within inches of making the playoffs in 1998, won their first division title in 1999, and made the playoffs in 2000 and 2001, Dungy was fired in 2002 for failing to win a Super Bowl. The following season the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, and even though he was replaced, many credited Dungy with constructing the championship team. “God has taken some unexpected things in my life, over and over, and really I think tried to find out if I was going to stay with him, or if I was ever going to get to the point where I say this is too much, I’m going to go my own way,” Dungy says in his “I am Second” segment. “That to me is one of the hardest things in life… when what you hope for or what you dream about, what you pray for, and it doesn’t come through,” Dungy says. “I had to realize it worked out. It just didn’t work out the way I had planned.” Despite the disappointment, Dungy never gave up. Though the thought of never winning a Super Bowl would be a bitter pill to swallow, Dungy decided he could live with that. He persevered and was later hired by the Indianapolis Colts. In 2007, Dungy would bring his team to the Super Bowl, and on February 4, 2007, the Colts became Super Bowl XLI Champions in a 29-17 win over the Chicago Bears.
Dungy always told his players, “don’t make football everything in your life… how we relate to each other, how we live, what you have in your heart for eternity, how you respond to the Lord, that’s the most important thing. This game will take care of itself.” When they won the Super Bowl, and before the celebrations could really begin, the team insisted, like after every other game, they do a team prayer. The effect of Dungy’s coaching style was evident, the team put the Lord first, even at the Super Bowl. Along with being the first African-American head coach to win the Super Bowl, he was the sixth man to play in a Super Bowl and become a coach of a Super Bowl team. He is also the third person to win Super Bowls as both a player and a head coach. Dungy’s contributions were felt around the league, helping establish greater diversity within the league, and the institution
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seven – issue thirty-eight september – october, 2014 page 33
Coach Dungy
of the “Rooney Rule” created by Dan Rooney, which gives minority coaches greater opportunity to interview for leadership positions. Dungy has also spoken with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Athletes in Action, along with founding the mentoring program for youth, Mentors for Life. He has also supported organizations like the Prison Crusade Ministry and Family First and helped launch the Basket of Hope program at the Riley Hospital for Children, bringing toys and games to hospitalized children. Along with the basket of toys, a Hope
seven – issue thirty-eight september – october, 2014 page 34
Tote is included, which includes a journal, a Bible and Christian music. “Every decision I make in life, I’m going to make it through the lens of Jesus Christ, I’m going to put Him out there first,” Dungy says in his “I am Second” segment. “My own feelings, my own thoughts, my own desires, are going to be second. It’s that simple and if we do that Christ promised that He’d come into our lives, He would be our head coach and He’d guide us to that victory, that ultimate victory.”
sports scene
Sports and the Single Life Athletics can teach us a lot about living out our faith.
By Paul H. Boge
We can learn a lot from watching sports. Consider the FIFA World Cup. One of the world’s most watched sporting events, FIFA’s 32 team soccer (football) tournament features the greatest players of the game. From the wealthy to the poor, all around the world, fans find the tournament gripping, entertaining, heartbreaking, and exhilarating. Sports is a language that communicates to people on all continents at many levels. Something draws all of us to the beautiful game, and so many other sports. So is there something we as singles can learn about our faith as we study what these athletes do on the field? There is much to be admired about the players who are functioning at an unthinkable level of competition: How to handle pressure. How to train. How to compete. How a few minutes of stellar performance is the result of countless hours of behind-the-scenes preparation. How to plan a comeback. Mental toughness. Trust in teammates. Forgiving yourself. Forgetting the past. Pressing on to the goal. The drive to win. Knowing your role on the team and fulfilling it. A lot of what we see on the field can be compared to our spiritual walk with Christ. The Bible has many sports analogies: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood. (Ephesians 6:12) Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:24)
Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules. (2 Timothy 2:5) I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14) Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. (1 Corinthians 9:25) The way in which an athlete comes prepared to win at the world stage is similar to how we as single followers of Christ can prepare in our walk with Him. World Cup teams come focused on their goal of winning the tournament. Because of their status as international players, they can block out (as best they can) all other distractions and focus on their mission. Our single status allows us to be focused on our goal of serving Christ. We don’t have the same God-given responsibilities as those who are married. And regardless of what God has called us to do, we can serve Him no matter what role He has called us to. All athletes train to win, and are just as committed in their goal, yet they can come out with drastically different results. I think of Germany’s Mario Goetze who scored the winning goal for Die Mannschaft to raise the World Cup trophy. He will be remembered his entire life. I also think of those runners in the Olympics who get lapped in long distance
track races, but they keep on doing their best even though they will get no fame and no one will ever mention their name. They do it because they are committed. And for us, it is critical that we run the race that is set before us—letting our eyes look straight ahead to Him. Whether we are in the limelight or out of it, the Lord has called us as singles to draw our worth from Him, and this pursuit of being in His light will enable us carry out whatever tasks He designed for us. World Cup athletes train to be effective on the field. Are we training, abiding in His love moment by moment, so that we can be effective in the field of life? Athletes do their part whether they score the overtime winner or are on the bench ready to move in if their coach calls them. Are we content and passionate about the role God has engineered for us? The next time you catch a game, think about the ways sports compares to the life of a single person striving to serve God. May we be inspired to run in such a way as to win the prize.
