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I love baseball. I would even go so
far as to say it is my favorite sport. I  learned
to play baseball as a child from my brothers and sisters. One of
the good things, and there are many, about being part of a large family,
is you have enough players for a good game of baseball. Later on
in life, I began to become a football fan, but I never lost my love for
baseball. In the years before I began the study of Religious
Science, back when I was a practicing Catholic, I would go to church on
Saturday evening so that I could watch the morning televised games on
Sunday.
Baseball is a good family sport.
People of all ages can enjoy it and I believe that it is important that
families have activities that everyone can share in. Just like
church ... everyone can share in attending church ... it's a good family
activity ... and depending on the minister ... it can be just as
interesting, entertaining and thrilling as baseball. I
am not kidding.
Like a good game of baseball, a
good message from a minister at church can get you excited, enthusiastic
and ready to "get going" and do something more in your life.
When we finish watching a baseball game where our favored team wins ...
we all feel like we are part of the win ... we feel like winners!
And that is exactly how we should feel when we leave church on Sundays
or Wednesdays ... whenever it is that we go. We should feel like
we are "winners" ... that we are moving into greater and
greater success and happiness in our lives ... we should feel like
whatever it is that we have to do ... we won't "strike out"
... we will win at the "Game Of Life!" And no matter
where we are at in Life, we don't have to be in any hurry ... or get
worried that we may have lost a few hits ... we are destined to make a
"home run" in whatever it is that we seek to do ... because
God has already given us everything that we need ... to do it!
Now ... church,
unlike baseball, must be actively participated in ... it is
not a spectator sport ... and after we hear an inspiring message
we must be willing to put what we have learned into practice ...
otherwise, we will lose that "winning" feeling. And,
unlike baseball, we never lose ... everything that we do will benefit us
at some point in our lives ... even if we "foul" out more than
a few times ... we will still get a "home run" ... why?
Because God has created within us the ability and the intelligence to
succeed in whatever it is that we are to do ... there is no failure in
God ... and therefore there is no failure in us. All we have to do
is make the effort to understand the rules of "The Game Of
Life" ... and the Principles that govern our activities and
experiences. Once we know the rules ... just like baseball players
must understand the rules of the game ... we can then play the game of
Life successfully, prosperously and joyously ... Life
is not a spectator sport ... Life is to be experienced ... more and more
of It every day ... so don't delay ... go to church ... you can
always catch the next ball game ... learn the rules of the "Game Of
Life" ... and before you know it you will be celebrating the
"best of times and the best of everything!"
And
So It Is! [photo:
Shawn Green, Los Angeles Dodgers]
Maximum Love,
Rev.
Hank Bates
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