Highlights from my wedding!

Bass responding to opportunity's knock.(SPORTS)

Browse back issues of this publication by date December 30, 1999 | Seifert, KevinAnthony Bass is having fun now, clearly enjoying the scenery after his arrival in the Vikings' starting lineup. A Division I-AA college player two years ago, a member of the practice squad last season and a reserve until last week, Bass figures he has nothing to lose. Jokingly describing his responsibilities Wednesday as a free safety, Bass said, "I'm the deep man, so if anyone gets behind me, I'm the one getting pulled out of the game." An unlikely scenario, to be sure, especially after Bass set a career high with seven tackles and intercepted the first pass of his career in the Vikings' 34-17 victory against the New York Giants on Sunday. Because of a season-ending shoulder injury to starter Orlando Thomas, and the Vikings' desperately thin depth at the position, Bass seems destined to stay put, no matter how he plays. The third man to start at free safety and the eighth to start in the Vikings' secondary this season, Bass is aware of his unlikely ascendance. "I had no idea, no idea at all," Bass said."I was just trying to make the roster. Once I made the roster, I was just worried about trying to get playing time, whether that be on special teams or defense. Then once you get playing time, you worry about trying to make the best of the opportunity as you can." In a more ideal situation, Bass would be continuing a gradual development process that began last season. But starting in a secondary that also includes rookie cornerback Kenny Wright and converted wide receiver Robert Tate in the nickel, Bass held his own against the Giants. He gave himself a "B" for the performance, although Bass admitted, "If I was a veteran, I'd give myself a `C.' " "Anthony Bass is a very good athlete that we've had in our program for two years now," Vikings coach Dennis Green said. "He's worked his way up. He has tremendous range. He's playing a position where a lot of veterans play, because you have to do a lot of [play] calling, but Anthony has handled it." Signed as a free agent out of Bethune-Cookman last season, Bass was released in 1998 training camp before joining the practice squad in September. He was activated and played in three regular-season games and also served as a nickel back in the playoffs after Thomas and fellow rookie Ramos McDonald were injured. Bass played sparingly as a backup to Thomas and strong safety Robert Griffith this season, and he had a total of six tackles before Sunday's game. Despite increasing shortage of personnel in the secondary, Bass seemed to fall more out of favor each week. Rookie free agent Chris Rogers moved past him as the nickel back after McDonald was released, and another free agent, Antonio Banks, started ahead of Bass at strong safety, with Griffith moving to free safety, when Thomas was sidelined by a sore hamstring against Kansas City on Dec. 12. Bass had been deactivated for the previous two games, and his roster spot seemed in jeopardy. "When you're not on the field, you're concerned," Bass said. "You're an NFL player, and you want to be on the field. I don't know of anyone with any competitive spirit who would not want to be dressed." Bass ended up splitting time with Banks in Kansas City. At 6-1 and a lean 200, however, the Vikings thought he was better suited to play free safety than Banks was to start at strong. Thomas returned to start the following week against the Green Bay Packers, but Bass got the call after Thomas broke his scapula in that game. "Last year, Coach Green kept saying we have a lot of players on our team that came from the practice squad," Bass said. "So I knew it was possible. I was just waiting my turn, and I'm happy it happened the way it did. I can't look back and say, `Man, I wish it happened any other way,' because it happened." Responsible mostly for covering the middle of the field, Bass benefited from the Giants' insistence on throwing sideline routes last Sunday. And he picked a good time for his first interception, a play cornerback Jimmy Hitchcock called "one of the biggest plays of the year." With the Vikings leading 14-6 in the third quarter, Bass made a diving catch of a twice-tipped pass and returned it 4 yards to the Giants 27. On the next play, Randy Moss' touchdown pass to Cris Carter gave the Vikings a 21-6 lead. "You see things like Cris Carter playing on a bad ankle, and Robert Tate going from offense to defense," Bass said. "You say, if those guys are doing that, I've got to hold up my end of the bargain. So I think that playing free safety, I've got to show I'm doing the things I need to do to help the team." Revolving door Ten different players have started in the Vikings' secondary, including nickel backs: . Position Player GS - CB Jimmy Hitchcock 15 - CB Kenny Wright 10 - CB Ramos McDonald 5 - SS Robert Griffith 14 - SS Antonio Banks 1 - FS Orlando Thomas 13 - FS Robert Griffith 1 - FS Anthony Bass 1 - NB Chris Rogers 4 - NB Kenny Wright 1

