“When a theologian is asked to yield and make concessions in order that peace may at last be established in the Church, but refuses to do so even in a single point of doctrine, such an action looks to human reason like intolerable stubbornness, yea, like down-right malice. That is the reason why such theologians are loved and praised by few men during their lifetime. Most mean rather revile them as disturbers of the peace, yea, as destroyers of the kingdom of God. They are regarded as men worthy of contempt. But in the end it becomes manifest that this very determined, inexorable tenacity in clinging to the pure teaching of the divine Word by no means tears down the Church; on the contrary, it is just this which, in the midst of greatest dissension, builds up the Church and ultimately brings about genuine peace. Therefore, woe to the Church which has no men of this stripe, men who stand as watchmen on the walls of Zion, sound the alarm whenever a foe threatens to rush the walls, and rally to the banner of Jesus Christ for a holy war!…C.F.W Walther

Baseball has always been a favorite sport of mine. I never was very good at playing it. I still can’t throw a ball very well. But I do love watching baseball. Whether it is the Cardinals or Zach’s baseball team, I enjoy watching and admiring the players do what I never seemed to be able to do well. Oh, I also enjoy watching Rachel play softball, but it’s a different game and quite unlike what you get in baseball.

The last few Springs I’ve taken the time to watch the classic documentary series by Ken Burns that was on PBS many years ago simply called Baseball. If you’ve never had the opportunity to watch it, I encourage you to do so. It’s quite lengthy (about two to two and a half hours per episode). There are nine “Innings” or episodes to the documentary. It begins with the roots of baseball through the turn of the 1900s, then an Inning per decade until you reach the 70s and 80s which are also combined. It’s packed full of names you may never have heard of and feats of talent that will make the baseball lover in you turn green with envy.

One of the things that I love about baseball is how it endures and continues without much major change. The rules are pretty much the same as they have always been since the beginning, with the exception of that dastardly thing called the designated hitter (don’t get me started on that). Through two world wars and a conflict or two thrown in for good measure, through the Great Depression and other economic downturns, through scandals and owners blocking out African-Americans and treating its players no better than slaves, through all sorts of things that could destroy anything else, baseball survives. And you can see the joy that it gives to the players, the fans (especially the kids), the young and old alike, baseball has a way of making things better, if only for a few hours (or longer if you go into the 20th inning).

Baseball is that thing that sometimes frustrates you to the breaking point. The decisions that a manager or player makes (or doesn’t make), the inability to “catch a break” with a hit, or to see the opposing team get that hit that just seems to barely get over the fielder’s glove can be maddening. But then you see that catch that no one thought could be caught, or you get a double play when it is needed most. You hear the sound of a bat that connects to a hard-hit ball that sales over the fence, and everything is right in the world once again.

You see, baseball is all about getting home, and not just getting home, but getting home safe. To make it home safely, where your friends greet you with a clap on the back, a high five, or an exploding fist (something that Zach taught me). That’s what we all really want. To be home safely with family and friends who love and care for you, no matter what you have done in the past. Is there anything more enjoyable than baseball?

My brother John was my best man and kept me mostly under control that day. He bought me a yo-yo as a gift to keep me occupied. Learned how to walk the dog that day. The sermon had a story in it about how to get along with other kindergartners in the sandbox and related that to how you can get through a marriage. Don’t remember the details, but know that the best way to make a marriage long-lasting is to remember that a marriage is an image of Christ and the Church. You have to practice repentance and forgiveness often. And don’t be afraid to let your kids see it in action.

