Putting together a roster in major league baseball that makes the playoffs is incredibly difficult. The 162 game season is a brutal grind. There can be lots of friction during that long regular season. Even the best teams can have embarrassing performances. Players and teams have hot and cold streaks. Obviously the most important ingredient is talent but there are a couple of other factors that help make a winning franchise. One of the most important things that winning teams understand is that every teammate brings strengths and weaknesses to the team. A great team celebrates the strengths of each player and works together to offset the weaknesses. I pondered this as I was reading about the career of New York Yankee player Joe Gordon. In 1942 Gordon led the American League in strikeouts. He made more errors that year than any other second baseman. He hit into more double plays than anyone in the league. By dwelling on those stats we could
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When I got serious about following Jesus there was a song we sang regularly at gatherings. We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the LordWe are one in the Spirit, we are one in the LordAnd we pray that our unity will one day be restoredAnd they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our loveYeah they’ll know we are Christians by our love What a difference the body of Christ would make in today’s contentious world if we believed and lived these very simple words. We are one in the spirit. There should be no separation by wealth, color, talent, or power. We are one in Jesus. We pray that our unity will one day be restored. We are still praying that today. It is not a difficult concept to understand how important unity is to achieve any goal. Can a team of self-centered football players win a championship? A team needs to have one
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This life is just the warmup act for followers of Jesus. A classic tune from the Righteous Brothers reflects my hope. If you believe in forever,Then life is just a one-night stand. Those lyrics reminded me that even if you hit triple digits on the age odometer this journey is still an eternal blink of the eye. Your significance is not how long but how well you live your life. Not how much fame or money you gain but what you do with time you are given. This weekend a song popped up on satellite radio called “We’re Only Here for a Little While”. Billy Dean is singing about leaving a funeral and recognizing his need to slow down and enjoy the everyday blessings of life. He decides to become intentional about doing the things that matter instead of worrying and tweeting about things that don’t amount to a hill of beans in eternity. Gonna hold who needs holdin’Mend what needs mendin’Walk what needs
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Please forgive me because this week’s musing is directed at a very specific target audience. Me. Feel free to eavesdrop. Last week I watched Monday Night Football with great interest because my Fantasy Football championship was at stake. A few minutes into the game that became the most meaningless thing in the world. I witnessed along with millions the terrifying collapse of Buffalo Bill defensive back Damar Hamlin. It was obvious from the players reactions on the field that this was not a typical injury situation. We learned that CPR was being administered to restore Hamlin’s heartbeat. Millions united in prayer as he was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. I was encouraged by the unity shown by people around the world as they joined in prayer and support for Damar and his family. As I write this the prognosis for Damar Hamlin is very encouraging. I was once again reminded of the uncertainty of my days on earth.
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I am deeply saddened by the division in our nation. But I am even more heartbroken by the division in the church. How have we forgotten to focus on the thing that should unite us? My head explodes when I allow myself to wade into some of the social media discourse happening between followers of Jesus Christ and non-believers. There are important cultural issues that Christians need to prayerfully and gracefully address. What I see is rarely graceful and that makes me wonder how prayerful the messengers have been before hitting the send button. Because of the nature of social media a topic that should be thoughtfully debated instead becomes an us versus them war. The conversation easily drifts toward broad brushing of others with often unfair assignation of motives. These judgements of motives and personal attacks are so damaging to the message of grace that I hold so dear. Sometimes I try to imagine myself as a skeptical seeker
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It looked shaky for a bit but we learned this week that baseball will be back. I love the joy of spring training. I love the hope of Opening Day. On that day every team is undefeated and united by the common goal of winning. Perhaps the church can learn a thing or two that winning baseball teams understand. The first thing that winning teams understand is that every teammate brings strengths and weaknesses to the team. A great team celebrates the strengths of each player and works together to offset the weaknesses. I pondered this as I was reading about the career of Joe Gordon. In 1942 Gordon led the American League in strikeouts. He made more errors that year than any other second baseman. He hit into more double plays than anyone in the league. By dwelling on those stats we could surmise that the New York Yankees were looking for a new second baseman for the following year. But there was
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I have teased for years that I want to develop an app that asks you to pause and pray before you hit send. Failing that, maybe I can convince you instead to play a song recorded by Glen Campbell. The lyrics are from a poem written by Edgar Albert Guest in 1914. Guest immigrated from England in 1891 at the age of 10. He was a newspaper reporter for the Detroit Free Press before becoming a syndicated author of poetry. He became known as the “Peoples Poet” and was said to have published a new poem everyday for 30 years. His works were not critically acclaimed but they connected with the public. Fifty-one years after Guest published “A Creed” the words were put to music by Glen Campbell in a song titled “Less of Me”. (Click on the link to hear it) Let me be a little kinder,Let me be a little blinderTo the faults of those around me,Let me
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