Paul H. Boge is the author of Father to the Fatherless: The Charles Mulli Story. He’s an engineer who works in project management. He’s single and lives in Winnipeg. paulb@bogeboge.com
seven – issue thirty-eight september – october, 2014 page 35
p ow er pl a y
Great games. Great toys. Great gadgets. Reviews by Sandy McMurray
FLEXIBLE CHARGE CORD
fusechicken.com Une Bobine is a flexible charging cord for iPhone 5 that holds its shape after you flex. (Bobine is the French word for coil.) Bend it or coil it up to position your iPhone wherever you like while it charges, even 24 inches above your desk. You can use Une Bobine as a simple tripod for your iPhone’s camera or to hold the iPhone steady while you take photos or shoot video. Une Bobine for iPhone 5 sells for $35.
EXTREME TABLE TENNIS
killerspin.com The Throw II Robot from Killerspin is a pitching machine for ping pong. Designed to play like a real person, Throw II can teach table tennis to casual players or train advanced players for intense competition. Load the balls then prepare for fast service. Throw II can launch up to 100 balls per minute with various degrees of topspin and underspin to test your stroke and simulate opponent strokes and serves. The Throw II Robot is designed for use with any one-piece or two-piece standard Table Tennis table. See killerspin.com for details.
POP BOTTLE LAUNCHER
KNOT BAD
rhinolaces.com The firefighters who created Rhino Laces were tired of replacing their boot laces. Leather laces would dry up and break. They tried runners’ laces but they didn’t last. Para-cord seemed strong but eventually broke or burned. The makers of Rhino Laces are so confident their laces will last that they offer this unusual guarantee: “Rhino Laces cannot be burned, cut, sawed, chopped, destroyed or broken, or we will replace them for free.” “The only unbreakable boot laces on the planet” are available now to anyone from rhinolaces.com.
seven – issue thirty-eight september – october, 2014 page 36
theaquapod.com The AquaPod turns ordinary plastic pop bottles into rockets. You take an ordinary two-litre plastic bottle, fill halfway with water, then place in the Aquapod. Pump and release to launch your bottle up to 100 feet in the air. The AquaPod needs no assembly, just an ordinary bicycle pump, a bottle and water. It has a built in valve that releases pressure at 50 psi in order to keep everyone safe and prevent over-pumping. Do I really need to say anything else? You can get one launcher for $35 or four launchers for $105 from Amazon. ca or from the online store at theaquapod. com.
EXTREME WATER SPORTS
flyboardcanada.com Riding a FlyBoard is like riding a fire hose and steering with blasts of water fired from your hands. It’s like being Iron Man and Aquaman at the same time. FlyBoard is an accessory that attaches to a personal watercraft, which provides that water that propels you through water and air like a superhero. Use your feet to tilt the FlyBoard up, down, left, and right, and use your hand blasts to steady yourself as required. Expert riders says it’s a bit like riding a powered wakeboard, but easier and safer. You can find out more about FlyBoards and where to rent or buy hem at flyboardcanada.com.
BOCCE BALL
amazon.ca Italy’s favourite lawn bowling game is relaxing and fun to play. Two players or teams take turns rolling coloured balls towards a smaller white ball. The object of the game is to get your balls closest to the target. Each set begins with one player throwing the white pallino ball (or “jack”) onto the playing area. Players then take turns throwing balls (underhand) to get close to the jack or to knock opponents’ balls farther away. When the round is over, the team with the closest ball gets one point for each of their balls that is closer to the jack than the closest ball of the other team. The game ends when one team reaches a predetermined number of points. Lighter balls are often used for casual backyard play and for children’s bocce sets. Serious or competitive players may prefer to use sets with heavier balls, which provide more control and accuracy. However you play, bocce is lovely way to spend a cool fall evening with family and friends.
CICLOTTE
ciclotte.com A lot of North American homes have at least one piece of exercise equipment in the basement or the garage. Stairmasters, treadmills and stationary bicycles have three things in common: they take up a lot of space, they’re not very nice to look at, and we don’t use them very often. Ciclotte confronts the first two problems with a bold, compact, design that looks great in any room. Made in Italy, Ciclotte abandons the traditional aesthetic of most home fitness equipment in favour of exceptional
modern materials such as carbon, steel, and glass fibre. Upscale special editions add some bling in the form of Swarovski Zirconia or actual gemstones. Ciclotte has “harmoniously synthesized equilibrium and dynamism” to make a luxury exercise bike that will be a conversation piece for years to come, even if you never ride it. The basic model sells for about $11,000.
