Our all-star team played the first game of Sectionals last night. Chris pitched 6 innings, the whole team played solid defense, and we won, 9-4, against the winner of the Waco district. Tonight we play the winner of the Ft. Worth district. All our pitchers except Chris are available. (You’re required to have a game and a day rest if you pitched over 1 inning in junior league.) Our southpaw ace is ready to go. We’ll see . . . .
I wouldn’t trade this for anything. We could do without the 102 degree heat at gametime, but then it IS July baseball.
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Last night, former Highland member John Lackey pitched his second straight complete shut-out, lowering his ERA to 2.69.
Almost a complete alignment of the stars last night as the Abilene South All-Stars, the Cards, the Angels, and the Rangers all won. If the Astros had won and the Yankees had lost, it would have been a perfect night.
some day we will be reading, “Last night, former Highland member Chris Cope pitched his second straight complete shut-out, lowering his ERA to 2.69 betting the Yankees in game seven of the world series.”
Mike, is there any way to enlarge the picture? I’m sure we’d all love to see those darling faces.
BTW, my son’s 11 year old all star team won last night as well. We play today at 1pm. If they win they go to the finals which will be played at 10am on Sunday. What would you do? Skip preaching/worship for the game? I think it will be a no brainer if that morning comes. I’ll line us my substitute just in case.
….line up my substitute, I mean.
Paul Clark - in the church of my youth, it certainly would have been a no brainer. Where you were on Lord’s Day morning was the ultimate test of your loyalty to Christ. You and your son would be expected to be in church. Afterward, your son would be hailed as a great hero of the faith for having made the right choice.
Today, I find that line of reasoning pretty silly. But it raises another question. Last week, our elders contacted a number of families who have been absent for four consecutive weeks or more. They were amazed at the number of them who had kids who were on the “travel team” for a sport. While I don’t subscribe to checklist Christianity, I think these kids are being sent a powerful message by their parents: “sports trumps everything, including fellowship with the body of Christ.” Their primary social connection will be with their fellow jocks, not the church youth group. So where do you draw the line between involvement in sports and connection with the body? I know it’s off the topic Mike started on this thread, but I’d like to know how families make good choices here.
Disclaimer - my view is probably biased by the fact that as a boy I was usually the last one chosen for any team sport (with good cause; I didn’t want me on my team either). I struggled growing up with dozens of messages–even some from church–that told me that real men play sports, excell in sports, and grow up to coach their kids in sports.
But the Yanks didn’t lose, did they? I love that everyone is counting the Yankees out of the playoffs. And here they are playing some of the hottest baseball in the MLB beating one of the hottest pitchers in the MLB. Gotta love this game!
Mike, I know you as a wise man. Please tell me you aren’t counting the Yanks out just yet? In fact, what NL and AL teams do you think make it to the playoffs?
Joe…as a member of Red Sox nation, I keep looking in ther rear view mirror and see the Yankee bus getting closer. What a penant race we are in for during the rest of the season. Of course, I hope the B’s prevail.
Mark…for me it is a matter of balance. One missed game (or even a few during the season) will not cancel out my kingdom membership. Also, take out Sunday from the occassion, and I wonder if people wouldn’t give it a second thought to ask their boss (or take a personal day) for a day away to go see their child play in an important and character forming event?
“So where do you draw the line between involvement in sports and connection with the body?”
If worship is all of life why does a line need to be drawn? The fellowship of boys and girls being together, caring about one another, being good sports (apologizing when you don’t) sure beats the heck out learning about the missionary journeys of Paul and in the long run far more important.
I wish church exhibited half the sense of community found on a good sports (or other) team and by good I don’t mean undefeated.
Mike…I don’t mean to turn this into a philosophical discussion. Sorry. I celebrate with you and Chris. You are so right. There no need to trade this for anything!
Good luck, Mike (and the boys!) My Senior League All-Star Team won District 33 when I was 15 and then went and got double dipped at sectionals so you guys are already one step ahead of us. Enjoy these moments. They will stick with you (and make you smile) forever. Trust me, 8 years later.
Good luck in the game tonight.
KR
The whole church/sports debate to me boils down to how legalistic you want to be. If you follow the legalist view then you only can choose church. But this is not a healthy view for it leads us down the same path that led to the pharisees and all their acts instead of true faith. On the other side not going for weeks on end for sports is wrong too since it shows where God truly ranks in our life. While it’s important to be part of the world we also have to be part of the body to know Christs love.
As for MLB all I know is my Phillies are getting ready to have a fire sale and so far the buyer that comes up the most is the Yanks. Hopefully they can get the same results we’ve had for years with some of these stiffs.
Mike, As an elder - did we know 14 years ago when we hired you that you were not a Yankee fan?
Paul - I’d call Jerry Taylor, Highland’s associate preaching minister (and maybe the best preacher in Churches of Christ). Want to try reaching him?
Mark - You’ve raise a GREAT question. One I’ve thought about addressing. We’ve recently made decisions for Chris not to be on traveling (select) teams in soccer and baseball. We’ve tried not to say that the way we process this is the only way to process it.
I’m not interested in old legalism. This year, our league had a couple games on Wednesdays late in the season, and, of course, Chris and I were there.
But there is something about the discipline of church attendance (actual participation in a family of faith . . . the kind of thing that gives Hebrews 10:24f life!) that is vital. We believe that we’re forming a certain kind of person through such disciplines as this.
Someone told me that a couple years ago they heard two different teachers in Highland’s middle school program say: “God doesn’t care whether or not you attend church.” I hope something like that isn’t said again.
