Time Does Funny Things:

I am in Stroudsburg today acting as the chairman judge for the District Bible Bowl Quiz. When I was asked originally, I thought that it was just a normal every other day mock quiz for practice... but no... this is the really deal. I am the chair of the judges in the main room of competition. It’s been quite the interesting so far. I’m exactly how to think about this one.. I used to be one of the guys sitting up there quizzing.

I see kids that were just starting in quizzing the year that I finished and I am amazed at some of the stuff I am seeing. I am also seeing people who I both looked up to and those whom I had jr. high crushes on. It’s funny what time does to people. It isn’t always a bad thing either. I am very glad to see old and new friends alike.

Tough spots and close calls:

I cannot believe the position I had today - I said earlier, I was in a very surreal position. I was the chair of one the panel of appeal for the winner’s bracket of quizzing. The toughest thing I’ve ever done was to judge a game between the senior high and junior high teams from my home church. The quiz came down to one question that was challenged by the senior high team, who if they would have received the points for it, would have won the game.

I spent a good five minutes going back and forth with my other members of the panel. I even called the quiz master over, ultimately... the call was mine. This is a team full of my friends... people I have quizzed beside. I had the final ruling on what decided the fate of the entire day.

I denied the challenge.

The senior high team lost the quiz and it was my call. As soon as I denied the challenge, the mother of the member of the sr high team that issued the challenge proceeded to tell me how wrong I am and that she had taken two courses on Hebrews and how could someone who has “never taken a class on Hebrews before” .

How does she know? She doesn’t know me? I am a Bible college student and no, I have never taken a course specifically on Hebrews. but that doesn’t mean that I am not trained to interpret Scripture for preaching and in systematic theology. I was very offended...borderline angry... I left the room after the quiz and I cried. I wanted to be fair to both teams, but in turn... one had to lose.

There were no losers today. Not even me. I wasn’t even a loser. I kept my integrity in this matter. I could have chosen to rule in the favor of the sr high team... but then the Jr. High team would have had to come back.

To make a long story short, at the end of the day the Jr. High team won by one question at the end against and amazingly trained and knowledgeable team from Stroudsburg. Honestly, I wish that they both could have gone on. Such is the life of competition.