TROY AIKMAN VS. ANTHONY BASS.(SPORTS)

Browse back issues of this publication by date January 7, 2000 | Seifert, KevinAs the free safety, Bass is responsible for playing a kind of center field and is often the last man standing between a receiver and the end zone. Bass has started two games in place of Orlando Thomas, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, but neither the New York Giants nor the Detroit Lions went out of their way to test Bass. Rest assured Aikman will. A three-time Super Bowl champion, Aikman is especially adept at seeking out and attacking the weakness of a defense. A likely target for that search is receiver Raghib Ismail, the speedster who caught 80 passes for 1,097 yards this season. The Vikings' improved pass rush is to Bass' benefit, and he may well develop into a front-line NFL safety. There is no way to tell, however, until he matches up with a few quarterbacks such as Aikman. Troy Aikman, Cowboys quarterback - Age: 33 - Season: 11th - Height, weight: 6-4, 226 - College: UCLA - How acquired: Drafted first round (first overall) in 1989. Anthony Bass, Vikings cornerback - Age: 24 - Season: 2nd - Height, weight: 6-1, 203 - College: Bethune-Cookman - How acquired: Signed as rookie free agent in 1998.

Safety Anthony Bass steps up for Vikings.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

Browse back issues of this publication by date December 30, 1999 | Johnson, GregEDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. _ For someone who had to be talked into playing football in high school, Anthony Bass has overcome the long odds of becoming an NFL player. Bass' professional career could have taken a different turn if he hadn't accepted an invitation from Bryce Casto. Before two-a-day practices started at South Charleston (W.Va.) High School in 1991, Casto made a request. ``(Bass) didn't play football his sophomore year, and when he came to our school he was a basketball player,'' said Casto, who was Bass' high school football coach and now is the athletics director at West Virginia State. ``We asked Anthony to come out before his junior year. I asked him to give it a week to see if he liked it. If he did, then stick with it, and if not, there would be no hard feelings or anything. He came out and excelled. I knew he had been an excellent football player in junior high school.'' Bass, a free-agent signee by the Vikings who has become their starting free safety because of season-ending shoulder injury to Orlando Thomas, competed against DuPont High School stars Randy Moss, Eric Moss and Bobby Howard, who later became Notre Dame's captain. Bass, 24, remembered those days as he prepared for the regular-season finale Sunday against the Detroit Lions. ``At first I was like, `Man what is (Casto) talking about,' '' said Bass, who made his first career interception Sunday in a 34-17 victory over the New York Giants. ``But he really wanted me out there, and it made me feel good. The first game I caught a 50-yard touchdown, so I said, `Oh, I can still play football.' They had a lot of talent in that area around that time for whatever reason. Most of the guys didn't make it to college. But we had a plethora of talent in that area, so I went against good competition.'' Bass, whose father, William, was his secondary coach, became a better football player and was West Virginia's player of the year after his senior season, when he played wide receiver as well as on defense. He played at Division I-AA Bethune-Cookman and spent most of his 1998 rookie season on the Vikings' practice squad. Bass was signed to the 53-man roster and played late in the season, including in the 41-21 divisional playoff victory over the Arizona Cardinals. This season he has bounced from being on the first nickel defense to playing exclusively on special teams to being inactive to starting. ``Mentally it's tough, but realistically the whole time I could say, I'm in the pros,'' Bass said. ``I could sit here and complain about not getting a shot but like (former Viking and current West Virginia State coach) Carl Lee said, `You're getting paid and you're still living your dream.' Chris Doleman told me it's best to be on the inside looking out than the outside looking in. I took that into consideration and kept my mouth shut. I just kept working as hard as I could.'' Bass has used Lee, a Viking from 1983-93, as a mentor in the offseason whenever he visits home. Applying what he has learned from others who have traveled a similar path is one of Bass' strengths. ``(Bass) is a product of what everybody around here wants,'' Vikings defensive coordinator Foge Fazio said. ``You develop a young guy, and you keep him around. You put him on the practice squad, then you elevate him and he learns. If he stays with it, then he probably is going to get a chance to play. He has done everything. The big thing with him is he listens.'' Bass is making sure he enjoys the moment. ``It's very exciting,'' he said. ``When I wake up in the morning, I'm just smiling for more reasons than just football. Life is so short, and this is an opportunity to do something I love to do every single day. It helps me feel good, and when you go out on the field, the whole city is cheering for you. We're all working together for a common bond. When people support you like that, it makes your job a whole lot easier.''< X X X (c) 1999, Saint Paul Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.). Visit PioneerPlanet, the World Wide Web site of the Pioneer Press, at http://www.pioneerplanet.com/

Meekness is not weakness

In the New Testament language of “Koine” Greek, the word “praus” was a military term, used to describe the training of horses. The Grecian army would capture the wildest horses roaming in the mountains and train them for use in the army.

