Is That All There Is?

¹Matt Williams became a star in, what the world would call, an unusual way. Born (1988) and raised in Weatherford, Texas, he played soccer and football for Weatherford High School. The most memorable moment in his high school football career came when his 49-yard field goal, in overtime, sealed the win over Mineral Wells High School.

Hoping for the opportunity to play in college, he walked on at Tarleton State and made the team. However, he was only on the team for a month, never having played one down.

Fast forward two years as Williams transferred to Texas Tech (Go Red Raiders!). On September 20, 2008, Tech was playing the University of Massachusetts at home. There was a promotional contest during the halftime of that game; the winner was to receive one year of free rent. Coach Mike Leach was impressed by the fundamentals he witnessed as Williams won the contest, making a 30-yard field goal; so impressed that he recruited Williams for the Red Raiders squad.

Williams’ first game for Tech was a 63-21 win over Kansas, where he kicked a perfect 9 out of 9 extra points. Following the game, Williams was recognized as the AT&T ESPN All-America Player of the Week.

The next week, along with the PATs, he kicked 3 field goals against the University of Texas, making 2 and having one blocked.

In 2009 as Tech was playing Baylor University, Williams kicked his career high field goal of 43 yards as they defeated Baylor 20-13.

His career stats include tied for 6^th place on Texas Tech’s all-time kicker’s scoring list and finishing his career with 215 total points.

And then, as the football sports world reports it, everything else is “post-football.” This makes it sound like Matt’s life during football is what is special, reportable, and important.

But what follows is far from that, though reporting is not as valuable as what is special and important.

For almost 10 years now, Williams has been on the coaching staff of Mineral Wells High School. Some may not think this is special or important. But there is nothing more special than one who would give themself away to develop and mature others. And thereby, nothing is more important.

A fan, who became a player, who became a coach helping fans become players…

A “me,” who became a “we,” who became a “they” helping me’s to become we’s….

A consumer, who became a contributor, who became a creator helping consumers become contributors…

A key difference between players and coaches is that coaches create game plans so they can shape their players and team into winners on the field. Most utilize most of the same plays they have run before, or perhaps with a minor adjustment. Sometimes, they insert plays that have not been run in a while, or they create a very unique play to take advantage of a weekness they have discovered in the team they will be playing.

Players, on the other hand, spend double-digit hours every week: studying, memorizing, and practicing the plays that were created for them so that they can perform to the best of their ability to accomplish a goal bigger than themselves. Most have not seen the weaknesses in the other team. Most don’t have the depth of insight that the creator of the plays have. But they do agree with the coach on the purpose. That, as Denzel Washington challenged his players in “Remember the Titans,” is to be perfect every week. Unfortunately, in our culture, too often that is the end goal.

But for the Titans (and followers of the “so that” Jesus)… It is because perfection leads to winning. And winning leads to college, and to a future, and to hope. Accomplishing goals turns contributors into creators.

It is not enough to just show up. You never hear fans cheering things like, “We’re gonna play!”, “We’re gonna show up!”, or “We’re Here!!”

We know that church attendees today have been described as “consumers” and “contributors” (fans and players). The consumers are much like the fans in the stand, glad that the “home team” provides weekly the worship and teaching they have come to expect and/or the ear-tickling they prefer. Occasionally there may be a touchdown or two, as someone gets baptized, and the consumers applaud and cheer along with the contributors.

However, the local church today is hard pressed to put enough players (contributors) on the field that either have enough time, or are willing to prioritize the time, to spend double-digit hours learning a new playbook every week that has been created by someone else. (Often is is not even their “coach”. It is rather, a playbook that is produced by a third party organization that specializes in one-size fits all playbooks that are delivered quarterly.) This demand alone is enough to move contributors back into the stands, assuming again the role of consumer.

Unfortunately, years of this process has led, in part, to the “post-church” life thousands are now choosing to experience.

After all, once you have seen all the plays run repeatedly by all the same players (or at least players that look and act much like the players before them), sitting in the same seats, in the same indoor venue, it seems that singer Peggy Lee got it right. Here are some of the lyrics by songwriter Jerry Lieber: