We are playing softball again this summer. I think that's what you could call this sport. It has gloves and a big ball and bats and bases and nine players and an umpire. It has fans and innings and three outs. It also has some of the funniest plays I have ever seen.
Tonight for example we missed more balls than we caught, one player got lost on the way from second to third base and somehow tried to get there through the pitchers mound, and one phenomenal catch was made by a player who simply stuck her arm out and closed her eyes. We laughed until our sides hurt. One team was short quite a few players so we loaned them ours and they went on to beat us. We were beaten by ourselves. How can this be? Before long those sitting in the stands were talking about bringing a video camera to the games so we could submit film to America's Funniest Video and for sermon illustrations. Our players laughed too. It was all a delightful experience. And it truly was as much fun or maybe much more fun than if we had been playing seriously and winning. I was awfully proud of our church folks who were warm and kind and caring to each other. It made me proud to be a part of the bad news bears.
We started recreation ministry to create ways to reach out to people who maybe able, through a nonthreatening contact, find their way into the church. I think that has happened some, which is a blessing. But in addition, I have discovered real fellowship is going on with the team, the players, and the fans as they share a common activity, this sport we are loosely calling softball. Tonight the fellowship extended to the other team and it became a shared joy as both teams had three stooges plays and the occasional brilliant ones. It never was about the game. I don't see how it could have been, it would have taken talent and athletes. Though we had some athletes, they were greatly outnumbered by real people who just enjoyed playing. The people and the fellowship won out easily. Every once in awhile there is a team who shows up to play. They are serious and quiet and they of course beat us badly. Perhaps it's rationalization, but I think we are all happier when we just have fun. I guess it's never a bad thing to win though!
We are ready to play again. I bet we have lots of people show up to cheer us on, mostly because it's fun to watch and you get that sense of KNOWING you can play better than what you are watching. In my case it isn't so, but it's fun to think. I am praying God blesses the effort and the energy and the joy. That He makes us a community who in turn make being one of His people our goal. Then no matter what the score is, that's a win.
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