The Royce Files

So no Will Ferrell. And no Elvis. I think there has not been an Elvis running Fargo in half a decade. But let me indulge my celebrity radar. First let me get the first one off: Dick Beardsley , legendary long distance runner ( and fisherman). There he is in an orange long sleeve telling a participant to take the race by the horns. I met him once in Detroit Lakes. He was at a pasta dinner for his namesake race with Alberto Salazar . Is that Matt Maher? Looking closely at the image again I also notice another celebrity of sorts which I totally missed in the foreground- worship artist Matt Maher . On the course I was surprised to see Jim Gaffigan took time from his busy schedule and decided to run. Perhaps he was doing it to jab Ferrell. I must have missed the hash tag #runfargogaffigan. Jim Gaffigan takes it easy on the course And finally, this year I did not miss the Fargo Marathon Maniac. This guy like runs a marathon every week. Actually he is a classmate of mine wh...

This year's FIFA Player of the year, Kaka , decided to give his trophy to the church he attends in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In his own words I believe he said "I deliver this up joyfully to God, because he is the reason behind every victory." This act is not without controversy. Yes, he won the trophy but why on earth does it need to be on display at a church? And further for that matter, its a church which also has some controversy surrounding its leaders. Examining his life a little more I notice he is a devout Christian and had a life changing experience as a teen when at 18 he fractured his back in a swimming pool accident. He attributes his recovery to God. I guess the gesture is consistant with his other acts of attributing his success to God such as revealing a T-shirt emblazoned with "Jesus Loves You" after some games and prayers and gestures to the heavens post game. It seems he comes from a more demonstrative Christian tradition that tends to make others fee...

A friend of mine wrote this article a year ago which is a pretty good take on something that probably will be slowly disappearing in this generation. Or will it? Calvinist versus Armenean debate does not hold much value for me, though it is useful to know how one views how one makes it to life's ultimate destination. The point me think is in the final statement- "...putting our understanding of Christ at the center of our lives instead of putting Christ Himself there. " It seems to suggest knowledge is inadequate which really goes against Western ideals. Remember the old adage- knowledge is power. Of course I believe God chuckles because it says a few times in scriptures that his thoughts are higher (superior) to ours. When knowledge is exhalted God seems to be downgraded to a benevolent force which follows a set course of action which we believe is true. No wonder people argue that man created God.

I finally made it out of the wilderness and returned home after only a few ordeals. For one, this year I did not have a brush with death. I was smarter. I didn't try to traverse bogs. I also did not try to press the limits of my skills. I had to cut back my intended trip plans mostly because I surmised I would not make it to Canadian waters and back without overextending myself. Nevertheless, it was a challenging trek. There were 2 portages over 200 rods and 2 over 100. Detailed journal of the trip will be forthcoming What I found this year was grace in the wilderness. Things were difficult as they usually are out in the BWCA but they were overcome. I have this strange belief concerning Burger Time French fries. If once you finish them you find more in the bag then God is going to bless you. If you find more then, you will be blessed even more. Well, it just so happened I found more. I'm not sure I'll attribute this all to the Burger Time fries but when difficulty arose Go...

I hold a role in 2 churches that is usually recognized as "worship leader." The job typically involves leading the congregation a few songs at each meeting. Yet how come this does not get defined at music leader or chief musician. Sure, singing a few songs reflecting on the attributes of God and us expressing how much we love Him is an act of worship. Yet, I am perplexed why it seems it, worship, ends there. God doesn't just leave the room after we break the silence that typically occurs at the end of the music. Nor am I required to lead individuals in sacrificing their lives to God as Romans 12 speaks of worship. Historically, worship required sacrifice. In the Old Testament portion of Bible, to worship God involved sacrificing some pure animal and placing it on an altar. Singing, prayers, recitation of God's decrees were also involved. In addition the Old Testament speaks that obedience is better than sacrifice - alluding to what God really desires- that we do hi...

The tough guy television and film star Mr. T apparently is a believer in Christ. Beliefnet.com has an interview with him where Mr. T explains things a bit. Absent in the interview is all the code-words Christians look for when sniffing out a Christian. The following phrases were completely absent: born again, gave my life to Jesus, personal saviour, sinner's prayer. In fact the only jargon word appearing in the article was baptize which throws some ardent head hunters into a frenzy (as would the hate vibes comment). Mr. T also throws in a bit about forgiveness, serving the least and integrity without sounding irrelevant. I suspect Mr. T likes the book of James and has found happiness in giving things away. The only thing the tough mohawk man doesn't mention is worship and fellowship with other Christians. Celebrity's downside is all the attention it draws and thus being a member of a local church could be difficult but not impossible. I hope Mr. T gets to enjoy time with ...