A View from a Baseball Fan

          Play ball! Are there two more welcome words for those who’ve waited through the long winter, studied the trades and spring training developments, and now plan life around game schedules? Baseball is back, and all’s a little more right with the world.

          Especially when the home town team is winning! And the Sox have had an outstanding early season. As of this writing, the boys of summer are getting the job done. Close games pulled out in late innings. A walk-off home run by Loretta with two down in the ninth. A game-winning hit by Youkilis in the eighth. Papelbon managing to close `em down with the bases loaded. Older stars (Ortiz, Ramirez) and newer players coming through in the clutch. It’s a beautiful thing to see.

          And it’s a God-blessed thing to be part of a church in which something similar happens—that is, brothers and sisters stepping up to offer their particular gifts and abilities for the good of the community. To provide varieties of ways to worship (as experienced during the recent Holy Week). To be there with tangible help in times of need, with food, child care, etc. To make opportunities for fellowship, like our Easter Breakfast. To tackle important long-term questions of mission; to plan for major building needs, like roof repair and bathroom renovation. To nurture children and youth in faith. I rejoice (and invite you to, also) at the ways that older and newer “players” at BPC are answering their callings…

          Of course, all long-time citizens of Red Sox Nation know that the team’s good fortune may not hold! We can’t ask for more, though, than team members doing their best to achieve their winning goal.

          And BPC will face hard times and challenges as well. We can be sure of it. We can also be sure of the continuing of God’s grace—and that the very best we can do is to keep the vision before us of ministry, not exclusively for ourselves but for the world, and to respond to the calling to use our gifts in following Christ.

Peace,

Rod