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Hope Springs Eternal

Hope Springs Eternal

I am almost giddy with joy.

Baseball is beginning!  Major league players have reported to their spring training facilities and practices are under way.  Already the first games are being played and broadcast.  Along with the amount of daylight increasing daily and the daffodils stretching from the ground, baseball is one of the wonderful harbingers of Spring.

When “the boys of Summer” report for duty, it’s a sure sign Summer isn’t far away!

And who of us isn’t ready for some fun in the sun?  Some enjoyable distractions on the ballfield; the sounds, sights and smells of a ballgame; some social gatherings at the ballpark?

On top of just the exultation that baseball is back, there is the added excitement that this year my favorite two teams, the Seattle Mariners and the Detroit Tigers, are both going to make it into the playoffs!

At which any of you who are a little informed about either team might be rolling your eyes, shaking your heads, and possibly even guffawing out loud.  Neither team has exactly overwhelmed recently, though the Mariners have done better than the Tigers.  But the Seattle team plays in a tough division – the division that has produced the past two World Series winners.

Consequently some (many?) will take exception to my prediction of the Mariners and Tigers advancing to the playoffs.  To which I reply with the aged and sage proverb, “Hope springs eternal!”

And nowhere is that expression more true than in regard to one’s favorite baseball team!  (Especially perhaps if one’s favorite team happens to be either the Mariners or Tigers!)

But those who are a little more than just a little informed recognize that both teams have potentially excellent pitching, some solid experienced players, and a host of young players with tons of talent.  Furthermore, the Tigers play in a weak division.

So there is definitely hope!

“Hope springs eternal” is actually an abbreviation of a line written by Alexander Pope in “An Essay on Man” in 1732.  The entire phrase was originally “Hope springs eternal in the human breast.”

The concept, of course, is that humans long for, search for and even manufacture hope.  We need it, want it, and have to have it.  Our tendency is always to somehow, somewhere, in some way uncover some kind of hope.  We will cling tenaciously to hope against all odds because existence without hope is a shallow existence.

Unfortunately, this sin-shattered world excels at undermining hope.  Perhaps that’s why we are so desperately and constantly seeking a semblance of hope?  We recognize that hope tends to be frail, finicky and fleeting.

Which is why, I’m convinced, the Bible speaks so adamantly and repeatedly about hope.  Not about the uncertain hope this world offers, but rather about the certain, immovable, unchangeable, persevering, everlasting, rock-solid, count-on-it-no-matter-what hope that God gives.

If God says it, God must do it.  If God makes a promise, God must keep it.  If God offers words of hope, he must stand behind them.  Which makes the hopes that God gives us absolutely reliable.

The list of God’s hope-giving promises is long!  His assurances encompass his love for us, his redemption accomplished for us, his daily care of us, and his eternal reward for us.  And so much more!

“Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).  To which the writer to the Hebrews adds this encouragement, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).

Wherever the Bible addresses the hope that God gives us, we should add the word “certain” to it.  Not only because it sounds more encouraging that way, but because it’s true!

Let’s try it and see what that sounds like.

“We wait in (certain!) hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.  In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our (certain!) hope in you” (Psalm 33:20-22).

Now that’s a (certain!) hope that truly springs eternal!

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The Greatest “Sports” Spectacle of All!

The Greatest “Sports” Spectacle of All!

The world recently had the opportunity to watch one of the greatest sports events of the year – the Super Bowl.  65,000 fortunate folks saw it live in Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.  For those purchasing seats for the game, they averaged approximately $8,600 a-piece.  Resale tickets bounced up to about $12,000.   But those prices are a steal of a deal when one considers that renting a suite cost an astounding 2.5 million!

Another 115 million viewers watched the game on screens.  That’s a new high, but it will undoubtedly be eclipsed in 2025, as viewership seems to rise each year.

As popular as the NFL’s biggest game may be, it doesn’t come close to being the most watched sporting event in the world.  That distinction is held by the Tour de France, which attracts massive audiences each year.  (3.5 billion people!)  The FIFA World Cup is right behind with 3.3 billion viewers, the Olympics with over 3 billion, and the Cricket World Cup with 2.6 billion. 

Those are staggering numbers! 

Why do sporting events draw such attention?  Why are they so emotionally compelling to so many people?  I believe Tom Guarriello explains it well in his article, “My Favorite Things: What Makes Sports So Popular?” 

