Softball Saved My Life. Hopefully Bowling Will Save Someone
It's true. Softball saved my life. Late April, 1988, my life was changing, and I had no direction. I was getting married, had a child on the way, no job, no future,immature, and I was dragging the most important person in my life down the tubes with me. Paul Parker was the Pastor of the Light and Life Free Methodist Church in Grand Blanc. He was going to officiate my wedding. He invited me to play softball with their church team.
It was a good time. I could handle it. I played some ball in high school, and even some at the esteemed Mott Community College. I knew that playing in a church league would not be the same. I could play hard, show off some skills, yet have a good time with my new friends. It wasnt a competitive league. We had guys on both teams who couldn't run, so others would run the bases for them. No one would complain. In fact, there was a guy on our team who had broken both of his ankles earlier that year after a falling off of his roof while trying to fix a leak in the middle of winter. He had to play for us because he was the only pitcher who could throw strikes. When he would bat, we just had one of the kids run the bases. Those days were fun. We teased each other, and encouraged one another.
When I served as a youth pastor in Port Huron, Michigan, our church played in a competitive modified pitch softball league. As I turn the corner into my 30's it was a final hurrah for my athletic prowess. We understood that it was competetive and we brought out friends who enjoyed that level of ball. I had the thrill of leading one of my teammates to faith in Jesus Christ.
Not all church league memories are so fond. When I was a youth pastor in Waukegan, I had to call timeout as I was on third base to run into our dugout and break up a fight between two of my teammates.
I have heard stories about followers of Christ who were so competetive that they made everyone's life miserable around them when they lost a game.
I am an Evangelical Christian. I believe that we should always look for ways to reflect Jesus in hopes that we may win some people to faith.
I bowl in a league that at times I really do not want my non Christian friends to participate in. Sounds harsh doesnt it? This league that I am in has some really fun people, and may I say it? Jerks with international potential. I mean when I come across these people, I think of Francis Chan asking "what part of the body are you? The appendix? You just blow up and kill the body!" I am talking about those who care about keeping every obscure rule in tact at the cost of alienating people.
We bowl with an awesome couple. Christine joined us after a very turbulent moment in her NOW husband's life. She is a breath of fresh air. I am amazed that she is still in our league. She was not a world beater when she first joined us. We didnt care. We were having fun. If she got a strike or a spare, she would jump up and down, dance, slap high fives. One night, she was having fun and switching hands. One frame left handed, and one frame right handed. It didnt make here any better or worse. But boy was she laid into by the president of the league for breaking this rule. You would have thought she was the biggest cheat in the world the way this guy laid into her. No one asked her not to do this. She was yelled at for breaking such a sacred rule.
This year, we have witnessed some people in our league who are long time church goers, who have taken rudeness to a very high level. Last night was enough to make my wife want to walk out. Our friend Keith comes out and fills out our score sheet and hangs out with us. Its a highlight of my week. Keith is now 76 and every day that he is alive is a gift from God to us. He spent several months in the hospital and a nursing home this year. In June, we thought he was in his final days. He has been recovering quite well ever since. He is back at home. Keith has taught hundreds of people in Elkhart how to bowl. He bowled in this league until he fell ill last year. He has not been able to bowl since. So he fills out our score sheet and continues to give words of encouragement. I did not realize that this was as heinous as doing 65 in a school zone during school hours. Somewhere in some section of the USBC book in section A paragraph B, only those who are bowling on the team are allowed to fill out a score sheet. And the lady who we bowled against was sick of it. She has never seen such blatant rule breaking in all of her life. She screamed at Keith and told him that he did not belong here.
So I have to pose this question. When we do a church league, what is the purpose of it? Is it an isolation from the rule breakers of the world? I mean is this the place to run to for safety after having a rough day in the world at our job with the non church going sinners? Is a church league a place where we isolate ourselves for a few hours with other "saints" so that we could feel good about ourselves because we care about keeping the rules?
I believe that a church league is a tool to reach out to people. It is quite possible to be a Christian and join a competitive secular league and compete hard and reflect Christ. It's not a bad thing to even have a church sports league that is highly competitive no matter the sport. My problem is that when we make obscure rules more important than people, we have lost our way.
