What the National Championship Taught Us About the LCMS...

Last night the University of Memphis men's basketball team lost in the National Championship game to Kansas. Several reasons have been given by sports enthusiasts today as to why that happened. But one thing that is pretty well agreed upon is that Memphis failed to make critical free throws down the stretch.

With a 62-60 lead and under 20 seconds left in the game, Chris Douglas-Roberts of Memphis missed two free throws that would have made it a two possession game.

With roughly 10 seconds left, super freshman Derrick Rose missed the first of two free throws that, again, would have made it a two possession game.

Of course with 2.1 seconds left, Kansas' Mario Chalmers nailed a three-point shot that sent the game into overtime, where the Jayhawks summarily dispatched of Memphis, 75-68.

Pundits have chided Memphis all season long for their poor free throw shooting. But Tigers coach John Calipari steadfastly argued that his team those numbers are merely numbers. He pointed to the fact that in this year's Conference USA tournament, the Tigers shot 75% at the line. He said last year in the same tournament, they shot 72%. Even though in the regular season they were abysmal, he claimed his team could make the shots when they counted.

Those numbers are a funny thing. Look at these numbers from last night's game...

Chris Douglas-Roberts went 6 of 9 from the charity stripe. That's 67%. Not horrible.

Derrick Rose was 3 of 4. 75% is a respectable percentage.

But noticed what two of Roberts' misses were...the shots that put the game out of reach. Look at Rose's one miss...the shot that seals the championship.

What's the lesson we learn as Missouri Synod Lutherans from this?

You can make numbers say just about anything.

A constant refrain that I preach to our congregation and also to myself is that the church isn't about numbers. You don't measure the "success" of a church by how many people are there on Sunday...or by how much was in the offering plate. A church is defined by whether or not it faithfully administers the Word and the Sacraments.

I don't know how much money it cost to run "Issues, Etc." I don't care. It proclaimed the Gospel. My heart aches for Todd Wilken and Jeff Schwarz and I'm saddened my favorite radio program is gone. But I'm most upset that the Gospel got silenced and "numbers" are being given as the reason. Numbers can be made to say anything you want them to say. When I preach my sermon on Sunday, there are numbers at work that I can't count. I don't know which hearts are lacking faith...and I can't count which persons need to be put on the "Ablaze!"TM counter. I know that when the Word is preached, Christ is present...the Spirit works...people "encounter" the Gospel. I know that when Christians hear that Word and then in turn confess their faith to others, the Spirit continues to work and people continue to "encounter" the Gospel. Can we really put a "number" on that? How can we even limit the Spirit to 100 million?

Here are some numbers that I would argue are more pertinent. Let's try 1...1...1...1...1...1...1. St. Paul writes, "There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call--one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Eph. 4:4-6, ESV)

When your focus is on 100 million...or 250,000...or any other percentage, total, or goal...isn't your focus being diverted from one Lord Jesus who has brought us into the one faith through his one Spirit?

One is a much easier number to deal with than any other. There aren't many ways to spin "one." And isn't that a comforting thought? Our one Lord never changes. The one faith remains the one way to the Father's loving presence. The one baptism joins us all to Christ.

That number tells us everything.