I think the question of the emotional appeal of sports can be looked at from several points of view.  The first, and most common, is that team sports are tribal contests/rituals.  We identify with a team, whether it represents a country, a city, or a school, and invest a part of our identity…our self…our hopes of success and fears of failure, in the performance and achievements of these teams.

But the spotlight that sports shines on individual performances in structured, competitive situations…games…is another part of what makes sports so appealing for so many people.  One individual, in one moment, can make the difference between (maybe, a lifetime of?) triumphal exhilaration or inconsolable despair!

And, this is one of the most compelling aspects of competitive sports: what’s happening is real; what’s happening is now; and what’s happening will never happen like this again. Those who watch are witnessing history made live.

This uniqueness raises the possibility that every sporting event could be a captivating, memorable emotional experience.  Sports fans will always have a chance to see something happen (an impossible play!, a monumental blunder!) that elicits genuine emotions and feelings, sometimes joy and exhilaration, other times anger and despair.  Intense emotional experiences are always possible in sports.

This contrasts sharply with the mundanity of normal everyday life.

Which helps explains the allure of sporting events, and why so many watch.  Nor is this anything new!  Sporting contests and their popularity go way back in history.

So it should be no surprise that the Holy Spirit uses the illustration of an athletic event in the Scriptures to picture a spiritual truth.  Multiple times, actually.  And this is the most important … the most critical … contest ever.  At least for each of us as individuals. 

The event?  A believer’s spiritual race.

The challenge?  To avoid any obstacles that might keep him or her from finishing.

The goal?  To win the prize.

The prize?  The crown of eternal salvation.

Here’s how the Apostle Paul describes that race: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25).

This race of faith is challenging and ongoing.  It’s not a 100-yard dash but a life-long marathon fraught with distractions and difficulties.  We must persevere to win the prize.  Thankfully we have some significant supporters.

The writer to the Hebrews adds another dimension to this spiritual race that perhaps we don’t often consider.  He reminds us of the spectators – the men and women of faith who have gone before us.  Not that they are necessarily watching us literally or specifically, but they are our “cheering section” nevertheless. 

They are the ones who have run the race before us and have persevered; they are reminders and encouragements to us that with God’s help, the race can be run and won.  These men and women of the faith are “in the stands,” eager for us to finish strong and gain the “championship.”

And these supporters are described as so numerous they form a great cloud that surrounds us.  (What a picture!) 

The writer runs through a lengthy and impressive list of those “looking on.”  It’s much more impressive than any of the athletes or celebrities attending a Super Bowl.  These are the warriors – the spiritual competitors – from the past. 

Abel, Enoch and Noah are there.  Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph as well.  Moses too, and a number of the “judges.”  David and Samuel also, and many, many others (Heb. 11)… including some whose race was extreme.  

“There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.  Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.  They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated — the world was not worthy of them.  They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.  These were all commended for their faith …” (Hebrews 11:35-39a).

What an encouragement when we think of these previous victors!  What motivation to persevere through the hardships, frustrations and temptations in our spiritual run!

And what a joyous shout must rise from this mighty mass of onlookers every time another runner crosses the finish line into heaven.  What a victorious roar reverberates through the halls of heaven each time Jesus places the victor’s crown on another soul!

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” … (and here’s the key to a victorious run!) … “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

The race to heaven is arduous.  Satan hates us and actively and viciously opposes us.  The world dismisses and discourages us.  Our sinful nature undermines us.  We need to focus on and cling to Jesus our Savior’s victory for us.  And we need the Holy Spirit to help us do so.

“Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees,” (Heb. 12:12) … your hearts and minds … regularly with God’s powerful gospel.  This is a very real contest … as is the trophy.  The race is temporary, but the crown lasts forever. 

It doesn’t get more intense or more critical than that. 

All of which is precisely why our spiritual race is the greatest “sports” spectacle of all! 

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Better than Baseball

Better than Baseball

I’ve always been gleeful about the game.  From my first introduction to baseball when I was very young to this very day, I love the sport. 

Some of my favorite memories of my childhood were connected to baseball.  Game nights in the downtown ballparks.  Players in their matching uniforms.  Stands full of family and friends.  Grandparents honking horns from their vehicles parked around the ballfield when their grandson (or someone on his team!) did something good on the diamond.  The thrill of the at-bat, of banging an extra base hit, or of delivering the pitch or making a play.  The excitement of victory; the deflation of defeat.  Fruit-flavored snow cones after the game that turned one’s tongue a brilliant hue, purchased from the vender ideally situated a short distance behind the backstop. Championship trophies two years in a row – trophies I still treasure.

