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Cal's Pastoral Epistles
"Finding Your Position On God's Team"
April 22, 2009
I wanted to pinch myself. I couldn't believe it. I was on the field at Dodd
Stadium as the teams came running out to take their positions. The
announcer said "And now taking the field "Yooouuurrr Connecticut
DE-fenders." I was so excited you would have thought I was one of the
guys actually getting ready to play in the game.
The truth is that I was there with our church choir to sing the national
anthem before the game. Fourteen of us became a part of the game that
day. We never swung a bat or chased down a fly ball. We didn't run down
the baseline or take one high and inside. We simply were a part of the
tapestry that makes up our great American past time.
I love baseball. When the opportunity arose to sing the anthem as part of
our day at the ballpark, I went to our choir director and asked her what she
thought. Not only was it a chance to enjoy a day of fellowship at the
ballpark, it was an invitation to show the world that Christians aren't just a
bunch of stuffed shirts who sit on their hands in church. We are engaged in
the world.
We sang in four part harmony and our moment in the spotlight quickly
faded away. It was replaced with hot dogs, soda and smiles all around. A
little later it hit me that this little episode was a snapshot of what many of us
experience as we live out our faith.
On the great playing field of life there are the superstars who play under the
spotlight. They are the ones who everyone knows and loves. But for every
Youk or A-Rod on a great team, there are lots of people working behind the
scenes to support them.
We love our heroes. Bring on Big Papi and Jeter. They are the reason we
are there. Yet, our experience at the ballpark is what it is because of the
people who take our tickets and the ushers who show us to our seats. The
faceless PA announcer and the ball boys who work the sidelines keep
everything running smoothly. The hot dog vendors and the individual or
group that sing the anthem are every bit as important to the game as the guy
playing first base. They complete the picture
The same is true for God's team. For every Billy Graham, Joel Osteen or
Rick Warren, there are tens of thousands of men and women who serve the
Lord faithfully inside and outside the church. Their lives are a testimony to
God's grace and mercy. Their actions sing out of God's redemptive power.
They are the ones who touch us and show us the face of God.
The truth is that you and I are called to be those people. We are the ones
who our friends and neighbors meet as they look for God. Your warm
embrace or quiet words of confidence will mean more to them than a
television broadcast from the Crystal Cathedral. So enjoy your role and
relish it as a member of God's team. Smile and sing out for you are part of
the winning tradition that God has established here on earth.
God Bless! See you in Church. Cal
April 22, 2009
I wanted to pinch myself. I couldn't believe it. I was on the field at Dodd
Stadium as the teams came running out to take their positions. The
announcer said "And now taking the field "Yooouuurrr Connecticut
DE-fenders." I was so excited you would have thought I was one of the
guys actually getting ready to play in the game.
The truth is that I was there with our church choir to sing the national
anthem before the game. Fourteen of us became a part of the game that
day. We never swung a bat or chased down a fly ball. We didn't run down
the baseline or take one high and inside. We simply were a part of the
tapestry that makes up our great American past time.
I love baseball. When the opportunity arose to sing the anthem as part of
our day at the ballpark, I went to our choir director and asked her what she
thought. Not only was it a chance to enjoy a day of fellowship at the
ballpark, it was an invitation to show the world that Christians aren't just a
bunch of stuffed shirts who sit on their hands in church. We are engaged in
the world.
We sang in four part harmony and our moment in the spotlight quickly
faded away. It was replaced with hot dogs, soda and smiles all around. A
little later it hit me that this little episode was a snapshot of what many of us
experience as we live out our faith.
On the great playing field of life there are the superstars who play under the
spotlight. They are the ones who everyone knows and loves. But for every
Youk or A-Rod on a great team, there are lots of people working behind the
scenes to support them.
We love our heroes. Bring on Big Papi and Jeter. They are the reason we
are there. Yet, our experience at the ballpark is what it is because of the
people who take our tickets and the ushers who show us to our seats. The
faceless PA announcer and the ball boys who work the sidelines keep
everything running smoothly. The hot dog vendors and the individual or
group that sing the anthem are every bit as important to the game as the guy
playing first base. They complete the picture
The same is true for God's team. For every Billy Graham, Joel Osteen or
Rick Warren, there are tens of thousands of men and women who serve the
Lord faithfully inside and outside the church. Their lives are a testimony to
God's grace and mercy. Their actions sing out of God's redemptive power.
They are the ones who touch us and show us the face of God.
The truth is that you and I are called to be those people. We are the ones
who our friends and neighbors meet as they look for God. Your warm
embrace or quiet words of confidence will mean more to them than a
television broadcast from the Crystal Cathedral. So enjoy your role and
relish it as a member of God's team. Smile and sing out for you are part of
the winning tradition that God has established here on earth.
God Bless! See you in Church. Cal
Pastor Cal Lord writes these weekly epistles to
help us see God in every day things.
help us see God in every day things.
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