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Pastor, golfer shares outlook in new book

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Contributed by: Danny Summers on 9/27/2006

Sid Huston stands on the driving range at Pine Creek Golf Club and evaluates his next shot.

He pulls out his 9-iron, stands over his ball and swings with a fluid motion.

"The game of golf, and life itself, challenges us to get perfect out of our heads," Huston said. "In golf, you can hit what looks to be a perfect shot, only to get a bad bounce and an imperfect position. Or, you can miss-hit the ball and get a great bounce off the cart path and be in perfect position."

The golf course is one of the places where Huston, 49, tries to apply life lessons he's learned. An ordained pastor and evangelist, Huston took his passions for golf and Christianity, a step farther last year when he wrote a book called "Grace River Living."

The book was released two weeks ago by Mother's House Publishing, 2814 E. Woodmen Road and is expected to be available in bookstores by the year's end.

Huston, a Northgate resident, wrote the 262-page book at Carl's Jr. restaurant at 4820 Rusina Road, and in the Target cafeteria at 335 N. Academy Blvd.

"They became my fishing holes," said Huston, who has been married to Karen for 29 years. "I met people and led them to Jesus. It's really cool, really cool."

Huston has served in a variety of sports roles. He was a Colorado representative for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes from 1982 to 1985. In the mid-1990s, he ran an inner-city basketball ministry near The Citadel mall, and he was the golf coach at Colorado Springs Christian School in 2001 and 2002.

Huston also is good friends with former Colorado Buffaloes football coach Bill McCartney, who started the "Promise Keepers" ministry. When Huston was the pastor of Springs Community Church, McCartney and Air Force football coach Fisher DeBerry were guest speakers.

"My entrance into people's lives isn't my success - it's my failures," Huston said. "But every failure I've had in life, I've failed forward. It's opened the doors for me to minister to people. I've been rejected. I've been a misfit. During those tough times, golf became my therapy.

"Golf is a game of opposites. You hit right to go left. You hit down to go up. The discipline of writing this book has caused me to think and relate. Sports are a great way to do two things - reach people and discipleship. Golf is where you learn good things, and it's very conducive to our Christian faith."

"Grace River Living" is filled with golf references and stories. Chapter 34 is titled "Problem Perfect." Huston talks about trying to hit the perfect golf shot and how his imperfection almost made it impossible for him to swing a club.

He relates the story to the Christian walk and how people sometimes try to look for the perfect church.

"If you think you have the perfect church, don't go there - you would ruin it," he said. "Today, I know I am totally accepted in Jesus. My identity is secure in Christ, and it is not attached to hitting the perfect golf shot.

"In golf, thinking about perfect is the quickest way to ruin your day. There is rarely a shot I don't like to hit. Even shots with terrible lies and hazards all around are now fun challenges for me."

Huston uses golf metaphors in his book that relate to the Christian walk.

Huston's book is endorsed by several people, including Doug Wert, the director of golf management at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

"What a great resource for those who are looking to dig deeper into God's grace," Wert said. "They now have a tool they can use on a daily basis. I have been using 'Grace River Living' for my quiet time and hope to share it with my small group at church."

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