Although I Am Sure That There Are More Viking ...

Although I am sure that there are more Viking Fans here than Green Bay Packer fans all fans of professional football were amazed by something Brett Favre did a few years ago. Just a day after he learned that his father died he played in a Monday Night Football game. Favre’s athletic performance was outstanding—it was unbelievable. Dr. Stephen Taylor, a clinical psychologist wrote about what he saw. “Besides the human-interest story of Favre is the understanding of the skill sets of an elite athlete. One skill set we know he has is the ability to focus and play through pain; an ability to block all things out and have the focus of a laser beam.” “That level of focus is contagious,” Taylor said of the rousing play of Favre’s teammates. It’s a Michael Jordan effect. One thing he used to do was make others around him better. Brett Favre did that, too.” Hmmm. The “Michael Jordan effect.” In another setting—a non-sports setting—where life and eternity are at stake, we might call it the Jesus effect. He raises our level of service to God. He inspires us to live our life worthy of the Lord. He strengthens us for that task with his power in the Word and Sacrament.

From: Michael Otterstatter’s Sermon: Live Your Life Worthy of the LORD!