From 1985 - 1987, I worked in the New Jersey office of the United States Tennis Association, the not-for-profit body that puts on the U.S. Open tournament, currently underway in Flushing, NY.

My title was the Coordinator of Recreational Tennis, which meant that I was supposed to help grow the game by getting more programs going in public parks throughout the country.

So what are the highlights from that job and how has it impacted my time as a pastor?

5.  Learning how to use Pendaflex folder systems.  Huh?  Well, in college they don't teach you much about filing documents, organizing workdays, and managing events.  I had to learn all that on the job at the USTA.  It all sounds simple, but I'd be a wreck without those skills.

4.  Going to the International Tennis Hall Of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.  The USTA hosted the 1986 meeting of the International Tennis Federation at the Hall of Fame in Newport, and I got to tag along as a gofer.  While there, I got to see the grass courts up close and personal, tour the Newport mansions, and watch Bill Scanlon, whom I'd known from childhood in Dallas, win the pro tournament being played at the same time.

3.  Playing an exhibition at Louis Armstrong Stadium.  On the day before the 1986 Open started, the USTA hosted an exhibition on Stadium court and invited some staffers to join in.  Full of anxiety, I took part.  My main goal was not to make a fool of myself.  At the time, Armstrong was the largest tennis stadium in the world, though it has been surpassed by the mammoth Arthur Ashe Stadium now next door.  Speaking of which . . .

2.  Meeting Arthur Ashe.  Ashe served on a couple of USTA committees, so I was able to meet him at what we called our "Semi-Annual Meeting" in 1985.  What's more -- I met him at the same meeting the next year and without missing a beat he said, "Hi Talbot."  All the places he travelled and all the people he met and he remembered my name a year later?  He would have made a great pastor, huh?


1.  Helping tennis become an official sport in the Special Olympics.  The USTA gave me the privilege and the task of writing a guidebook on how to teach tennis to Special Olympians and then work with Special Olympics International to make tennis an official sport in their 1987 games in South Bend, Indiana.  Completing that guidebook and then helping with the first international competition was my final assignment with the USTA before entering Asbury Seminary in the fall of '87.


 

It was an interesting weekend in my house.

First, my wife Julie had been given two tickets to the Ryder Cup in Chicago, and so took her father Ted Munoz with her. They spent Saturday following Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker, and others around the 18 holes of Medinah.

If you know Julie at all, you know she lacks neither self-esteem nor professional confidence. The assurance she brings to life stems in large part from Ted's influence, as he spoke affirmation and life into her from the youngest of ages.  And it continues to day.

While Julie was in Chicago, I went down to Atlanta to celebrate Chipper Jones Night with my daughter Taylor.  Why would we celebrate Chipper's big night?  Because Taylor has been a fan since she was eight and in fact was able to wear the Chipper Jersey we bought her for her tenth birthday to the game on Friday (she's now 23!).

While the game itself was forgettable, the ceremony honoring Chipper was not.  I am not a baseball fan, hardly share Taylor's enthusiasm for Mr. Jones, and don't even care that much about the Braves . . . but I found my throat tightening and my eyes watering throughout. 

The best moment involved Henry Aaron, the other "greatest Brave ever."  The announcer introduced Aaron as "the REAL Home Run Leader in Baseball history."  Take that, Barry Bonds and your miraculously enlarged head.

The combination of that moment, Jones' career highlights, and the presence of long-time manager Bobby Cox made me realize, "there's no other place I'd rather be than right here, right now."

Something about dads and daughters will do that to you.

I'm getting ready to step into the middle of it this Sunday.

A stand-alone sermon that I pray deals honestly, delicately, and forthrightly with the prickly subject of Church and State.  And Christian and Government.  And GSUMC and the DNC.

Why would I do such a thing?

Because the greater Charlotte area will be in the epicenter of the political world in the coming week.

Because a lot of voices claim to have the inside track on God's will for this nation and this election.

Because churches often say either too much or too little when it comes to the political world.

If you're expecting something as simple as a presidential endorsement, you'll be disappointed.

If you want a look at some of the surprising New Testament voices and New Testament history on the matter, well, bring your bible Sunday.

At 8:30.  Or 10:00.  Or 11:30.