Aug 29 Devo - Rajai Davis and Speedy Alertness

Good morning, I'm the Rev'd Julie Golding Page for St. Patrick's Anglican Church. This month, our daily devotionals are from the world of sports. Today, we'll be talking about baseball and how some of its plays and players can help us understand our faith better.

Do you have a baseball player who's just plain fun to watch? It might not be somebody with the best record for hitting, or fielding. Just somebody who plays in such an entertaining way, that whenever he comes on, you drop everything and watch the action. For me, that player is the Toronto Blue Jays' Rajai Davis. His claim to fame is speed.

Whenever Davis manages to get on base, the real entertainment begins. It seems like a lot of the opposing teams don't know that Rajai Davis is super-fast, and so they sometimes don't pay much attention to him on base. That is a big mistake. Because he's so fast, that he's likely to have already stolen a base before anybody on the fielding team even sees him start running!

Davis's speed also means he can get many more bases out of a hit than most other players. For example, he can make it to first base easily on a bunt that would result in an out for most other players. And whenever Rajai Davis hits, the other team had better look out! Because Davis will end up on second or third base in the same time that other guys would take to make it just to first. It's as if he turns on the afterburners – you almost expect to see smoke coming off his heels, he runs so fast!

It's not just speed, though, that makes Davis a great base runner. It's also his ability to watch the action. He's always checking with his own team, like the first- and third-base coaches. Or he's taking note of what the other team is up to. Is the pitcher paying attention, or can Rajai Davis go behind his back and steal a base? How about the other fielders? Are they in position, or are they chasing a far-off ball that will allow Davis to make it safely to the next base? So he takes his superior skill in running, and he adds to it paying close attention to what's going on, so he'll be aware and not get picked off from keeping his head down when he should be looking around.

Rajai Davis' ability to keep his eye on the ball and the actions of his opponents reminds me of a verse in the Bible. Here's what 1^st Peter chptr 5, verse 8 says: “Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up.” The Message

We don't really like to think about the Devil being aware of our existence, much less that he's out there trying to get us. That sounds scary. But this verse reminds us that, just like Rajai Davis, we need to be aware of our opponent. If Davis didn't pay attention to the opposing team, he wouldn't be able to get to any base, let alone use his great speed to help him get ahead and steal a base. And the same will happen to us, if we refuse to admit the Devil's existence. It won't matter what we try to do, because there he will be, with a clear shot at us, because we aren't even watching for him. He's right there, in that little voice that tells you to do something you know isn't right. Or in that urge to neglect those things you know you need to do but don't really want to. He's there, all right.

But like Davis, if we do what this verse says – keep a cool head, stay alert, and keep our guard up – we'll be ready for the Devil's advances on us. And we'll be able to avoid him, just like Davis avoids his opponents who are trying to pick him off. Notice the verse doesn't mention anything at all about being afraid of the Devil. It just tells us to be aware of him. Elsewhere in the Bible, we find out why. James 4:7 tells us, “Yell a loud NO to the Devil and watch him scamper.” The Message Or as another translation puts it, “Resist the Devil and he will flee from you.” NIV That's it, so simple. To get rid of the Devil, we need not fear. All we need to do is be aware he's out there, and when we meet him, tell him to get lost. And he will! So today, let's remember the Devil's out there, looking for us. But let's be like Rajai Davis and do him one better. Let's watch for him, and tell him to get lost if we see him, so we can get on with our real business – living for God. For St. Patrick's, I'm Julie Golding Page.

Aug 28 - NHL Masks devotional

Good morning, I'm the Rev'd Steven Page, from St Patrick's Anglican church. Our daily radio devotionals this month, sponsored by the Hudson Bay Ministerial, take our images from the world of sports. Now, the world of team sports is full of images, things like drawings and logos and letter combinations that represent and symbolize a team. Things like the warrior head that the Chicago Black Hawks wear on their chests, or the S among grains of wheat for the Roughriders.

Hockey has a unique canvas for individual artistic expression through images. I'm thinking of the goalie masks. Almost every goalie in the league has a colourful and creative image on their mask, something that blends their team colours and logo with their own personalities or nicknames. There is nothing quite like it in any other team sport, is there? I mean, in football, the helmets all look alike, same as the hats in baseball.

