Cindy and I attended the
Nats/Diamondbacks baseball game yesterday afternoon at Nationals Stadium. It
was a rare 4:05 start time, but with a rain delay, the game did not actually
start until 5:05. Having arrived at 3:30 to get our seats and find the requisite
hot dog vendor, we found ourselves doing something neither of us have done with
any frequency...sitting outside in the rain. Now, sometimes we warmly reminisce
about the pitter patter of a gentle shower or the awesome power of a mighty
storm. However, when you are sitting in an open-air stadium waiting for a game
that's not going to start on time, trying to stay dry while eating a $9 hot dog,
it's a bit of a different experience. In the interest of full disclosure, I
must tell you that our seats were just under cover, so though the occasional
wind-blown drop did fall on us, we were mostly dry. The rain fell steadily for
over an hour and I wondered, though I didn't tell Cindy, a somewhat reluctant
baseball fan, that it could be hours before the game got under way. Around
4:20 the rain stopped and the ground crew sprung into action. As many baseball
games as I have attended over the years, this was the first time I witnessed
personally a ground crew preparing the field for play after rain. They began by
pushing the water off the tarp that covered the infield with big brooms.
Amazingly, the water was absorbed into the grass through what I am certain is an
expensive drainage system. These twelve to fifteen crew members each seemed to
have a particular task. Moving quickly and with purpose, they began rolling up
the tarp after the water was removed. It was the kind of thing you watch and
wonder, "how will they ever get that tarp back on the drum and under the larger
tarp that it rests under in good weather?" It's the same question many of us
have had when trying to fold a map or refit one of those inflatable mattresses
back in its box. These guys, of course, were pros. In just under forty minutes,
they got that field in great playing shape. What was a few minutes before a
soggy mess, now became a viable major league playing surface. The players hit
the field, the umpire yelled, "play ball!," and the stands, once empty, swelled
with enthusiastic fans. It's amazing what can be done when people work together
with purpose.
The same can be said for the church. In all kinds of circumstances, people
of faith gather to accomplish together what they could not do on their own.
Working side by side with purpose, brothers and sisters in faith meet the
challenges brought on by the storms and difficulties of life, strengthening the
community, empowering the church to answer Christ's calling to be salt and light
to the world around us. The task at times seems more than can be done, but the
blessings are worth the effort. VBS is just around the corner and serves as a
great example of what happens when we all work together. For just a few, this
would be an overwhelming undertaking, but when we work together, committing time
and resources, the job is done well. In recent years we have seen this affirmed
again and again during VBS week. This year will be no different. In ten days,
children will be welcomed, taught, and loved because a family of faith, led by
the Spirit of God, worked together to make it happen. Glory to God!
I look forward to seeing you in worship this Sunday as we focus on the
theme of liberty. See you then!
Jim Abernathy
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