Reds Still In First - August 10, 2010

Daily Lectionary Readings for August 10, 2010
Psalms 57
Judges 13:1-15
Acts 5:27-42
John 3:22-36

Judges 13:1-15
Ranging a bit far afield here, but am a little captivated by the angel, or what appears to be an angel, that appears to Samson's mother and eventually to Samson's mother and father.  The angel tells them that Samson will be set apart and there are certain restrictions and in that sense it's got the feel of a very specific legendary story - it's about Samson.  Stepping back a bit - this is where the ranging around in the field comes in - who doesn't want to hear that their child is special.  That their child is set apart for something special by God.  That what they do as parents can make all the difference in their child realizing that potential.  We, any one of us, can be that angel - or sort of angel - speaking to parents and parents to be the truth that God has a plan for their child.  Not in an overbearing sort of way, but in a what an awesome gift God has given you and what a great part in the development of that gift you can play.  In short, most parents could live with a visit from an encourager.

Acts 5:27-42
Gamaliel makes such good sense.  Why, he asks, are we putting ourselves in the place of God.  If what the disciples are about is not of God, it will fail and if it is it can't be stopped.  "You might even be found fighting against God!" (v.39)  The argument carries the day.  So much of what we argue about individually and corporately in the church is spoken to by Gamaliel's argument.  Today we prefer sound bites and simplistic, easily understood arguments.  We want resolution and we want it now or sooner.  We find ambiguity to be intolerable.  Maybe a little more ambiguity isn't a such a bad idea.  Maybe ambiguity is somehow about finding resolution on God's timeline rather than on ours.

Reds Still In First
It is August 10, 2010 and the Cincinnati Reds, my Cincinnati Reds are still in first place in the National League Central.  The second place Cards came to Cincinnati last night to play the first of a three game set and on a whim at 3:30 in the afternoon I called Julie and said, "Let's go to the game."  She was agreeable, which as she pointed out later was a major step for her as this kind of thing is done by planning, not by just going.  Cameron and I jumped in the car, went by the office and picked up Julie and Eliza and made the two hur trip to the Queen City.  We got to the game and to our seats with about ten minutes to spare.  The crowd was really into it through three innings and it could have been great...except for the 7 runs the Cards put up in the top of the fourth.  From there on the fire just wasn't there.  It was interesting.  The elements were in place.  First place team and second place team.  A city hungry for their beloved Reds to do well.  A hot, but pleasant night resulting in 36,000 fans at Great American Ballpark.  What a scene the later innings could have been if the game had been competitive.  Did not happen.  The lead shrank to one game and folks began filing out around the 7th inning.  It was a fun night, it's always a good night at the ballpark, but it wasn't what it might have been.  Playing, in my mind, with how often life is like that - all the pieces are in place, but the outcome, the moment turns out to be not what we'd hoped for or expected.  This life thing is an inexact science.  We keep living and trying to put ourselves in position.  And sometimes, sometimes, sometimes it soars and shines.  Sometimes not so much.