Aug 27 Radio Devotional - Higher Cause

Good morning, I'm the Rev'd Steven Page, of St Patrick's Anglican Church. Our radio devotionals this month are sports-inspired.

Let's start with a question: what do Conn Smythe, Bob Feller, and Roger Staubach have in common? If this were a live broadcast, I might have a prize for “the 4^th caller with the correct answer.” But it's not, and I don't. Conn Smythe was the owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs from the 20s to the 60s, a time when the Leafs actually won 8 Stanley Cups! I wonder what that's like? Bob Feller pitched for the Cleveland Indians from 1936 to 1956, winning 266 games. Roger Staubach played quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 to 1979, winning the Super Bowl twice in that time.

What do they have in common? For one thing, they are all in the Halls of Fame for their respective sports. But they have another thing in common, too: Smythe, Feller and Staubach all stepped away from their chosen sports for a time to serve a higher cause. In particular, they all spent significant time with their country's military.

Aug 24 - Bautista All-Out

Good morning, this is the Rev'd Julie Golding Page for St. Patrick's Anglican Church. This month, our daily devotionals come from the world of sports. Today, we'll continue talking about baseball and its parallels to our Christian faith.

Like many Canadians, I root for the Toronto Blue Jays. They're my favourite team, and they have my favourite player - José Bautista. The 31-year-old outfielder hails from the Dominican Republic, and over the past couple of years, he's become a superstar for his slugging. In 2010, he set a Jays record for the most home runs in a season - 54 - and he had the most home runs in the Major leagues that year, too. Then last year, with another 43 homers, he led the leagues again.
As a result of all this, Bautista was selected by fans to be in the starting lineup at the annual All Star Game both last year and this year. The All Star game happens at just about the mid-point of the season, and it's an honour to be chosen. José Bautista set a record there last year, too. He garnered nearly 7.5 million votes - the most votes of any player selected last year, and he set a new record for the most votes given to any player, topping the previous record by more than 1 million.
You might think we're going to talk about home run hitting after all this, but José Bautista didn't stand out in that department at the All Star Game either year. Instead, he was noted for his excellent fielding skills, and giving his all to do his job well. His shining moment in the game last year was making a breathtakingly difficult catch in right field, sliding his way right up to the wall, and getting the out without dropping the ball. Sports broadcasters replayed that catch over and over, it was so impressive. Then this year, he did it again, this time making a rolling catch that looked impossible.
These catches would have been impressive anytime, but what made them even more news-worthy, was they were made at the All Star Game. Because this game isn't known for its hard-to-make plays. It's a match between the best National League and American League players, but nobody really goes out of their way to try too hard in the game. Because the only thing riding on this game, is home-field advantage for the two teams who end up in the World Series. Players are pretty careful and con-servative at the All Star Game, because they don't want to end up injured, when they go back to their own team and compete for what really counts - a chance to play in the postseason. The All Star Game is more a spectacle and a chance to have fun, than a real game. And so the players treat it that way.
But not Jose Bautista. He gave those outfield catches everything he had, even risking potential injury. He did his job and gave it his all - and the results, as they say, are history. Bautista's giving his all, even under circumstances that pretty much everybody would say didn't really matter, reminds me of something in the book of Colossians in the Bible. In chapter 3, verses 23-24, it says: "Don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you'll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you're serving is Christ."
These verses are actually written to slaves, but I think we can safely apply them to ourselves, anytime we're doing any sort of work - for pay, as volunteers, or at home. No matter what we do, it's not really our boss or our friends or our families or even ourselves that we're responsible to, although of course all those people have a right to having work done well, too. Ultimately, though, whatever we're doing, however we're spending our time, talents and money - God is the one we're accountable to. So a half job is never acceptable. Remembering this is especially helpful, when you're doing a job that doesn't seem to get any pay or thanks or even notice. Because we can be confident that God notices and appreciates our good work, even if nobody else does. And this can help us to get through unpleasant tasks, too. They're still worth doing, and God gives us his seal of approval for our efforts. So whatever work you find yourself doing today, be encouraged that God notices that you're striving for excellence. He approves of your thoroughness, creativity, persistence and cheerfulness in your daily work, whatever it may be. For St. Patrick's, I'm Julie Golding Page.

