Heads or Tails?

          It was December 23, 1962 and my dad and I had just watched the Dallas Texans and Houston Oilers come to a 17-17 stalemate at the end of four quarters of the AFC championship game. Houston had been down 17-0 at the half and came back with 10 fourth quarter points to tie. There was a very strong wind in Jeppesen Stadium making it difficult to kick and pass. In the overtime, Texans Coach Stram told Abner Haynes if they won the toss to choose to defend the goal facing the clock. The Texans won the toss and Haynes said, “We’ll kick to the clock.” By rule once he said “we’ll kick” the other team got to choose the goal to defend. As a result the Texans had to kickoff into a strong wind. Fortunately for Haynes the first overtime ended 0-0 and the Texans won in the second overtime 3-0.

          In the early morning hours of February 3, 1959 in Clear Lake, Iowa Buddy Holly prepared to take off to the next town on his tour. The “Big Bopper”, J.P. Richardson had the flu and convinced Wayon Jennings to give up his seat on the plane. The other seat was to go to either 17 year old Ritchie Valens or guitarist, Tommy Allsup. Ritchie Valens won the toss. The first he had ever won he is quoted as saying. Shortly after takeoff at 12:55 a.m. the plane crashed killing the pilot and all three Rock ‘n’ Roll stars.

          In 1969 Penny Chenery and Ogden Phipps both wanted a colt that was sired by the prominent racehorse, Gold Ruler. Two mares had been sent to breed, Hasty Matelda and Somethingroyal. Phipps and stable owner “Bull” Hancock set up the agreement that there would be a coin toss between Phipps and Chenery and the winner would get the pick of the foal in 1969 and the loser the first in 1970.  Phipps won the toss and selected the filly from Hasty Matelda. The following year Hasty Matelda was replaced with Cicada who did not conceive so Chenery would have to wait for her colt to be born from Somethingroyal. When it was born the stable secretary had submitted five names for the horse that the Jockey Club turned down. They finally accepted a name Elizabeth Ham came up with for Penny Chenery’s new colt. They named him Secretariat.

          Because of a coin toss, Portland, Oregon is Portland and not Boston. The two owners of the land from the east wanted to name it after their hometowns, Portland, Maine and Boston Massachusetts. Because of a coin toss Orville Wright was the first to make a manned flight. Wilber won the toss but crashed the plane so the next try was the successful one by Orville.

          Decisions by chance can be good ones when they work out well, but at the same time can end up in disappointment or disaster just as easily. It’s always risky to make decisions based on nothing but luck and chance.

          Good decision making is made when people are prepared properly. It takes studying an issue, looking at it from all sides and carefully weighing the pros and cons to make a well informed decision. In the church it not only takes these, but it takes study of God’s Word and especially a time of prayer for wisdom and understanding.

          A lot of decisions have been made in churches that have been hasty and done without thinking it through. Church plants have failed. People have been ill prepared. Churches have gotten into financial and legal troubles many times by its leaders meaning well but not seeking the wisdom that God can give. We often say we are going to have a time of prayer, but I wonder how many people take the opportunity to pray every day. How many sit down and spend time in study and honestly seek God’s advice?

          Decisions made by church leaders and members are some of the most important decisions we will ever make. They deal with things beyond the earthly things we decide every day. They deal with the spiritual lives of people. They deal with the growth of the church. Many are decisions that will affect years to come. Many are decisions that can alter lives, affecting families, marriages, children and most of all spiritual relationships.

          It would be nice to have a coin toss to help make a decision at times. It would be nice not to have to go through hours and days of discussion and debate. It would be nice to tell a family or husband or wife, heads you do this or tails you do that. It would be easy, but of course irresponsible, not knowing the outcome.

          As leaders, let us take time every day to pray to God for wisdom to make the right choices and decisions. Let us be the example by seeking God’s call for us through study of his Word. I do believe that through prayer and trust in God’s ability to lead us that the future of the church will always be on the right track. His track.

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If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

James 1:5-6