But somewhere out there is another immature person in need of direction and hope. I want to use bowling, shooting pool, softball, whatever, as a tool that will help someone towards an eternal destination with God. I hope that my actions would draw someone closer to Him, and build others up instead of turning someone off.
It was a good time. I could handle it. I played some ball in high school, and even some at the esteemed Mott Community College. I knew that playing in a church league would not be the same. I could play hard, show off some skills, yet have a good time with my new friends. It wasnt a competitive league. We had guys on both teams who couldn't run, so others would run the bases for them. No one would complain. In fact, there was a guy on our team who had broken both of his ankles earlier that year after a falling off of his roof while trying to fix a leak in the middle of winter. He had to play for us because he was the only pitcher who could throw strikes. When he would bat, we just had one of the kids run the bases. Those days were fun. We teased each other, and encouraged one another.
When I served as a youth pastor in Port Huron, Michigan, our church played in a competitive modified pitch softball league. As I turn the corner into my 30's it was a final hurrah for my athletic prowess. We understood that it was competetive and we brought out friends who enjoyed that level of ball. I had the thrill of leading one of my teammates to faith in Jesus Christ.
Not all church league memories are so fond. When I was a youth pastor in Waukegan, I had to call timeout as I was on third base to run into our dugout and break up a fight between two of my teammates.
I have heard stories about followers of Christ who were so competetive that they made everyone's life miserable around them when they lost a game.
I am an Evangelical Christian. I believe that we should always look for ways to reflect Jesus in hopes that we may win some people to faith.
I bowl in a league that at times I really do not want my non Christian friends to participate in. Sounds harsh doesnt it? This league that I am in has some really fun people, and may I say it? Jerks with international potential. I mean when I come across these people, I think of Francis Chan asking "what part of the body are you? The appendix? You just blow up and kill the body!" I am talking about those who care about keeping every obscure rule in tact at the cost of alienating people.
We bowl with an awesome couple. Christine joined us after a very turbulent moment in her NOW husband's life. She is a breath of fresh air. I am amazed that she is still in our league. She was not a world beater when she first joined us. We didnt care. We were having fun. If she got a strike or a spare, she would jump up and down, dance, slap high fives. One night, she was having fun and switching hands. One frame left handed, and one frame right handed. It didnt make here any better or worse. But boy was she laid into by the president of the league for breaking this rule. You would have thought she was the biggest cheat in the world the way this guy laid into her. No one asked her not to do this. She was yelled at for breaking such a sacred rule.
This year, we have witnessed some people in our league who are long time church goers, who have taken rudeness to a very high level. Last night was enough to make my wife want to walk out. Our friend Keith comes out and fills out our score sheet and hangs out with us. Its a highlight of my week. Keith is now 76 and every day that he is alive is a gift from God to us. He spent several months in the hospital and a nursing home this year. In June, we thought he was in his final days. He has been recovering quite well ever since. He is back at home. Keith has taught hundreds of people in Elkhart how to bowl. He bowled in this league until he fell ill last year. He has not been able to bowl since. So he fills out our score sheet and continues to give words of encouragement. I did not realize that this was as heinous as doing 65 in a school zone during school hours. Somewhere in some section of the USBC book in section A paragraph B, only those who are bowling on the team are allowed to fill out a score sheet. And the lady who we bowled against was sick of it. She has never seen such blatant rule breaking in all of her life. She screamed at Keith and told him that he did not belong here.
So I have to pose this question. When we do a church league, what is the purpose of it? Is it an isolation from the rule breakers of the world? I mean is this the place to run to for safety after having a rough day in the world at our job with the non church going sinners? Is a church league a place where we isolate ourselves for a few hours with other "saints" so that we could feel good about ourselves because we care about keeping the rules?
I believe that a church league is a tool to reach out to people. It is quite possible to be a Christian and join a competitive secular league and compete hard and reflect Christ. It's not a bad thing to even have a church sports league that is highly competitive no matter the sport. My problem is that when we make obscure rules more important than people, we have lost our way.
But somewhere out there is another immature person in need of direction and hope. I want to use bowling, shooting pool, softball, whatever, as a tool that will help someone towards an eternal destination with God. I hope that my actions would draw someone closer to Him, and build others up instead of turning someone off.
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