Would somebody please explain the ACC?

Florida State couldn't figure out who was on their team and who was on the opposing team a week ago against Wake Forest. Saturday, they manhandled Colorado, an undefeated team out of the Big 12.

That same Wake Forest team that looked like the best team in the ACC the first month of the season couldn't stop Navy and couldn't stop throwing interceptions to Navy.

This, by the way, was the same Navy team that Duke, 3-1 after beating Virginia, dominated in the second half a couple of weeks earlier.

Virginia Tech, who looked horrible offensively against UNC and won a game they shouldn't have, couldn't be stopped at Nebraska.

UNC, playing their 2nd string and then their 3rd string quarterback, beat a Miami team on the road that had just beat up Texas A&M on the road and seemed to be coming together.

And Clemson, the preseason favorite? They lost to a Maryland team that, in successive weeks, lost to Middle Tennessee State and beat nationally-ranked California.

I was going to fill out a power poll for the ACC Nation blog and podcast this weekend. However, I never could figure out what to put down. Virginia is clearly the bottom of the league, with NC State probably just ahead of them, though more because of injury problems than anything else. After that, how do you rank 1-10?

What is seemingly clear is that there is no dominant team in the ACC right now. That is good in that it makes for exciting games every weekend. However, I am not sure that helps the ACC in terms of national reputation. You look at this week's polls, there is not an ACC team ranked inside the top 20. That does not bode well for a supposed "power conference". I know that everybody talks about how the SEC teams beat up on one another. However, those our recognized top 10 teams beating up on one another. Right now, the ACC needs a team that can rise to the top and put attention back to the league as a legitimate power conference. It may not be as fun for the conference in the short term, but I think the long-term benefit for the conference would be huge.

By the way, did I mention that Duke is 3-1?

BSU Fall Retreat 2007

One of the Elon BSU students put together this video montage from last year's fall retreat. Really captures the beauty of the setting and comradery of the weekend. Kudos to Jackson!

Just Not In the Mood

Time to share a little pastoral secret: pastors also have days where they are just not in the mood to work. I know some folks may be surprised by this, seeing as how they think pastors only work 1 day a week anyway. However, let's leave that fallacy behind and get back on the subject: there are days that pastors would just assume call in sick for a "mental health day", days they think the clock cannot move fast enough. Today is one of those days.

Am I saying I hate my job? No. I love my job. I truly feel this is what God has called me to do and that I am serving the church where God has called me to be. I love my church! I love the people! Today is just a day that I don't feel like working.

It occurs to me that God created the sabbath day as a day of rest. I wonder sometimes if we get that "I don't feel like working today" feeling because we have forsaken too long the need for rest that God recognized when He set aside a whole day each week for us to do it. Maybe the "I don't feel like working" is our body and spirit craving what they know is part of God's plan. As I look back at recent weeks, I realize that I have not done a real great job of honoring sabbath in my life. Maybe this feeling today is God's way of saying, "Time to pull back and take the time I give you to rest your body and soul in my care."

Just a thought.

New Post on CBF blog

Just put a new post up on the CBF blog entitled "Pastoral Envy". Check it out!