SCENARIO
In a recent juniors tennis match in Texas a fine young man lost the point and immediately dropped his racket, raised his hands in the air, and said, "The Lord Jesus Christ is my personal Saviour."
WHAT ARE WE TO THINK?
We are presented with numerous options, but here are a few:
1. That he actually does love Jesus and hopes that He lends a helping hand in his match.
2. That Jesus actually does care about what goes on in a tennis match.
3. That we hope the USTA diversity forces aren't there. If they were, they would want him coded for being insensitive to other religions.
HOW WOULD YOU RULE?
Again you are faced with numerous schools of thought, but here are but a few choices you might consider:
1. Praise Jesus with him and be thankful that God got through to at least one junior tennis player.
2. Run to the center of the court and lead the spectators in a verse of Amazing Grace.
3. Move to the center of the court and immediately take an offering.
Personally, I lean toward option #3.
How would you rule????
12 comments:
Turn around and act like I didn't see it. Isn't that the approach taught in Texas?
I am not sure if the senario is completely tongue in cheek, but I have ceased to be amazed by the way tennis players vent frustration. I am curious about the general consensus of what other officials do when a player simply shouts out the name of Christ or God in apparent anger. Friends at Court states that joining the name of the deity with a curse word should be coded, but does not expressly address something less-- ie just the name of the deity. In your senario, I would do nothing because the words uttered alongside the name of Christ are, if said sincerely, words of praise. But what would you do if the player only yelled out "Christ" or "Jesus" in apparent anger?
The word I have always received from on high (and that is the USTA and not Heaven) is that if Jesus has a last name, then code it. If not, leave it alone.
Personally it offends me, so I tell them not to do it. If they persist, then they get a code.
Not sure how New York would react but Jesus and I are happier that way.
If Jesus Christ is given a middle name, then I code it.
I've never heard that we were supposed to code it if Jesus is given a last name. (Annual Schools?) Jesus Christ by itself makes me uncomfortable, but I am sure that very few officials issue a code. I'm not going to stir up the inconsistency issue by being in the minority on this one.
Now, let's make sure we all understand that none of this applies if you work in Abilene. Abilene has their own set of rules on this one. Good luck USTA and the Texas Section in changing their way of thinking.
I would tell them to think of the musical and yell out Jesus Christ Superstar.
A couple of years back on a glorious, Easter Sunday morning I chaired an ITA match at an upstanding Christian university in Ft Worth, TX. During the match one of the players dropped an F-bomb loud enought to be heard a few courts down. After being coded the same player responded with an almost as loud, "Jesus Christ" that expressed (to my ear) his exasperation and disgust with his understanding of the state of his world, at the time. I responded with a Second Code and a Game Penalty. WWYHD? (What would you have done?)
As an ordained minister, I can see you going for option 3 (where two or more are gathered, take an offerning), but personally, I would have smiled and let play continue.
Nancy King
A few years ago at TCU I had a boy scream, "Holy Mother of God" when he lost a point. I went over and lovingly told him I would prefer not to hear that again.
He sincerely apologized to me but I told him that I wasn't the one he needed to apologize to... He then looked up toward Heaven and said, "Him?" I replied, "yes".
I never had another problem with him the rest of the tournament...
I like the use of a "caution" that use of his name, whether first last or middle (and technically, would'nt his last name be "son of Joseph"), offends me, to be followed by a code, although I honestly worry about the whole splinter in your eye, board in my eye thing. I can't even guess how many times I've used his name in vain with a misdirected hammer blow, or a missed freeway exit. I hope that the USTA is not setting us up to be like the Pharisees in the temple. I have always suspected that there is tenth ring in hell for hypocrites.
I need to preach a sermon this Sunday on "The Ten Rings in Hell" so please send me the first nine... That's truly a concept I have never heard before.
It was a reference to Dante's Inferno wherein Dante gets a tour of hell and finds sinners in the first ring waiting to be placed (limbo); the lustful in the second ring; gluttons in the 3rd ring; the greedy in the 4th, the wrathful in the 5th; the heretics in the 6th; the violent in the 7th and the treasoness and defrauders devided between the 8th and 9th, depending on their level of intent.
Hey, if Dante can make all this stuff up, I can add another level for hypocracy. Maybe we can add an 11th ring for the polictically correct.
Thanks! Now I don't have to prepare a sermon for Sunday.
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