Then there were the late nights as a grade-school boy listening to the play-by-play of the Detroit Tigers games … enjoyed on ear buds (though we didn’t call them that then), so that I didn’t keep my brother awake.  Or as a teenager, watching the games on TV … even the very late ones on the West Coast … despite having to get up early for the summer job.

As a father, I was privileged to spend approximately twenty years coaching my children’s baseball teams.  Precious times, those years!  And our teams even won some games and awards along the way.

There has never really been a summer in the last fifty or so years without baseball in my life, and rarely a day without at least a sprinkle of a game listened to or watched here or there.  When we moved to Washington, it was only natural to begin following the Mariners.  They’ve had some great moments through the years, but unfortunately not many of them.  Of course, there was the infamous drought; 21 years of never making it into the playoffs.

Until this year!  And not only did they make the playoffs, they advanced out of the wildcard round!  (Much to the chagrin of one of my sons who is a fan of the other team.)

But as I write this and post this, the Mariners are one game away from elimination by the largely despised (due to a cheating scandal) but extremely talented Houston Astros. 

Of course, I can’t know what will happen.  The Mariners may be bounced out of the playoffs in the very next game, or they may win a game or two.  They may even, against all odds, win the next three games and advance to the next round.

Along with all the other diehard M’s fans, I was bitterly disappointed at their first two losses in this series.  Especially since they led the first contest the entire way, until the victory was cruelly snatched away from them with only one out left in the game.

But here is the lesson the Lord taught me this week: it doesn’t matter.  It doesn’t matter in the least.  It really doesn’t matter at all.

Those who know me will accuse me of being hypocritical with that sentiment, because they know how avidly I follow the team, and how long I (and all Mariners’ fans!) have been waiting to see the team play in and win meaningful postseason games. They also know that I will continue to try to watch the games as long as they are still “in it.”

But I mean it; winning playoff games, advancing to the next round, even securing a World Series trophy is completely inconsequential.  As is virtually any other earthly pursuit in whatever area a person’s interests may lie.

Sometimes one needs something to alter their perceptions.  Sometimes God gives many “somethings!”

Like people you care deeply about receiving extremely bad medical news.  Or God-fearing people being taken suddenly from this earth.  Or families imploding.  Or grown children branching out into new careers or lifelong relationships, or moving to new residences.  Or the purchase of a new house 2,000 miles away hanging in the balance.

And even these things, while significant, aren’t the most significant things.  No, there are much greater priorities – in the lives of individuals, as well as in the arenas of families, congregations, and church bodies.  Souls are at risk and being fought over in the spiritual realms; eternities hang in the balance; life with the Lord in heaven … or not … is being determined.

So the outcome of the Major League Baseball playoffs is really inconsequential.  There are so many things in life that are so much more important … yes, that are better! … than baseball. Like Jesus our Savior and the victory he has secured for us.  Like the abundant blessings the Lord pours into our hearts and lives, and the hearts and lives of our loved ones.  Like the simple things in life … and especially the spiritual ones. 

The Lord tries to impress this upon us through the words of the Apostle Paul: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy —think about such things” (Philippians 4:8-9).

To me, baseball is great.  But God has recently reminded me that there are many things even better!  Thank you for the forced reassessment, Lord.

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A Challenging Past; An Uncertain Future?

A Challenging Past; An Uncertain Future?

Not to be overly dramatic, but the Seattle Mariners happen to be the team with the longest absence from the playoffs – by a large margin!  And not just in Major League Baseball, but in the top four men’s professional sports leagues!

The New York Jets (NFL) haven’t made the playoffs in 11 years.  It’s the same length of time with the Buffalo Sabres (NHL).  The Sacramento Kings (NBA) have missed out for 16 years now.  But the Mariners (MLB) drought extends to 20 years!

That’s two long decades!  A generation of time!  Over 252 months and an excess of 7,300 days of no post-season play!

The last time the Mariners made it, my youngest son wasn’t even born yet … and he’s about to enter his senior year of high school.  My second-youngest son was only 3 at the time and can’t remember a thing about their last playoff appearance.  He is now graduated from college and is actually working for the team.  Both sons essentially lived their entire lives without experiencing post-season play from their favorite ball team.

The “M’s” have come close a few times since 2001 (the last year they qualified).  In fact, last year they still had a chance to back into the post-season on the final game of the regular season … only to miss out again.  So the playoff drought continued for yet another year.