Aug 23 Sports Devo - The Great(er) One

Good morning, I'm the Rev'd Steven Page from St Patrick's Anglican Church. Our daily radio devotionals this month, sponsored by the Hudson Bay Ministerial, are sports-inspired. Today, let's talk hockey. It's a little early, I know. The NHL regular season doesn't start until around Thanksgiving. But even in the middle of summer, Canadian sports news is dominated by hockey.

Well, when he played, Wayne Gretzky dominated the sport of hockey. When you ask people what they associate with the number 99, I bet almost everyone would name Wayne Gretzky. His sweater number has even been retired by the NHL, so no team will ever use it again.

Gretzky famously wound up with the number 99 almost by accident. His boyhood hero was the great Gordie Howe, an awesome player in his own right. Howe held so many hockey records, including most goals, most assists and most points. He wore sweater #9, and the young Wayne Gretzky wanted that number. But it was already taken on his major junior team. His coach suggested he add another 9 and make it 99, and that was Gretzky's number ever after.

Aug 22 - MLB - Scuffs

Good morning, I'm the Rev'd Steven Page from St Patrick's Anglican Church. Our daily radio devotionals this month are sports-related. Today, let's talk baseball again. Baseball has always been my favourite sport. I'm holding in my hand a regulation-sized baseball. I love the feel of a baseball; it's all slick and shiny white, with the raised red stitching.

In sports like football or soccer, the ball is filled with air. But baseballs are solid, dense. If I were to dig out a saw and cut through the centre of my baseball, we would find that at the very centre, the core of the baseball is made with cork. Then around the cork come a couple layers of rubber. This rubber and cork core is then surrounded by yarn. Each baseball has hundreds of yards of yarn, wrapped around and around the centre. There may even be different colours of yarn, to show where the different layers are, with each layer using a different thickness of yarn.

The top layer of wound yarn is then covered with a glue, and the white leather cow-hide cover comes on the very top. The balls used in the major leagues are hand-stitched, with exactly 216 of these red stitches holding the two strips of leather together. And voilà! A baseball!

The way baseballs are made in North America, they are white and shiny, and kind of slick, a little slippery. That can make them a little harder to hang onto and throw them accurately. So before each game in the big leagues, the shiny new baseballs are rubbed down with some dirt and mud. Not a lot, but enough to reduce the slickness, and let the players get a better grip for throwing the ball.

For years, it was the job of the umpires to rub the dirt and mud by hand onto the balls. The umps never really cared for that dirty job, so they negotiated it out of their contract. Now, the job of rubbing down the balls before a game falls to one of the attendants at each stadium. But it made sense, since the umpire decides how long a ball is kept in play. Watch a game and you will often see the home-plate ump take the ball from the catcher and look it over. If he decides it's still OK, he throws it back to the pitcher, but if he thinks it's too scuffed, he tosses it away and gives the pitcher a new one. When a ball is too scuffed, it gives the pitcher an advantage, because its movement becomes more unpredictable, making the ball harder for the batter to hit.

Legend has it that, once the stadium attendants took over the job, the great Randy Johnson would slip an extra $250 to the attendant at his home stadium, if they would rub extra dirt and mud on days he was pitching. He wanted more movement, he wanted the ball to be harder to hit. Not that he needed the help! Johnson was a great pitcher, a 10-time all-star who won 5 Cy Young awards as the best pitcher in the league, and who led the Arizona Diamondbacks to the World Series title in 2001. He had a no-hitter and a perfect game in his career, and will surely enter the Hall of Fame one day.

A nice, new, clean, shiny white baseball is perfect, a thing of beauty. But the best players, like Randy Johnson, know how to make use of any little blemish and imperfection, ding and scuff on a ball.