A couple other notes about that day…

1. We were the last couple to be married in the old sanctuary at Carmel Lutheran Church. Last time I looked, the altar we stood before now has a basketball rim, though this may have changed. I haven’t been in that room in a while.
2. There were three other couples that were married around the same time. We were all in the same young adult group and were close friends.
3. The music that we had in our wedding would not be allowed in any marriage that I would perform today. I don’t remember exactly what they were (I’ll have to watch the video again tonight), but the last time I saw the video I remember thinking they didn’t put Christ as the center of the marriage.
4. The gifts I gave to all the groomsmen were tennis shoes. I hated the rentals that came with the tux and got them so that I could change shoes for the reception.
5. The reception was a buffet meal with an open bar. The bartender must have thought me a lush. I must have gone up for twenty or so beers. Thing is, I probably didn’t have but two or three beers the whole night. They must have assigned someone to grab the beer the minute I set it down. Take a sip, then a quick picture and, “Hey, who took my beer?”
6. Our honeymoon was in Hawaii. Was absolutely beautiful there. Almost lost my ring in the sand the first day. We were supposed to go snorkeling, but there was an earthquake on the West Coast that week and the waves didn’t allow us to go into the cove. Still enjoyed seeing dolphins and whales from the rubber boat, though. The helicopter tour was awesome and the Mai Thais were fresh and delicious.

Speaking of Hawaii, we were planning on going back for our fifth anniversary. By then I was at the seminary with two kids and a third on the way. “We’ll go at our tenth” we said. Then I was in my second parish, with four kids and things just didn’t work out. We still haven’t made it back, but still hope to do so some day. Maybe the twenty-fifth!

Carolyn, I love you more now than I did twenty years ago! May God continue to bless our union for another twenty or forty years!

Rachel also finished a good year of basketball. She didn’t start a lot, but got in a lot of playing. She’s tough on the defensive end and works hard whenever she’s playing. She’s done with school sports for this year, but will be busy with her new job at C&R (a local grocery store) as well as playing on a competitive softball team this spring/summer. I’m sure she’ll also play some softball and basketball this summer with the school programs as well. As usual, she’ll be busy.

Zach is had a good year playing basketball as well. He also wasn’t a starter, but also got a lot of play time. He was always the calm-in-the-eye-of-the-storm kid out there, always picking up the others on the team (sometimes literally) and leading the team by his actions. He’s now playing some competitive ball with some of the other boys. They’re learning what it’s like to play the big schools. Most of the teams they’ve played the last few weekends have had several players that are over 6’2″ tall and weighing 180. They’ve played hard though and we’ve received quite a few comments about how well Zach has played. He’s running track (1600 Meter) this spring as well as playing on his competitive baseball team this spring/summer.

Becca also didn’t get a lot of playing time in her first year of basketball, but also played well. She was always good for several baskets and rebounds and is starting to get the hang of playing defense. It’s all in the footwork! She’s been playing on a competitive volleyball team for the last month and has had several tournaments. She’s the tallest on the team and does quite well up front. She’s also one of the better servers on the team putting in 80-90% of her serves. Volleyball is going to be her sport. She’s also started up in track. Don’t know what she’s going to do. She’s got that Etzler speed, so she won’t run sprints. She doesn’t want to run distance, so it looks like she’ll be doing some jumping.

All in all, Carolyn are quite proud of our kids accomplishments and enjoy watching them play in their various sports. We’ve been blessed with good kids who respect the others they play with and against, as well as the coaches and teachers. God is truly good.

Carolyn and I are slowing down for a little while. I’m still working full time at CTS as well as part-time at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. It’s Lent, so we have services every Wednesday night, confirmation on Sundays after church, as well as other activities. The storm will begin again later this month with Holy Week, at least three track meets a week, business trips, baseball, softball, basketball, Synodical convention, as well as a vacation thrown in.  Carolyn is putting in a lot of overtime lately trying to keep up with all the studies that ABC Labs. Maybe we’ll get some rest sometime. Like in five or six years when all the kids are out of the house!

I’ll try and post here from time to time to let you know what’s going on. You can also go to the blog I host of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church for a series on the Catechism.

So what will be discussed? Well, technology and how it can enhance a pastor’s work. It just started today and will transform many different times I’m sure. So if you’re into technology and how it can help promote the Gospel, or even help in your personal studies of Scripture, take a look and check back often. You  may even see me post there from time to time.

Setting up DNS can be a pain, and I’m going through some of that pain right now. Every change you make must replicate, which can take hours to days. Hopefully you’ll be reading this soon. If not, it may be a long afternoon.

Peace,

Andy