Because We Believe We Will Achieve

Earlier this week, Glenn Robinson, the Franklin and Marshall College basketball coach won his 800th game. He is only the 13th coach in the history of college basketball to have his teams win that many games. Two seasons ago he had already become the coach with the most wins in NCAA division III basketball. In short, this is a spectacular accomplishment that took 40 years to achieve.

I had the good fortune to play for Coach Robinson during a 4 year stretch from 1976 through 1980. I remember many things about that experience and use the lessons I learned from basketball in my daily life. Coach Robinson taught us to work as a team, to play with intensity and to maintain poise. These attributes are not always easy to apply in life but they deliver great rewards if we use them.

Our teams were highly successful, we won many more games than we lost, and one year we went to the NCAA Division III final Four.

As I think about our church, it occurs to me that the more we can work as a team, the more effective we will be in accomplishing the objectives we have for ourselves and that God has for us. For this reason, this year when the Vestry meets on March 5th for its retreat, I am asking that we take a good look at our priorities, focus on those things that are most important, then pull together as a team, work intensely and with poise to accomplish goals this year.

Like our basketball teams, Our church will be most effective if each member makes a contribution. When we set our objectives, I hope each of us will join a committee or participate in a mission. Plan your life so that you can give some of your time and talent to the success of the church and you'll be amazed at what we will accomplish.

If someone told me back in 1976 that in 2011 Franklin and Marshall's basketball program would have achieved 800 wins, I would not have been surprised. I believed then that we were doing things in such a manner that we would win lots of games. I feel the same way about our church. We have wonderful people, great facilities, a talented and blessed leader in Rev. Cassandra and most importantly, we have faith in the Lord our God who will give us the power to move mountains because we believe.