It's kind of like our lives, isn't it? Over the course of living, we get lots of dings and scuffs. Some are small, some are large. Things like times of hurt or failure, of disappointment or pain. The good news, thought, is that God knows how to make use of the emotional, spiritual, even physical dings and scuffs on us. God was with us, God helped us come through those tough times.

And now, if we allow it, God wants to make use of those times of weakness, those times of pain, those hard experiences in our life, when we disappointed someone, even ourselves. God wants to put those bumps to good use. I bet there is someone in your circle of friends and family right now who is facing a similar challenge. Will you reach out to them, with God's help, and bring the love and light of Christ into their lives? If it sounds too hard, remember that “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Phil 4v13) Hopefully you were aware of God's presence in your hard times. Now go and share God's love with others, in their time of need. For St Patrick's Church, I'm Steven Page.

Aug 21 - RA Dickey & God-Given Gifts

 

Good morning, I'm the Rev'd Julie Golding Page for St Patrick's Anglican Church. This month, our radio devotionals, sponsored by the Hudson Bay Ministerial, are from the world of sports. They're available in video form at plaideggnog.blogspot.com. Today, we'll talk more about baseball and its parallels to the life of faith.

My favourite pitcher to watch is New York Mets starter RA Dickey.  He throws a strange pitch called a knuckleball, and it's so unpredictable that nobody knows exactly how it's going to spin or where it's going to land. Even the catcher is never sure where it's going, and he has to be on his toes to catch it every single time. That very unpredictability makes the knuckleball a very hard pitch to hit, too, so it's a real advantage for the pitcher and his team.

In one game this June, the Mets were playing against the New York Yankees. Despite being from the same city, these teams don't meet very often, since the Mets are in the National League and the Yankees are in the American League. So they don't know each others' techniques very well. That was pretty obvious when Yankees superstar Derek Jeter came to the plate, to face the Mets' pitcher, RA Dickey. Jeter was so surprised by the crazy way the knuckleball pitches flew toward him, that he ended up striking out. Afterwards, he shook his head in disbelief, as if to say, “What on earth was that?”

Now 37, and having perfected his knuckleball, Dickey's become quite a star himself in the Major Leagues. With his total of 44 1/3 innings without an earned run this June, he blew the previous Mets pitching record, of 31 2/3 innings, right out of the water. He also became the first pitcher since The Blue Jays' Dave Stieb, in 1988, to throw two consecutive one-hitters. And he's tied several other records this year, too.

All of this is very impressive for any pitcher, but especially for a knuckleballer. Because if you're a knuckleballer, chances are, you were pretty much a failure with regular pitches – like a fastball. Dickey is no exception to this rule. He was drafted in the first round by the Texas Rangers in 1996 and offered $810,000 as a signing bonus – which got reduced to a paltry $75,000 when it was discovered he was missing a crucial ligament in his elbow. It didn't get much better after that, because Dickey proved to be a pretty ho-hum pitcher for many years, going back and forth between the Majors and the Minors. Until he decided, nearly 9 years later, to work more on a weird pitch he called “The Thing.” That “thing” turned out to be a knuckleball – and this unique gift propelled him to become the excellent pitcher he is today, someone invaluable to his team.

Like RA Dickey, all of us have at least one unique gift , and probably several, to share with the other players on God's team, called the Church. In 1^st Corinthians chapter 12, we read “God's various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit. God's various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit...Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits.” (I Cor 12: 4-7 The Message)

For some, that unique gift is giving an encouraging word at the right time. For others, it's getting up and leading a service. For others, it's artistic talent, making beautiful things with cloth, wood, or photography, that can inspire others to say thank-you to God for the beauty they see. For still others, it's organizing an event to help their church or other people around the world. And for still others, it's simply being present when someone needs a friend. Not even words are always needed.

What might your unique gifts be? Like RA Dickey, you might wonder if you even have one. He found his particular talent by joining a team – in fact, it wouldn't make much sense for him to be a pitcher without a team. Likewise, we find our own gifts and talents from God thrive most when we're part of his team – the Church. Other members help us discover what they are, and encourage us to develop them more. Why not be part of God's team by getting together with one of his franchises – our local churches – this Sunday? For St. Patrick's, I'm Julie Golding Page.