Wonder of wonders, as I write this, the team is actually holding the top position of three in the “wildcard” qualifiers, and their remaining schedule of games is judged by experts to be the easiest in the American League.  Furthermore, the team is finally at full strength.  (They’ve been playing without some of their better players nearly the entire season.)  So there is cautious optimism that maybe … just maybe … they can break this embarrassing streak.

But there’s a saying in “hardball” circles: “It’s baseball.” 

This brief, bland and generic phrase seems to say nothing.  But for those who know and love the game, the saying says it all.  Namely, that the game of baseball is incredibly fluky, uncertain and unpredictable.  Weird things happen.  Streaks of bad luck occur.  Injuries strike.  Slumps suddenly slam players or teams.  Contending teams can plummet from the heights and unexpected teams can rise up.

“It’s baseball.”  Which means no matter how good things may look at the moment, literally anything could happen in the next six weeks of the regular season.  The history of the Mariners has certainly born this out (in a negative fashion).  Their past has been challenging, and their future remains uncertain.

That’s the delicious beauty of the game … and the sickening reality.  No one can know what will happen on the next pitch, the next swing, or the next at-bat.  No one can predict the events of the next inning, the next game, or the next week.  The “experts” are routinely wrong, which is why the teams play each game to discover what will unfold.  And why one simply has to let the season fully unwind. 

Baseball is actually a microcosm of life.  Full of surprises (both good and bad!) and bound up in uncertainty.

However, there is one significant way that life is different than baseball.  At least different for Christians.

In baseball, one never really knows the outcome until the end.  In a Christian’s life, one always knows the outcome!  And, because of Jesus, we always win! 

To stretch the baseball analogy even further, as Christians we will absolutely have a joyous “post-season!”  Heaven awaits us!  No matter how challenging our “season” has been, our future is certain, and it’s delightful!

The Apostle Peter writes exquisitely about our certain hope for a wonderful future despite the difficulties we are currently enduring.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:3-7).

Who can know if the Mariners will finally make it to the playoffs this year, or if their reign of futility will stretch to 21 years?  I certainly hope they are still playing in October!  But that hope is a hesitant and uncertain hope.

My hope for heaven, however, is a confident one.  Not because of me, but because of my Savior who lived, died, and rose back to life for me.  (And for you too!)  So “let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).

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A Certain Hope

A Certain Hope

Twenty seasons of futility.  That’s how long it has been since the Seattle Mariners participated in Major League Baseball’s playoffs.  Their last appearance in the post-season was 2001. 

In case you missed it a few sentences ago, let me restate it – that’s 20 years and counting of no October baseball!  Or two decades; an entire generation!

My second-youngest son was only 3 when it happened last.  My youngest son, who will be a senior in high school this fall wasn’t even born.  No wonder they are both rather cynical when it comes to the Mariners.

This was supposed to be the year they competed.  The playoff spots increased by two, opening more opportunity.  Furthermore, the M’s general manager rebuilt the team, stocking up on fantastic young prospects.  They have nurtured those prospects for years, and in this off-season added several players with strong major league resumes.

Before the season began, Mariners’ office personnel, local sports talk hosts, the players themselves, and almost the entire fan base were certain this would be the year that their reign of futility would end.  And perhaps it will be yet.  (Last year they made an exciting run in the second half of the season, finishing just a few games short of qualifying for the post-season.)

But key injuries, performance setbacks from some of the young players, and underwhelming play by expected contributors with “track records” have the Mariners in fourth place in the American League West Division, and seven games back from qualifying for a wildcard berth.

As I write this, teams have played about 70 games, with approximately 90 games remaining.  Hope isn’t yet gone, but it’s waning.  At this point the climb into the playoffs for Seattle’s baseball team will be a daunting task.

A person’s favorite team having a strong season is anything but certain.  No matter who is making the team player decisions and how astute he or she may be, and regardless of how talented the players may be on the team, there is no sure thing in the MLB. 

Nor is there in life really.  Actually, in any aspect of life!

Injuries occur.  Unexpected events transpire.  Extenuating circumstances pop up.  Setbacks set us back.  The bottom line is that none of us are guaranteed a rosy tomorrow.  We aren’t even guaranteed tomorrow itself!

How wonderful it is, then, that as Christians we are guaranteed eternity in a heavenly paradise!

