Finishing the Race – Strong! (6)

 

Sunday Morning Football, Part 2

 

Andy Shipp played bass guitar in our church musical group. Later, when he became the group’s leader, the men and women blossomed under his leadership as he gave them the freedom to grow, infusing grace and encouragement. Andy was a Barnabas, a Son of Encouragement (Acts 4:36).  Andy, much like Kenny Brelsford, was a power plant of enthusiasm and joy, building others up, seeking their wellbeing. He had such joy in serving others.

 

Often Andy would share about his growth in Christ with me, about what he was learning and seeing and doing – for Andy was a doer, he was faith in action. He would also share his struggles, for his growth did not come cheaply – cheap spiritual growth is only apparent spiritual growth, it is rootless (Mark 4:5–6; 16–17). I cherished the times Andy would drop by our home and I’d grill hamburgers while he and I talked about Jesus and life, about work and family and friends and church and reaching others for Jesus.

 

Andy loved sports, and he particularly loved college football; he dearly loved UVA football (the University of Virginia). He was also a Yankees fan while I was a Red Sox fan, which made for entertaining banter. I still have a Red Sox baseball cap that Andy gave me – now that’s a friend, isn’t it?

 

As Andy grew in Christ and his love for others, I recognized that he not only had music that he wanted to play for the glory of Jesus Christ, but that he had things he wanted to speak to others about Jesus, there were things about Jesus that he wanted to tell our church. One of the subjects Andy kept talking to me about over and over was Philippians 1:6, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

 

Andy was the incarnation of this verse in two ways. The first was that God’s working in Andy was the embodiment of the reality, he trusted that God was fulfilling this verse every day. Andy saw how he was changing in Christ, how he was growing, how he was becoming a better husband, Dad, friend, coworker, neighbor – and he loved what Jesus was doing within him, he absolutely loved it. Music, and worship expressed through music and song, was more meaningful and deeper and exciting than ever before for Andy and he was honored to serve with the music and song team in the congregation – his leadership was that of a servant, it was the expression of Jesus.

 

The second way that Philippians 1:6 was living in Andy was that he was convinced that others needed to know the reality of God in this promise and assurance – that they could trust God in Christ to keep them and care for them and to help them grow, that God would never abandon them – and that they in turn could help and serve others. He so desired others to know the joy in Jesus that he knew, and he wanted to tell others all about it.

 

One day, while I was grilling hamburgers for lunch and listening to Andy talk about Philippians 1:6, I said, “Tell you what, how about two Sundays from now you share what you’re saying with the church? Just before the sermon I’ll call you up front and you can speak to the congregation for a few minutes.”

 

He eagerly agreed.

 

On the appointed Sunday, when the time came when I would normally begin my sermon, I said, “Andy Shipp has been sharing some wonderful things about Jesus with me over the past few months. As many of us know, Andy’s life verse is Philippians 1:6, ‘For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.’ As all of us know, Andy loves football, especially UVA football. There are times in football when the quarterback calls an audible, he looks over the defense and changes the play originally called in the huddle.

 

“Right now I’m going to ask Andy to come up here and share Jesus with us, share what God has been putting on his heart.”

 

As Andy approached me, for what he thought would be a few short minutes in front of the congregation, I took a football out from the podium on which I had written, “Philippians 1:6,” and handed it to him, saying, “Andy, I’m calling an audible, I’m handing the ball off to you, run with it. The rest of the service is yours.”

 

Andy was taken aback for only a moment or two. He received the football and said, “Wow, thank you pastor,” and proceeded to run the play – sharing Jesus with us and inviting us all to allow Philippians 1:6 to live within us, and calling us to live within Philippians 1:6. Andy thought he’d speak for 5 minutes, but once receiving the handoff he spoke for about 30 minutes; though it seemed like 5 minutes to me, so sweet it was, so sweet.

 

I had no doubt about what would happen when I gave Andy the football, absolutely no doubt. I knew Andy would show up that Sunday, just as he was living a life of showing up for others, a life of faithfulness to others. All Andy had to do was to be who he was in Christ, trusting Christ in that moment as he lived trusting Christ in other moments…it was actually a pretty simple decision for me as his pastor and friend. I knew I could trust Jesus, and I knew I could trust Andy.

 

Andy put that football on the fireplace mantel in the home he shared with his dear wife Jill.

 

Andy Shipp went to be with Jesus on October 31, 2021, he was 57…too young, too young. As I write these words I have a vision of Andy crossing the goal line with that football, carrying it close to his body, holding it tight – entering the fulness of the Kingdom. I see Andy approaching our Lord Jesus, handling Him the ball, and saying, “O Jesus, the game ball belongs to You. It all belongs to You. Thank you!”

 

Then I see Andy picking up a base guitar and playing music like he has never played before; singing as he never imagined he could sing. On the guitar I can see the words engraved, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”