SUUNTO AMBIT3 WATCHES
suunto.com Suunto makes a full line of outdoor and sports watches for explorers and athletes, with sensors that measure and track your speed, distance, and performance. Wireless features make it easy to upload the results, so you can share and store the details of your workouts and adventures. The Suunto Ambit3 Sport is designed for running, swimming, cycling and multisport training. The GPS provides accurate pace, route navigation and tracking. Built-in sensors can record your heart rate even while swimming. The Ambit3 Sport provides daily activity monitoring for a more complete estimation of your total recovery time. Ambit3 Peak is the deluxe model, for serious adventurers and athletes. It has all the features of the Ambit3 Sport plus route navigation, barometric information, altimeter, 3D compass, longer battery life, and more.
Suunto also offers a free app for iPhone or iPad that gives their smart wearables even more features. Stay up to date by seeing call, text message and push notifications directly on the Ambit3 Peak or Ambit3 Sport. No need to stop your training to see who’s calling. The app also makes it easy to share your location (or your workout results) via social media. Real-time workout information can be embedded in photos or videos you take along the way, so you can have a permanent record of your great marathon or epic hiking adventure.
MEGA HAMMOCK
www.hummingbirdhammocks.com You’ve heard it said that two is company, and three’s a crowd. This is especially true in a hammock. You need room to stretch out and relax. Can you imagine a hammock big enough to hold two or three people comfortably? Hummingbird Hammocks did it. Their yard-filling mega hammock is big enough and strong enough to hold up to 600 pounds, with lots of space to rest and relax. Each mega hammock is hand crafted from Coated Rip Stop Nylon by the designer, an FAA certified parachute rigger. Custom sizes and colours are available. The mega hammock sells for about $400 USD. Sandy McMurray writes about games, toys, and gadgets at funspot.ca
seven – issue thirty-eight september – october, 2014 page 37
out of my depth
Chosen Jesus’ team isn’t made up of all-stars. Instead, He chose me, and you too. By Mark Buchanan
I’ve never been good at team sports, especially if they involve a ball—catching one, kicking one, throwing one, hitting one, dribbling one. Big or small, dimpled or stitched, cored or inflated, if it’s a ball, I’m useless. I grew up topping golf balls, dropping baseballs, fumbling footballs, netting tennis balls. It was like I was a slapstick comedian, paid to bumble, except I couldn’t help it. I dreaded just the thought of playing any game that required even modest skill with a ball. A childhood trauma, repeated over and over, reinforced all this: the infamous schoolyard ritual of choosing teams. I don’t think they do this anymore, but it was standard policy in my day. The teacher chose the two star athletes from the class to be opposing captains, and in turn they chose, in alternating order, their teams from the pool of all available students. This never failed to end in humiliation for me. The only two players left by the end were, invariably, me and the pudgy bookish girl with asthma. It was an even draw which of us got picked last. Then came Lars. That was Grade 5. Lars was a strapping boy of Nordic descent. He was almost six-feet tall even then. He was strong, and agile, and handsome. He abounded in good humour and winsome personality. And he was kind. He was always chosen, by a kind of cosmic acclaim, as one of the captains. And then we milled about, waiting for the roll call. Everyone wanted to play for Lars. Everyone wanted to be chosen by him.
seven – issue thirty-eight september – october, 2014 page 38
Lars became my best friend. And so, out of pure friendship and his deep-down kindness, he would pick me first. And under his tutelage, I even gained enough skill that, though still broadly inept, I wasn’t a complete disaster. I played well for Lars. He chose me, chose me first, and that alone boosted my confidence enough to boost my competence. I’ve thought about that often over the years. I’ve thought about it when, in other contexts—business, ministry, social—I’ve been empowered to “choose the team.” It’s tempting, as it is for most “captains,” to choose the best: the brightest, quickest, funniest, most outgoing or eloquent or creative or educated or sophisticated. Only, this doesn’t seem to be God’s core method of selection. He tended toward a different kind of recruit: the hungriest, the most desperate, the most daring, the most available—an obscure shepherd boy with a sling shot, a hated runty tax-collector out on a limb, a rough-hewn fisherman with salty speech, a woman known for all the wrong reasons. I want you. I choose you. And under His tutelage, they became saints. Thus, David’s gang when he was on the run from Saul: “All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander” (1 Sam. 22:2). Or Paul’s description of the church members in Corinth (and, by implication, every church everywhere): “Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.
Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world …. God chose the weak things of the world ….. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not….” (1 Cor. 1:25-28). Which brings me to the crucial point. God in Christ chose me despite me. And you, too. He chose us before the creation of the world (Eph. 1:4), so that we might be a demonstration of His mercy and goodness and kindness. He did not choose us for our intelligence, or beauty, or wit or charm, or power, or influence. He chose us because, well, He’s our friend, and it’s what friends do. And under His tutelage, we become “holy and blameless” (Eph. 1:4). I wouldn’t care to watch a hockey game or tennis match made up of players picked for no other reason but their neediness. Or maybe I would. Because I’ve been grateful my whole life that Lars chose me when I had nothing to offer and everything to gain. Even more, I’ll be grateful eternally that Jesus chose me when I had nothing to offer and everything to gain. It so overwhelms me, it’s even making me a better player.
Mark Buchanan is an associate professor of pastoral theology at Ambrose Seminary in Calgary, Alberta.
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beasponsor@promisekeepers.ca seven – issue thirty-eight september – october, 2014 page 39
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