How do we know heaven is ours?  How can this wonderful sounding but seemingly abstract blessing possibly be a certain hope for you and me?

Because it’s handled by a Sure Thing … by the very Son of God himself!  Jesus secured a place in heaven for every single person who clings to him in faith! 

The recurring theme throughout Scripture is that Jesus saved us.  Salvation certainly isn’t something we sinners deserve, and we can’t secure it by anything we do.  Rather we deserve quite another fate.  The Bible lays it out simply and clearly: “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Let those magnificent words sink in and settle comfortably in your soul.  The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord!

Is it really possible that you and I who are imbedded in an uncertain life in uncertain times in an uncertain world can actually have a certain hope of heaven?  Yes!  It’s beyond “possible;” it’s reality!

“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life … I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:11-13).

Will the Mariners miss the playoffs for the 21st year in a row, and extend the longest streak of futility in all the primary professional sports leagues?  It remains to be seen.  Their future is uncertain.

Our future as believers in Jesus, however, is anything but.  We have at least one certain hope, and it trumps all others!  We are headed to heaven!  And when the Lord brings us across “home plate” and into our eternal home, we will see that certain hope fulfilled … forever.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you …” (1 Peter 1:3-4).

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Always in View

Always in View

For the first time in my life, I was on the jumbo screen at a major league ballpark!  It happened just a week ago.

It’s not like this was a “bucket list” accomplishment – a crowning achievement I always dreamed of doing – but it was a first nevertheless.

To be fair, my son was also on the screen.  In fact, he has already argued that the focus of the camera was on him, and not on me.  (He may be right.)  Though we were both clearly and closely displayed as the 30,000 or so fans in attendance sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the “seventh inning stretch” at the Seattle Mariners game.

If you have ever been at a stadium for a professional game, you have seen the shots of different fans on the huge “jumbotron.”  Almost without fail, as soon as the people displayed on the screen see themselves, they lose all semblance of self-control – typically jumping up-and-down, yelling at their companions, pointing wildly at the screen and waving hysterically. 

For the record, I did none of those things except yell at my son, “We’re on the screen,” and wave calmly.  (Okay, I guess technically that is actually some of those things.)

An interesting sidenote – and this is the absolute truth – I had already decided that evening that this week’s blog post was going to be about being on the big screens in ballparks.  And then we were actually on it ourselves!  I took that as an affirmation from the Lord that this should indeed be my focus this week.

The first thing we need to agree upon is this: people are always incredibly excited when they appear on the video screen at a stadium.  Without exception, the people displayed respond excitedly, joyfully, and animatedly. They beam; they preen; they smile; they gleam!  They strut and bounce and gesture excitedly.  They laugh.  It’s like they have never been happier; their day is made!  In fact, it almost seems as if their life is now fulfilled.

I realize those are some radical descriptions, but if you have ever watched the people displayed on the jumbo screen – and if you have ever been at a ballgame, you have indeed watched – then you recognize my descriptions are apt.

In fact, organizations realize that showing fans for all to see is one of the favorite parts of the ballpark experience.  Don’t do it and people would miss it.  Probably miss it badly.  Don’t do it and the team itself is missing out on a major fun factor for the crowd.

If you doubt the importance people put on the fans pictured on the giant monitor, consider this.  I found it nearly impossible to find any pictures of jumbo screens displaying people waving.  Locating pictures of almost anything usually isn’t difficult.  But I found virtually none of fans on stadium boards.  There were plenty of shots of players, but hardly any of fans.

I wondered why this would be.  My conclusion: everyone is watching the screen devotedly to see if they make it onto the screen, or to watch the antics of those who do make it, so no one ever takes the time to take any pictures of people on the screen!  (I’m not sure if that’s actually the reason, but that’s my theory and I’m sticking to it.)

So why are we even discussing this at all?  Why did I decide to center this post on the huge video boards at stadiums?  What struck me during the recent Mariners game is this thought: we are always on God’s jumbo screen!  We are always in his view!

What does that mean to us?  It means we can be extremely excited.  Animated even.  Joyful! 

No matter our situation, God has us in huge-screen focus.  Even if we are alone or lonely; troubled, struggling or discouraged; beaten down, exhausted and weak; uncertain, scared or in danger, the loving Lord has us in view.  And he doesn’t just watch us, he actively intervenes in our lives!

As the psalmist clearly states, “But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him [that is, honor him], on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them … We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.  In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name” (Psalm 33:18-21).