Some horses were broken and made useful for ordinary duty and a few became war horses. When a horse passed the conditioning required to become a war horse, its state was described as “praus”. No longer wild and unmanageable, he was now trained to be under the control of his master.

The war horse hadn’t lost any of his power or strength, it was just harnessed and under the control of his master. It gave up being wild, unruly, out of control and rebellious; and, instead, learned to be submissive and responsive to the slightest touch of the rider.

A war horse was trained to stand in the face of combat, thunder into battle and then stop when his master tugged on the reins. It was now considered to be “meek.”

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Planting a Church in Minnesota

Dear Co-laborer in theLord, Let me tell you a little about my growth in the Lord.In 1993, I was a graduating senior at South Charleston High School in WestVirginia. At that time, I was the West Virginia High School Football player ofthe year, and was nominated a blue-chip High School All-American by nationalsports reporters. I received a full football scholarship to Bethune-CookmanUniversity in Daytona Beach Florida where I played four years. I played so wellthat I caught the eyes of many professional football scouts. I was projected to get drafted in the fourthround of the NFL draft to the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, at the start of onecollege game, the question of the day was how many touchdowns would theopposing team’s quarterback throw that day? Well, I am happy to say that he hadthe courage to throw my way, but like the other Quarterbacks that year who haddared to throw my way, I had picked him off just the same and reveled in theglory. He decided after the second interception he would not throw the ball inmy direction again. So I had come outvictorious. But an interesting thing happened following the secondinterception, after extending my body to dive and snatch the ball out of the airand away from my opponent I stood up in the end zone to celebrate my victorywith the traditional end zone dance. It was there in the middle of mycelebratory dance my future was forever altered. As my body was gyrating andcontorting I stretched, strained, and injured myself. Believe it or not, I wasunaware of the injury until the next Monday in the training room. When I becameaware of it, my number one question was “Why, God?” I was a youngChristian then, and I did not understand why God would do this to me. I barelyfinished out the rest of the football season, and as a result of my injury, mydraft status plummeted. On draft day my name was not called. Fortunately, I waspicked up as a free agent by the Minnesota Vikings, but my situation lookedbeyond hopeless. I now realized that Godput me in this position where I had to trust in His ability and not myown. I was called to tryout to makeMinnesota’s 53 man roster even though they had drafted three other people whoplayed my same position and picked up two other veteran players who also playedmy same position. Like I said, my situation seemed hopeless. However, as theold saints used to say “BUT GOD” Iimpressed the coaches more than any other player that year - except for RandyMoss that is. And, during this process God gave me two dreams: One, I wasstanding inside of the Minnesota Viking’s home stadium and two, God showed me Iwould produce abundant fruit from playing football. There I was with one legand trusting God that He would follow through on His promise. Do you know what happenednext? I was cut. But, even though I was cut something inside of me would notallow me to trust my circumstances more than I was trusting in God’s promise.So, two weeks into the season, who do you think called my house? The MinnesotaVikings! They called and asked me to play on their team. And, forthe next two and a half years I did just that, starting the last six games ofmy career and even being named most valuable player for one of them.Personally, I think the most remarkable thing in my whole experience was thefact I learned to trust in God, no matter what. At times God allows you to get in hopelesssituations so that you are forced to trust in Him so that he can give hope toothers. Saints, we are in anextremely polarized society, and in a day when people doubt the very existenceof truth itself. This is a time when many people’s faith seems to be ebbing. Icould go on and on and speak about unspeakable horrors in the world, yet Ithink the Scriptures summarize our situation best. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 says, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers ofmoney, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful,unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control,brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasurerather than lovers of God, holding to aform of godliness, although they have denied its power. You know Paul paints ableak picture of our times. However, as the old saints used to say“BUT GOD”. Remember God allows you to get in hopeless situations so that you are forced totrust in Him so that he can give hope to others. We have another prophecy about our times that doesgive us hope. In Joel 2: 28-32 'and it shall be in the last days,’ God says, That I willpour forth my Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shallprophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dreamdreams; even on my bond slaves, both men and women, I will in those days pourforth of my Spirit, And they shall prophesy... 21 and it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of theLord will be saved.' Eventhough God does tell us that times will be difficult, He also says that He willbe with us and empower us to overcome, to endure, and people will besaved. I don’t know about you butsomething inside of me will not allow me to solely trust what I see around me,something in my heart is screaming, trust in God. Without faith it is impossible to please God,but without trust it is impossible to know Him. God’s word says these days willbe difficult. And, they are. However, God also says that He will empower us, bewith us, and ultimately gain victory through us if we choose to trust in Himuntil the end. So,I said all of this to tell you again “BUTGOD”. I am not playing in the NFL now, but after allowing me to endure aseason of great suffering, God hascalled me to help give hope to others as He gave hope and deliverance to me.He has led me to plant a church on the mission field. This field is ready forharvest even though it is in a difficult place. The United States of America!Yes, in this country of many churches we need a church to reach those who mayhave given up on church or who have never heard the Gospel (yes even in the USthis is true). Help me by praying for this plant of the Endurance Church inMinnesota and, as the Lord leads, sending a financial contribution to beginthis part of the body of Christ. I need your help to accomplish this task. Ivalue this opportunity and your support for the ministry. Romans 5:3-4 says,“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering producesendurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” Please make yourcontribution payable to: MinnesotaDistrict Council: Assemblies of God Inthe Memo line please write: Endurance Church Please Mail yourdonations to: 1315Portland Avenue Minneapolis,MN 55404 612-332-2409 In Christ, Anthony Bass – Lead ChurchPlanter

