May! May? May?! How is it already May? I feel like we skipped something. This year is going by too quickly. Soccer has been going for me again and it has been a ton of fun! The kids are learning well and playing better each game I think. One problem they have though is looking forward. They get the ball and they focus on it. They are dribbling around with the thing focused on it and not looking forward. Looking forward is not always as intuitive as we think it should be. The kids have their focus on what they want to have their focus on, the ball, and keep their eyes on it to the exclusion of the broader game. They have their piece and want to keep it for as long as possible.

This sense of control, focusing on their one piece and not thinking about the bigger game is not a very helpful thing though. We need them to have their piece but be aware of what is going on around them, too. During practice we are trying to help them learn that they can trust that the ball is going to be where they left it the last time they saw it, so they can look around every once in a while to see where they are going and what other people are up to on the field as well. Are we focusing on our piece to the point that we aren’t engaged with the bigger thing that is going around us?

            In the coming months we will be looking at the book of Acts in a sermon series called “Acting Out.” Our purpose is to learn from the early church about how they engaged with the cultures they lived in and how we can do the same. If you are interested in getting a head start on what we are going to be studying as a church read the book of Acts!