The concept is repeated throughout the Scriptures.  (See 2 Chron. 16:9, Ps. 34:15, Prov. 15:3, and 1 Pet. 3:12.)  The Lord’s loving eyes are always on us; we are constantly displayed on his personal “big screen!”

So wave to Him.  Jump up and down excitedly!  Overflow with obvious and abundant joy … always!  Because our loving Lord has you and me always in view.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Psalm 139:1-18

You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.

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Some Thoughts on “Field of Dreams”

Some Thoughts on “Field of Dreams”

One of my favorite movies is “Field of Dreams.”  Perhaps you are familiar with it?  If you are a baseball fan, you almost certainly are.  Even if baseball isn’t your thing, chances are you know of the film. 

The movie was released in the spring of 1989 and ended up with three academy award nominations.  Tom Hanks, who was originally approached about playing the lead role of Ray Kinsella but turned it down, felt strongly enough about the film that he predicted the movie could be “this generation’s ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’”  He may be right.  Just a few years ago, the Library of Congress selected the movie to be preserved in the United States National Film Registry as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Wikipedia describes the movie as an “American sports fantasy film,” which is as apt a description as any.  The film is a little of a lot of things.  It’s a love story.  It’s a bit comical.  It’s mystical.  (Definitely lacking in the theological department; Iowa is NOT heaven, though it’s nice enough.)  It’s a pursuing-of-outlandish-dreams story.  It’s a ghost story.  (Many “ghosts” actually!)  Certainly, it’s a baseball story.

But most of all, “Field of Dreams” is a story about lost opportunities with loved ones, and a deep yearning to have a second chance to reconnect.  Ray, the new farmer, has a hole in his heart because of the way he dealt with his father, John, when Ray was a young man.  His father was a huge baseball fan and a former player.  Through the baseball field he constructs in his corn field (at the urging of a strange voice he heard in the corn), Ray is finally able to “have a catch” with his father again, who has been dead for many years.  It’s a scene that often brings tears to the eyes of even the most stoic viewers.

And this scene and this concept is what has turned this film into a grand slam.

I had no idea that the original field where the movie was filmed was preserved, or that every year visitors flock to the field … ironically as the movie claimed would happen.  My oldest son informed me of its existence and that it was close enough to his home that we could road-trip there from his place.  Some of my family did that this Summer.  What a neat experience!  And, of course, I played catch on the field with my oldest and youngest sons (and my wife) … as did fathers and sons of all different ages all around us.

Annual visitors to the field were approaching 100,000 a year, but when Major League Baseball announced it was going to play an actual MLB game there on an adjacent field with professional dimensions and lighting, the numbers of visitors skyrocketed to an estimated twice that many people this Summer. 

That game, the “Field of Dreams Game,” was played this past Thursday by the Yankees and White Sox.  Perhaps you saw news coverage of the event, or even watched part of the game itself.  (The backdrop of cornfields beyond the fences was striking, and a significantly different look than what is seen at a typical MLB game!)  According to Fox who broadcast the game, it was the most watched regular season baseball game in 16 years with over 6 million viewers!

That’s the impact the movie had … and is still having.  Why?  Because human beings continue to struggle with their relationships, even those relationships with the people closest to them.  Sometimes especially with those people closest to them.  And so many people long to reconnect.

Perhaps at the very root of the yearning to reconnect with loved ones … especially parents and children … is the recognition in many that they are not connected with their Heavenly Father?  The hole in their heart is even deeper and more profound than any earthly relationship can fill.  There’s an intuitive realization that there is Someone so much bigger and more significant than even their parents, and that “Someone” is missing in their lives.

And ultimately, we all could be closer to our Heavenly Father than we are, couldn’t we?

Even Christians can sometimes feel distant from God.  The Lord is everything; we are definitely not.  He is almighty; we are weak.  He lives forever; we perish.  He is the Creator; we the created.  He is perfect; we are flawed.  He is holy; we are permeated with sin.  He is the Forgiver; we the forgiven.  The differences between us and the Lord are glaring, so even if we recognize God’s love, grace, forgiveness and kindness to us, we are well aware of our inadequacies.

But here’s the key to our relationship with God.  That relationship is not predicated on our own point of view, but on the Lord’s!

In the movie, it becomes clear that Ray’s relationship struggles with his father, John, were a result of how Ray was looking at things when he was younger; not the way his father, John, did.  The father deeply loved the son and longed to be closer to him.  However, the child was confused and resistant.

