Wednesday, July 24, 2019

JOHN Good Morning! I’m John Branning the Lead Pastor of Central United Methodist Church. John Wooden is perhaps the most respected coach in the history of college basketball. He won numerous national championships, but what he is probably more respected for is who he was and what he valued. John Maxwell tells the story about Hall of Fame player Bill Walton’s early years with Coach Wooden. It was in the early 70’s, and Walton had just started his college career under Coach Wooden at UCLA. As a young man, Bill Walton wore a beard. It has been said that Coach Wooden told Walton that players were not allowed to have facial hair. Walton, attempting to assert his independence, said that he would not shave off his beard. Wooden’s no-nonsense response was, “We’ll miss you Bill.” Needless to say, Walton shave the beard. For Coach Wooden, discipline and team focus were more important than individual demands. Respect and integrity were more important than wins or losses! We would love to have you as part of our Central family come visit us this week.