Hello,
“Take me out to the ball game.
Take me out to the crowd…..”
Long before I donned a clergy robe on Sunday morning, I was putting on
my baseball uniform for games on Sunday afternoon. Little League was a big ordeal in the town that I grew up. So big of an ordeal that there were try
outs, drafts, two leagues (American (even home address) and National League
(odd home address)). Having lived
at “705 S. Grant” street, I was placed in the National League, and I was
drafted into the Pirate organization….juniors, seniors, and majors. Pitcher and Short Stop were my
positions, positions I played until I hung up my spikes after high school.
Yesterday, Sunday, the Pirates, of Pittsburgh, Pa., opened their season
with a game against the Cardinals.
It was around 40 degrees and windy at game time. I remember taking my spot on the field
on opening day when I played for the Hinsdale Little League Pirates, and the
Red Devils of Hinsdale Central High School. Often cold.
Often windy. Often rainy. I remember well the stinging of the
wooden bat as it vibrated in my hands when I struck the ball. I remember well trying to get a good
grip with cold fingers on a wet and slippery ball in order to throw a curve
ball. I remember well kicking off
the clods of dirt from my spikes both on the pitching mound and in the batter’s
box. Opening day of the baseball
season was rarely an optimal day for baseball, but nevertheless we always
looked forward to it so as to get the season underway.
For Christians, yesterday was also Opening Day. Actually, every Sunday is Opening Day,
because every Sunday Christians gather to celebrate the greatest Opening Day of
all, Easter Sunday, the day that the grave in which Jesus’ dead body was laid
was Opened and Jesus walked out alive, resurrected. On that Opening Day, Jesus won a crushing victory over
everything that might separate God from his creation…..a victory over
everything in life, and a victory over the everything in death. A shut-out….shutting out every claim of
evil on our lives. A No Hitter ……
leaving all of our failures and sins swinging at air, no longer able to strike
us. On Easter Sunday, Opening Day,
Jesus led off the season of eternity with such a crushing victory, that the
season’s end was determined on its first day!
Christians, when they gather on every Sunday morning, participate in
Jesus’ opening day victory. When
they come together on Sunday, they take hold of that victory as the week is
opening up. When they come
together on Sunday, they feel the momentum of Jesus’ Opening Day victory as
they see the opponent lining up their best players against them….momentum that
no opponent, no matter how strong, can slow down. When they come together every Sunday morning they gather not
under a pennant marking a one time victory, but under a cross marking a
timeless victory.
So, know this, there’s a place for you on the bench every Sunday when Jesus
gather’s his team for every week’s Opening Day….so come, come and feel the
thrill of Christ’s Opening Day Victory!
Play ball!
Have a great week.
God’s grace and peace,
Pastor Jerry Nuernberger
No comments:
Post a Comment