I know you are thinking that I lost my mind -- how can you get spiritual lessons from golf school? I know this is a justification for missing church yesterday? Take it easy you legalistic readers. I spent some time reflecting this morning about this whole experience. I told someone that these three days was the best conference experience I have ever had -- including Bible and pastoral conferences. the reason is because there was visible, evidenced changed in me by the end of the three days. It is not too often that you can say that. So i was thinking - what other applied lessons can i see in the Pelz school that relate to my faith, the church, spirituality and disciplemaking. well here you go....
1. The instructors taught with authority. From day one they told us that golf is not about "how it feels" or "that you can try different ways" or "that every person has their own feel for the shot" -- non sense! They said this is the way you do it -- do it! i like that -- I think we sometimes approach Christianity that first way... let's just try different things till it works, or everyone has their own way of living out Christ or every person is different there fore there is no standard! in the book of Judges they had that problem - moral relativism..."everyone did what was right in their own eyes" - you see what happens to them!
2. Practice is the only way to perfect -- and no one is perfect! The fact is no one is always perfect in golf...Praise the Lord! That was encouraging. BUT to move towards perfection, you must practice. Practice is what Christians don't like to do. They what immediate results - perfection! But if we will be disciplined, diligent and keep doing the same thing over and over -- in the game -- when it counts -- we will do the right thing!
3. You must start with evaluation and end with evaluation to determine improvement. That was a tremendous aspect of the school -- they video taped us immediately and evaluated how BAD our swing was and what we needed to improve. Lets face it friends -- the video did not lie. But then at the end of three days, they video taped us again...you know what I saw -- improvement. Know look we don't have video tape of every day. But we can start our day evaluating ourselves and then reflect at the end of a day. Better sit down each week with a friend and discuss where you are at and then a week later, review what you discussed last week and see how you improved. I have been teaching a men's class this year and EVERY lass we start with a test or quiz...it gives us all in a fun way a way to evaluate am I learning!
4. Club Pros are hireling -- we need teachers who are determined to see you improve. I heard a funny story by one of the instructors this week. When I was a club pro and someone would come to him and say that they needed to putt better, he knew that he had to have her see a better putt in 30 minutes. Now the fact is putting takes months and years of practice to improve. But he knew if she did not improve, she would not come back for n hour lesson and she would tell all her golfing buddy or lunch dates how wonderful he was....thus increasing his revenue! The fact is as John 10 tells us -- he was a hireling - ut to make money! He did care for the "sheep" -- he wanted to shear them! However when you are with golf instructors who yes get paid, but are their for you to improve and learn and they will be evaluated by your progress -- then you are being cared for by a shepherd/teacher. I think we have too many hirelings caring for the flock and not enough shepherds and the best way to figure it out -- see if the sheep are progressing in their walk with Christ! Listen I have seven more....I will get to them tomorrow. Right now its off to the golf (store) -- after hitting 1,000 balls in three days - I am ready for physical therapy!