Bill Chadwick's new book

Recently my friend, Bill Chadwick authored a new book, “Still Laughing, Still Learning (Still looking for a good title). It’s a book of stories.  I’ve known Bill for at least a decade and participated in a monthly group of pastors for almost that long.  If I’m having a hard problem at the church I serve, I’ll sometimes ask Bill for advice.  And frequently he’ll share a story. And most of the time the stories are really helpful—like the ones in his book.

Frequently I would find myself laughing out loud when reading his stories.  Not laughing once or twice—but laughing out loud at almost every story.  The percentage of my laughter to stories beat the batting average of the Minnesota Twins--and I loved that he included the Twins in some of his stories.  I laughed when I read the story of the advice his father gave him when his dad was sent by his mother to talk to Bill when Bill got his first C on his report card.  Or what a little girl shared when someone told her that she couldn’t draw God because no one know what God looks like. Or what his wife said when she shared about what initially attracted her to Bill.  And by the way my legs look better than his—and it wasn’t his legs that got her attention.

But more than the humor, I encountered Bill’s compassion for people in his stories.  He shared that the favorite part of being a chaplain was visiting people in memory care.  Visiting people in memory care wasn’t something he did so that he could get to more interesting parts of his job.  He was truly interested in loving people in memory care.   His stories illustrated the difference between compassion and pity.  He didn’t look at folks struggling with memory as people who lived in a sorry situation.  Instead he wanted to spend time with them.  I could so clearly see through Bill’s words how people in memory care are children of God.  I received a glimpse of heaven when I read his stories of singing a hymn with people in memory care, or sharing a Scripture, or waiting for someone to die.     

I just spent the week immersed in Judaism as I shared a sermon yesterday on the basics of Judaism.  So when I read some of his stories again, I couldn’t help but compare them to a rabbi sharing wisdom with other rabbis about how the Torah applied to situations in life.  Our Jewish friends would call this, Haggada. The on-line version of Encyclopedia Britannica described Haggada as “ethical teachings in the form of homilies, maxims, parables, similes, fables, riddles, and witticisms.”  When I read his stories on divorce and parenting, marrying for a second time, and unconditional love I think the rabbis would gladly invite Bill to participate in their conversations.  And maybe they would include his stories in the Talmud.

Bill is humble enough to receive such praise, and he’s lived long enough in Minnesota to know the sin of pride.  And sure, it’s fun to give praise to a friend, but even if I didn’t know Bill I’d encourage people to read his book.  It isn't a stretch--as the Publishers did on the back cover--to share that Bill wrote in the tradition of Robert Fulghum and Anne Lamott.  As Kevin Kling wrote in the foreword, “Through [Bill’s] encounters with parishioners, members, and total strangers, we discover that vulnerability leads to compassion and kindness, a place of grace.  [Bill] understands that grace can be less a touch with the divine and more a recognition of the divine in the everyday, in finding the solace in the mystery when it seems there is no lamp to follow” Page x

When Bill first published his book, I read through it quickly.  It was just another book to consume among the pile of books on my desk.  But when I read it through a second time, I realized that this is a book to savor.  Like drinking hot chocolate on a cold winter night—rich and sweet—too much can be overwhelming.  I would suggest reading these stories like the lectionary.  One a day.  And then let your mind explore the wisdom underneath his words.   

Bill is doing most of the publicity for his book. So if you’re intrigued to purchase one, send him an email to billchad52@gmail.com.  Or come this Wednesday, January 22 to Chain of Lakes at 7pm to listen to him read a few. It’s worth the effort in the middle of January. And who knows—maybe he’ll tell us a story about January.

The joy of a Vikings fan

I’ve written two blogs after crushing Vikings playoff defeats called, “The Pain of a Vikings fan.” (https://chainlink-chainoflakesncd.blogspot.com/2016/01/vikings-once-again-snatching-defeat.html) (https://chainlink-chainoflakesncd.blogspot.com/2010/01/pain-of-vikings-fan.html) The pain was so evident that someone asked me if I needed counseling. So, it only seems fair to write a blog called, “The Joy of a Vikings fan,” after that thrilling Vikings victory yesterday.

As I’ve written, my relationship with the Vikings goes way back.  The first time I ever cried was the loss to Kansas City in the fourth Super Bowl. Yes I remember all of those Jan Stenerud field goals. And then there was Miami, and pushoff by Drew Pearson, and Pittsburgh, and Oakland (the one I thought we would win), and the dropped pass by Darrin Nelson, and Gary Anderson, and the Favre pick, and wide left by Blair Walsh. I could tell a story about every one of those events.

