29 Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. ³⁰ While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, ³¹ because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."

A few weeks ago Jen was down at the hospital for Austin’s regular infusion when a representative from the company who makes the drug that Austin uses stopped in to see her and meet Austin. As far as I know this was the first such stop-in during the year and half that Austin has been receiving his treatments so it’s not like this is a normal occurrence and it’s not as if this is someone whom Jen has ever talked with, let alone met.

The initial part of the conversation was very benign with the drug rep asking how Austin was responding to the drug and how well the hospital had done in providing services to administer the drug.

Then, as Jen tells the story, the drug rep mentions the fact that his six year-old son was born on December 25^th and how that had been such, "a blessing" for his family. Jen heard that word and her religious radar goes off because while the word ‘blessing’ it not exclusive to the ecclesiastical community, the way that he used it seemed to have a faith element. A few questions later, as only my wife can do, and she knows that this previously unknown drug rep, is a member of the Christian Reformed Church down in northern New Jersey, that he and his men’s group had recently attended a men’s conference quite similar to the one that several of our folks attended a few weeks back up in Albany, as well as the names of his wife, their children, the family dog and the social security number of every single one of them (well, everyone except the dog). This guy didn’t know that Jen was the spouse of a minister. He didn’t know it. But because of his willingness to use language that spoke of something deeper than what was actually being talked about, and Jen’s willingness to explore what that language actually entailed, all of a sudden what should have been a 10 minute ‘I’d like to introduce myself’ meeting turned into a 45 minute conversation about faith, even in the midst of doubt.

This drug rep wasn’t looking to shove his beliefs down anyone’s throat. But in the same breath he was willing to open the door and say, "I do believe in something and Someone greater than myself" and in that, the light of God was able to shine. This drug rep was absolutely in the world, but he was not of the world. Take a second and think about what the world might look like if people who professed that they believed in God, were willing to open the door to speaking about their faith? Think about how different the world would look if we did that on a consistent basis.

Paul did this by simply walking around the city of Athens. He walked around and what he saw were a people who were searching for the answers to life. He’s looking around and everywhere he looks he is able to see temples to this and that god. So right off the bat, he knows that the people he is talking to have a religious background and heritage.

However, he does more then just the cursory look around, he actually goes into these temples, these creations of the world, and he finds and inscription on an alter. The inscription reads, "to an unknown God". That’s is all the in that Paul needs to begin to allow his faith to be articulated.

Now admittedly, Paul, being an apostle, articulates his faith in such a way that most of us go, "yeah, that’s not me." No one is asking you to be Paul, or Peter, or for that matter Jesus. All you have to be is yourself, and use the connections and interests that you have in order for the light of God to begin to shine in people’s lives, perhaps for the first time. Just because you are not of the world does not mean that you should not be in the world to allow the light and truth of God to shine

As all of you know, I’m a sports nut, so one of the things that I have watched come into vogue is sports players talking about God (especially with their large diamond encrusted crucifixes shining brightly into the camera) but not showing it in their actions as they trash talk their opponents on and off the field as well as live lives that are more akin to the world of music videos then to the world of the Word of God. That’s how much of the sports world references God: as a fashion statement.

However, and thankfully so, there have been several examples in the sporting world of people whose faith is real and genuine. Tony Dungy is one of the most prominent. For those of you who don’t know Tony Dungy let me give you a little of his resume: he played football in the NFL in the late 70’s, actually winning a Super Bowl title in 1978 with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His playing days were over by 1980. A year later he was back in the NFL as an assistant coach and over the next 15 built a resume that led him to be selected as the head coach for Tampa Bay in 1996 and Indianapolis in 2002. He won a Super Bowl with Indy just last year.

Now as you think of football players, and coaches for that matter, one of the images that is most often thought of are people who are as loud and aggressive verbally as they are physically. However, if that’s what you’re looking for in Dungy then you won’t be able to find him. Dungy stresses that coaches are essentially teachers who put faith and family ahead of football and do not belittle their players or scream at them. Let me say that again, Dungy stresses that coaches are essentially teachers who put faith and family ahead of football and do not belittle their players or scream at them. Yes, you heard that right, faith and family ahead of football. What he has done is taken his coaching influences and blended it with faith.

This past summer Dungy released a book entitled Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life. It reached number 1 on the New York Times best seller list …twice. It also had a corresponding men’s bible study to go along with it. A former head coach in the NFL said this about the book, "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." Tony Dungy is a winner in the world of football. However, he is grounded in his faith in God and it is upon that faith that he stands as a man, a husband, a father, and a coach. He is not of this world, but he is in it and he is willing to allow this world to know of the world to which he belongs.

Football is not necessarily a place where you would expect faith to be able to exist, let alone succeed. Neither is the world of being a rockstar. A few years back I was at a rock concert up at Northern Lights in Clifton Park. One of the opening bands was a group called Flyleaf, whose lead singer happens to be this diminutive young woman in her 20ies. The band was getting airplay on the local rock station so the kids in the high school, like my daughter, knew who they were. Outside looking in, there were a rock band from Texas who was trying to make it big. They toured with everyone who was anyone in the modern metal scene. Did I think they were any good? No, not really. The singer’s voice was just too winy for me.

Fast forward a year later, so early 2007, and the people who had been reading Flyleaf’s lyrics began to ask them where they cam up with their ideas. So all five members of the group obliged and started to talk about the inspiration for their songs: it was their faith. The lead singer put it this way, "If you're a Christian, it affects everything in your life." "We're a band, it's part of who we are, so it comes out in our music, and it's the fuel for what we do. And finding faith saved my life. So I'm not ashamed of it at all. And most of our album reflects that." Faith was the fuel for the music that was created through them.

All of a sudden I had a much greater appreciation for this group. I still don’t like the way the lead singer sings but here is a group of young people, all in their 20’s who are willing to say to the world of rock, "I believe in Jesus Christ and I can throw down on stage as hard as you can." I mean it’s real easy to say you believe when other believers surround you. They’re going out on tour and playing in front of thousands of people don’t believe and professing through their music, and now their words, that they do. Their music opens the door for God to come into a whole lot of people’s lives. You may not believe it but when you hear a kid singing to themselves, "Take my hand, I give it to you. Now you owe me, all I am. You said you would never leave me. I believe you, I believe. I can feel you all around me", maybe you’ll think a little different about the sort of difference a person of faith willing to stand up and declare their faith openly. Flyleaf is not of this world, but they are in it and they are willing to allow this world to know of the world to which they belong. In doing so they have allowed the light and love of God to shine.

So what is your occupation? How do you make a living? With whom do you interact? Because here’s the thing: regardless of what you do, how you make a living, or whom you interact with, you can open the door to allowing God to become part of the conversation. As Christians we are not of this world: we belong to God. But we have the opportunity to be are in the world. I call it an opportunity because of how God will be able to speak through you if you give Him the chance. An apostle, a drug rep, a football coach, and a rock band all opening the door to allow God to come in. I think its time for the secretaries, the teachers, the construction workers, the realtors, the farmers, the nurses, the retirees and everyone else who professes their faith to do the same thing. Yes you can and yes you should open the door to allowing the presence of God to come in and be part of the conversation. Be a person of faith: let God in.

Holy and gracious God, You have called us to be a people of faith. Help us to be so faith filled that we are willing to open the door so that You might be able to come in and through to meet all those whom we know. Lord, let it be so. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.