THE SCENE: Insert info about the weather, etc.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Plank Jacks, 15 Iron Mikes, 10 Windmills, 10 Tempo Merkins, 7 Wide Arm Circles Forward and Backward
THA-THANG:
Mosey past stop sign on the southeastern side of the admin bldg. Run down to the lower parking lot east of the admin bldg. Divide into teams of two for Doras. While one Teammate 1 runs up roadway and around corner to do ten merkins , Teammate 2 will start the exercises. After doing ten merkins, Teammate 1 runs back to replace Teammate 2 on the exercises and Teammate 2 runs up the hill do to the merkins. Here are the exercises for the Doras:
- 100 Merkins
- 100 Big Boy Sit-ups
- 100 Flutter Kicks (4 ct)
- 100 Side-Straddle Hops
- 50 Hand Release Merkins
- 100 Hello Dollies (4 ct)
- 200 Baby Crunches
Mosey to semi-circle lane that goes by soccer fields. We will high-knee for 25 pole lengths then do 3 burpees and continue until done with the semi-circle.
Mosey to parking lot at southern ball fields. There will be five cones places from one end of the parking lot to the other. We will run to the first cone, do a listed exercise, run to the next cone, do the same exercise, and continue to the end of the parking lot. We will run back doing the next listed exercise. Here are the exercise:
- 10 Dive Bombers
- 10 Diamond Merkins
Mosey past outdoor chapel and to grassy area across the street. We will do 20 American Hammers.
Mosey uphill to the area where we did Doras. Stop at two inclines along the way to do 10 Wide Merkins.
Mosey to A0.
MARY:
Finish up with 10 Carolina Dry Docks.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
16 men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
My wife, Jan, and I have been watching the TV mini-series The Crown on Netflix. The shows are based on true stories involving the reign of Great Britain’s current Queen Elizabeth. One of the recent episodes focused on Queen Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh. He is a man who loves adventure. He was an officer in the Royal Navy during World War II, loves sports, and particularly loves to fly planes as a pilot. The episode I am referring to depicted him during the time that the American Apollo Astronauts first landed on the moon. In the episode Phillip, as a pilot, is fascinated with the mission and highly regards the astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins.
As a man who must take second fiddle to the Queen, Phillip questions his own life. He certainly loves the Queen and certainly has privileges as her husband but there is a part of him that has wanted to set his own course vs. follow the traditions and duties of the Royal House. At about this time, a minister named Robin Woods becomes the new Dean of Windsor. He heads the chapel that serves the Queen. He asks Phillip for use of some unused Royal Buildings that he desires to be a retreat for ministers. Prince Phillip is a man who is bored with the Royal church services but he agrees to the Dean’s request as the buildings aren’t being used anyway.
During the buzz of the future moon landing, Dean Woods catches up with Phillip and invites him to the retreat center to listen in on a group discussion of visiting ministers. The ministers sit talking about problems, something Phillip isn’t that keen on, and discuss the decline in faith and worship service attendance among the people of England. Phillip sees all this “talk” as nonsense, particularly when there are astronauts out there doing something great, incredible, landing on the moon of all things. When asked by the ministers to participate in the talk, he tells them to stop bemoaning the decline in worship among the people of England and get off their butts. What is needed is action, action such as seen by the Apollo Astronauts.
The astronauts, of course, land on the moon and are heroes. They go on a world tour and come to England, even for a short trip to Buckingham Palace. Prince Phillip asks for and is granted a short personal meeting with the men. He is overcome in the anticipation of meeting these men who are like Gods to him. When he does meet the men, they are sneezing and sniffling, fighting off colds they have acquired in the exhausting schedule they have had since their return to Earth. Phillip wants to know what they “found” on their journey, not the physical moon dust but that special “meaning” they discovered out in space. These young astronauts have no answer for him. They didn’t really have time to think about the meaning of the universe on their journey – the were too busy following procedures, doing the things that they had been trained to do. These astronauts had certainly done something special and to be admired but they were also just three young guys, fighting off colds. And frankly, what they were more interested in was hearing from Phillip what it was like to live in a place like the Buckingham Palace.
Phillip’s desire to find meaning in science, in adventure, in space, goes awry ands leave him unsatisfied. And, in his bewilderment and dejection, he returns to the retreat center to meet once again with the Dean and visiting ministers. He apologizes for his previous behavior. He is now willing to participate in the “talk” that he previously thought to be nonsensical. And, in talking to them, he asks for something. He recognizes that what he has been lacking all along is faith. Faith in something that goes beyond actions, science, and the privileges of Royalty that he has long known is not enough for him. And what does he ask the ministers for? He asks for Help. Help with his lack of faith.
I don’t know what kind of faith Prince Phillip has found in his life. But, at the end of the episode some words were posted for the viewer. The notes proclaimed that Prince Phillip and Dean Woods became close friends and have been personal confidants for the last 51 years.
What are you searching for? Where do you put your energy, your interests? If your search for meaning leads you to something other than God, it is very likely that you will not be satisfied. As Faulkner said, it is all sound and fury leading to nothing. Have faith in something more. Search for God.
MOLESKIN:
Prayers for many.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
5th F3 Knoxville Anniversary on Nov 7.