In the same way, the path to reconnecting … or connecting more closely … with our Heavenly Father must be traveled through our Heavenly Father’s perspective, and not our own.  We must listen to what he says instead of to the yammering of the world, and even especially of our own sinful natures.

What does our Heavenly Father state about our relationship with him?  Quite a lot, it turns out!

Our Father created this world we live in (Gen. 1:1), and he created us too (Malachi 2:10).  And even though we have turned against him repeatedly, he loved us so much he sent his holy Son, Jesus, to save us (Jn. 3:16-17).  And make no mistake about it, our Heavenly Father still loves us (Jn. 16:27).  He has blessed us with an abundance of “good and perfect” gifts, including spiritual birth through his Word (James 1:17-18), and he continues to “graciously give us all things” (Rom. 8:32).

When reflecting on our Heavenly Father, Peter was moved by the Holy Spirit to write these words, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you …” (1 Peter 1:3-4).

What a Father!  He’s a Father who blesses us here on earth, but who has even greater blessings waiting for us in heaven!

He’s a Father who dearly loves us and is totally invested in having a relationship with us.  He is always near us (Acts 17:27), always watching over us (Ps. 139:1-8), always guiding us (Ps. 139:9-10).  He longs for us to hear his soothing voice in his Word, which helps us recognize his closeness to us and rejoice in our relationship with him.  Because when we listen to him, then the holes in our hearts begin to be filled.  Then our Father can draw us closer to him and better embrace us, support us and uplift us.  And then he can also begin to bless and reconnect our relationships with other people as well.

Avoid regret; jump confidently and whole-heartedly into the arms of your Heavenly Father.  His arms are safe and secure, and are eager to wrap us close to himself – to the One who is always present, always faithful, always loving and always kind.

We happen to have a wonderful Father.  And by God’s grace we happen to be his children.  Not just kind of or a little bit his children, but totally!  As John exclaims, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1).

The Lord’s Field of Dreams really is where dreams come true.  And not just for a moment, but for eternity!

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Hope Springs Eternal

Hope Springs Eternal

I am almost giddy with joy. 

Baseball is beginning!  Major league players are reporting to their spring training facilities, and practices are under way.  Games will follow soon.  Along with the amount of daylight increasing daily and the daffodils stretching from the ground, baseball is one of the wonderful harbingers of Spring. 

When “the boys of Summer” report for duty, it’s a sure sign Summer isn’t far away!

And after the last year, who of us isn’t ready for some fun in the sun?  Some enjoyable distractions on the ballfield; the sounds, sights and smells of a ballgame; some social gatherings at the ballpark?  (Well, hopefully anyway!)

On top of just the exaltation that baseball is back – and it seems it’s back for a full season this go-round – there is the added excitement that this is the year my favorite team, the Seattle Mariners, are going to win our American League West division!

At which any of you who are even a little informed about the Seattle Mariners are probably rolling your eyes, shaking your heads, and possibly even guffawing out loud.  The Mariners have the distinct dishonor of being the only MLB team that has never even played in the World Series.  The only one!  In addition, they currently own the longest playoff drought of any major professional team.  Not just the longest drought in baseball, but the longest drought of any team in MLB, the NFL, the NBA, or the NHL!

Consequently some (most? all?) will take exception to my prediction of the Mariners winning their division and breaking their playoff absence.  To which I reply with the aged and sage proverb, “Hope springs eternal!” 

And nowhere is that expression more true than in regard to one’s favorite baseball team!  (Especially if one’s favorite team happens to be the Mariners!)

“Hope springs eternal” is actually an abbreviation of a line written by Alexander Pope in “An Essay on Man” in 1732.  The entire phrase was originally “Hope springs eternal in the human breast.”

The concept, of course, is that humans long for, search for and even manufacture hope.  We need it, want it, and have to have it.  Our tendency is always to somehow, somewhere, in some way uncover some kind of hope.  We will cling tenaciously to hope against all odds because existence without hope is a shallow existence.

Unfortunately, this sin-shattered world excels at undermining hope.  Perhaps that’s why we are so desperately and constantly seeking a semblance of hope?  We recognize that hope tends to be frail, finicky and fleeting.

Which is why, I’m convinced, the Bible speaks so adamantly and repeatedly about hope.  Not about the uncertain hope this world offers, but rather about the certain, immovable, unchangeable, persevering, everlasting, rock-solid, count-on-it-no-matter-what hope that God gives.