But today the story is of joy—intense happiness.  Did I think the Vikings would win yesterday? No. Did my pessimism stop me from rooting? No. (Don’t tell anyone, but I wore my Vikings socks when I led worship. Is it heretical to do that?)  Did I give a fist bump or appropriate hand gesture to the Vikings fans at Chain of Lakes who wore purple to worship yesterday? Of course.

To be honest I didn’t want to give my heart to the Vikings. I didn’t want to be yelling at the television and feel my pulse race faster than if I was running on a treadmill.  I’ve done that before.  I know how that has ended—with me writing blogs entitled, “The pain of a Vikings fan.”  Why do it again?

But my pessimism didn’t stop me from watching the game.

I got home at the end of the first quarter.  3-3.  Thank goodness I missed the Thielen fumble. I was putting on my purple “fans” uniform when the Saints scored their first touchdown. And by the way who is Taysom Hill? That guy almost single handedly won the game for the Saints. Caught a touchdown, practically threw a touchdown, and led the Saints in rushing? The Vikings could hardly tackle him in the fourth quarter.

But scoring towards the end of the first half and then Will Luz missed a field goal? Hmm.  "You're telling me there is a chance."  By the second half I was in full fan mode—standing up to watch the game, yelling at the television, (yes, pastors do yell when we root), and most significantly waiting for disaster to happen.

Part of being a Vikings fan is knowing that disaster can happen at any time. In particular, unforeseen disaster can happen at any time. 

So when the Vikings were ahead by ten going into the fourth quarter and the announcer says this was the same score as the “Minneapolis Miracle” game? Vikings fans take that as a foreboding signal and not a positive one.  At that point we don’t remember that the Vikings won that game. We only remember that the Saints came back to take the lead.

With a 20-17 lead and the Saints at the Vikings’ 20 with about four minutes to go, what is a Vikings fan expecting? Disaster.  We didn’t expect a Brees’ fumble.  When the Vikings had the ball at the end of regulation and needed one first down, what are we expecting?  Exactly what happened. Dalvin Cook fumbled and the Saints ran it back for a touchdown.  Except Cook’s knee was down and the play was overturned.  When the Saints had the ball at the end of the game, what are we expecting?  A Saints touchdown, of course.  I had to calm myself by saying that most likely the Saints would get a field goal.  (At the beginning of that drive I told myself that there was a 65 percent chance they would get a field goal; 30 percent chance a touchdown; only five percent chance they would not score.)

At this point of the game the pressure seemed too much. I made a Facebook post sharing that I needed a Vikings support group.  Over eighty people agreed with me.  When is the first meeting?

But then the tides seemed to turn. The Vikings won the toss—something we didn’t do in the 2009 championship game.  Cousins made a third down completion to Diggs.  Then the dagger—the long pass to Thielen.  I was jumping up and down like I had won the lottery. That was a tremendous throw and catch.  At that point I knew we were going to win.  But then the Vikings did what they frequently do—created doubt. First down—no gain; second down—sweep that lost yardage. (And by the way who runs a sweep on the goal line? I still remember Bob Sullivan—look him up—saying to never run a sweep on the goal line.) All of a sudden I saw the Thielen catch in the paradigm of Vikings fandom—raise our hopes only to be crushed.

And then—Cousins pass to Rudolph in the back corner of the end zone.  Touchdown!!  Mayhem in my home and the homes all across Minnesota.  I didn’t even pay attention to the possibility that he pushed off.  And maybe he did.  I’m too biased to share an opinion.

The rest of the afternoon was full of joy.  My daughter, Hannah, and I did the Skol chant that, of course, we put on Social Media.  I listened to almost the entire call-in radio show on two sports stations.  I spent much of a hour having text conversations with other Vikings fans. 

Does it make any difference in the grand scheme of life that the Vikings won yesterday?  No.  If I could choose between homelessness being ended and the Vikings winning the Super Bowl, I'd choose the former in a heart beat.  But—I know a lot of people who wore purple yesterday will have a skip in their step today. (And I’m wearing my Vikings socks again.)  Long ago I stopped trying to figure out why being a fan is so important.  All I know is I’m completely on the band wagon again. Do I think we’ll beat San Francisco? No. But I’ll be watching, and I’ll be rooting, and I’ll be hoping.

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