I'm so busy!

I am so busy. If I even attempted to explain how busy I was, it would take me the length of this article to explain all the things I have to do in order to accomplish my goals on a daily basis. Now, if truth be told, the fact that I am too busy to articulate my schedule may in fact be an indication that something is severely wrong with my life right now. I was asked to write an article on the Sabbath and rest seems to be the very thing I need right now. Carl Gustav Jung is quoted as saying “Busyness is not just FROM the Devil, it IS the Devil.” This way of thinking seems foreign to my current life. The fact that I am American speaks volumes to the current state of my day. It seems like it is conventional wisdom to think that if you are going to be successful in the United States, then you must always be busy. I don’t know if busyness is the Devil or not, but I am sure that the busier I get the less chance I have to develop intimate relationships in my life. Again, I look at my life and I think, what is this success that I am striving for? Is this type of success worth it if it pulls me away from genuine relationships that matter? In order to understand the spiritual significance of the Sabbath we must look at this as a command, then as an invitation. Jesus said, 'The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.' (Mark 2:27, 28) Here we see that Jesus is verifying his authority with the religious leaders of his day, but he also makes a periphery point that is essential for our understanding of God’s intent of the Sabbath. Jesus declares that this command was given to ‘benefit man.’ The religious leaders of Jesus’ day had it wrong. Mankind did not exist to obey the Sabbath. The Sabbath was created to benefit man. How is this so? Let’s look at the next Scripture of importance. The Lord said through the prophet Ezekiel, “I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I, Jehovah, sanctify them” (Eze 20:12). The prophet says clearly that the Sabbath was given that the people of God may know him! How is this so? The Sabbath restricted the movements and work load of the Jewish people. The only thing a Jewish person could do was to spend that time developing his or her relationship with God and his or her family. The fact is many people looked at the Sabbath as simply another command instead of seeing the reality that God’s heart was that his children would use the Sabbath as an opportunity to build on their relationship with him and their families. Hebrews 4:9 says “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.” Thus for the believer observing the Sabbath is getting a glimpse at a profound spiritual truth that has been revealed by the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Jesus’ amazing sacrifice has opened the door for all those who believe to enter the ultimate Sabbath. His death opened the door for an unending and an uninterrupted intimate relationship with God. So, we wait on the day that this web of rest, busyness and relationship, that can best be observed in the lives of the great patriarchs in the Scriptures will become a habit of our own. And, our hope is that the fruit of this habit will develop a greater hope for the Ultimate rest that will be ours because of the busyness of Christ.