If God says it, God must do it.  If God makes a promise, God must keep it.  If God offers words of hope, he must stand behind them.  Which makes the hopes that God gives us absolutely reliable.

The list of God’s hope-giving promises is long!  His assurances encompass his love for us, his redemption accomplished for us, his daily care of us, and his eternal reward for us.  And so much more!

 “Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).  To which the writer to the Hebrews adds this encouragement, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).

Wherever the Bible addresses the hope that God gives us, we should add the word “certain” to it.  Not because it sounds more encouraging that way, but because it’s true! 

Let’s try it and see what that sounds like.

“We wait in (certain!) hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.  In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our (certain!) hope in you” (Psalm 33:20-22).

Now that’s a (certain!) hope that truly springs eternal!

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Idle. Idol?

Idle. Idol?

Much (most even?) of the busyness of society as we know it has ground to a halt.  Shut down and on indefinite hold.  Not happening.  Idle.

Which means many of the typically taken-for-granted, do-on-a-whim resources weren’t/aren’t available.  Not to mention the recreational activities we commonly resorted to for relaxation.  Social distancing definitely distances us from our usual socialness!

I am convinced that the Lord is accomplishing an abundance of “God-things” through this pandemic.  I suspect that at least one of those “God-things” is forcing Christians to recognize the idols they have surreptitiously fostered in their hearts.

When one suddenly can’t do the “usual” he or she has usually been able to do whenever they wanted, or enjoy the activities they usually expect to enjoy, it forces one to take stock.  “What really are my priorities?”  Or perhaps more accurately, “Oh no!  THESE are really my priorities!  These are really my (gasp) … idols!”

An idol isn’t just a statue on a mantle.  More often it is the focus of our heart; the center of our secret adoration; the driving force behind our thoughts and actions.

Chances are that our idols aren’t typically front and center in our hearts where they are easily discerned.  Rather, they likely reside in the back corner of our souls, nestled in the shadows and hidden behind curtains of denial.  We are generally pretty adept at fooling ourselves.

But now a pandemic and the resulting restrictions have brought so much to a halt, yanking the curtains of denial open and shining light into the shadows.  “The idle” has revealed the idols.

So what has “the idle” revealed to me about my idol? 

How transparent should I be?  They say that confession is good for the soul, (and the Bible says it is so), but this is difficult for me to share.  It’s difficult enough for me to wrestle with privately, much less to broadcast.  But here goes:

The idol revealed to me by “the idle” is … baseball.  As in, “Yes, I know the disease is highly contagious and potentially deadly, but you can’t cancel baseball!”

I assure you I was never that callous.  But my heart grieved that my son was going to miss his first high school baseball season, and I was devastated that the Major League Baseball season was postponed and potentially cancelled.  Baseball has been one of my “go to’s” to get away.  The Lord shined some much-needed light into my soul and showed me something I needed to face.

I’m not proud of what was there, but I am thankful that I was able to address it and, with God’s help, reset my priorities into a more proper alignment.

Perhaps “the idle” has illuminated your own idol or idols.  Or maybe your secret god is not affected by the virus?  (That doesn’t mean you don’t have one or two.  You almost certainly do.)  Another sobering thought is perhaps the idol that is revealed may not be your only one.  (I suspect I have a few more lurking in my heart.)

God’s first commandment to us demands, “You shall have no other gods.”  It’s his First Commandment – not only because the Lord wants to stress that he expects to be our only God, but also because we are so inclined to establish other gods in our hearts.

So how do we deal with our idols?  Pages could be written on this.  However, I’ll attempt to keep it simple.  Let’s call the process the “4 R’s.”

We recognize both our false god/s and the real One.  Only the real One belongs in our heart!  “Whom have I in heaven but you?  And earth has nothing I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever”  (Psalm 73:25-26). 

We repent.  We admit our idolatry, we turn to the Lord in sorrow over our sin, and we rejoice in our forgiveness through Jesus.  “The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).  

And finally, we revise our values.  Not just because we have to, but because we want to.  Not just temporarily but, with God’s help, permanently.  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ …”  (2 Corinthians 5:17-18).

The true God is in actuality the only God!  He should be the only God residing in our heart as well.  Thankfully, the only true God is also an exceedingly gracious God!

Thank you, Lord, for your forgiveness.  Thank you also that through “the idle” you reveal the idol.

I would be extremely interested to hear if you had any idle/idol revelations as a result of our current situation.  Please share!