I understand the frustration with old legalism. (Remember the old judgment scene joke: “They’re not counting Wednesday nights! They’re not counting Wednesday nights!”) But why say that this spiritual discipline, this matter of community, this place of setting priorities in life doesn’t matter? Historically, I think you’d have to say that it DOES matter. A lot.
We want to be sure we don’t send the message to our son that we’ll be here at our church with our family of faith and in our classes if and when all our sporting needs have been met.
Mark, I’m sure many of your families are making sure they have a church experience (in another church or in a motel room or in an SUV). But that’s not what we’re really focused on. (In fact, if you weren’t careful that could sound more like the old checklist mentality.) We’re thinking about priorities, about true community, and about the larger understanding of spiritual formation.
Our deepest hopes for our son have nothing to do with playing soccer or baseball in high school.
(Again, I don’t mean to pass judgment on how others are processing this. This is how Diane and I are working through it.)
Jerry - Don’t try to make this a line of contention at Highland, brother. The anti-Yankee fans would rise up and fire you as an elder. (I know, I know, you’d love that. You’ve tried to find a way out for a long time, but we won’t let you!) Plus, it was 15 years ago. Which one of them did you snooze through?
Paul - There is a way to get that picture right, I’m sure. But right now I can only find two options: thumbnail and TOO STINKIN’ LARGE TO FIT ON A COMPUTER SCREEN. Greg, help . . . .
Joe - As long as there’s money in NYC, there is the possibility that the Yankees can buy their way back in the playoffs.
Thanks for the speaking the truth, Mike. The Yankees can and do buy their way back to the playoffs frequently. I think I’m a pretty nice person, but I DESPISE the Yankees! To me, what is a Yankees fan? It’s too easy! Yankee fan, “Yeah, my favorite team is the one that takes away other great players from teams that don’t have as much money by luring them with more money and fame. Oh, and people get to watch us ALL over the country since the networks always carry the Yankees versus whoever. And we get to have a ton of All-Stars because MONEY TALKS!” How easy is that! There are even subtle things about the Yankees that drive me nuts. The two ticket vouchers I have are good for all dates except when the precious Yankees are in town. Pitiful. It takes guts to follow a team like the Rangers. I mean, how many people could stay loyal to a team that lets great players like Pudge, Kenny and Delucci get away! And they even keep throwing Cordero out there to make a person crazy! NOW THAT’S A REAL FAN!!!!!!! Go RANGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, back to the original post… congrats to you, Mike and to Chris. Got a little distracted…..
Well…my son’s team just won on a bottom of the final inning walk off homer. Where is Jerry Taylor’s phone number?
True, the Yankees won last night, which at first glance seems disappointing. But it was in the service of a far greater good. They beat the White Sox, allowing my beloved Tigers to widen their lead in the AL Central to 3.5 games. Do any of you know how long it’s been since we’ve had major league baseball in this town?
Way to go, Chris! Caleb and I can’t wait to here about tonight’s game…
Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
We won again tonight, 6-5. Tomorrow night is the finals of the winners’ bracket. The winner gets Monday off and then only has to win one of two games (if the second one is necessary) on Tuesday. Lots of incentive to win.
Wow, funny to think about Chris pitching for All-Star Junior League teams when to me it still feels like yesterday that we were out in your front yard tossing the baseball around (and getting it stuck in the Porches’ bushes too many times to count!) Way to go, Chris! I’m proud of you, buddy!
Heather - You’re right. Chris and I always thought of the Porches’ yard as our outfield. It’s one of those rare baseball fields where the outfield is in much better shape than the infield (our yard)!
On a true discussion of MLB take a look at my post on the “Mets and Yankees…or do you care?” and then read the comments.
I’m stinkin’ tired of you guys complaining about how much our owner spends on the team. Until the rules change, I’ll want the Yankees owner to spend as much as he or she can to field a team with a chance at winning a championship. Don’t you want the owners of your favorite teams to do the same? Why wouldn’t you? Geez, get over it already.
Well, it’s Sunday, the moment of truth for you church-missing baseball freaks.
A word on missing “church” for a ballgame. As a kid, I was never allowed to, and this was the right decision at the time. My parents emphasized the importance of prioritizing time with the community of faith over other things, like baseball. Sometimes we were speeding from church to the ballfield with me changing in the car, but we rarely (if ever) missed church for a baseball game. (side note: I made the All-Star team twice in my Little League career. One year, knowing that All-Stars would conflict with Christian Camp, I declined the invitation to play with the team. That year, our All-Star team made it to the finals of the state tournament and nearly represented New England at the national level. I wasn’t happy about this one bit, but camp was awesome that year nonetheless)
As I’ve grown up in age and in the Lord, I have grown to see church more as a relationship, a way of life, a people than as a meeting that happens once a week. I think today, I’d go to the game on a Sunday morning (but might be a little slower to miss a meal with brothers and sisters around a table on Tuesday night). That’s just how my logic works these days. Since we are the church — and not a time slot on Sunday morning — church could be at the Little League game, if we let it.
Don’t hear me saying, “Everything is church,” because I still am a firm believer in regular assemblies for worship and discernment. But this is one Sunday out of 52, Paul, and provides the opportunity to teach a deeper lesson about the essence of “church.”
Oh yeah, and as for increasing the size of the photo, you may have to re-insert the uploaded photo into your editor. Make sure that when you click on the photo, it displays “view original” rather than “view thumbnail.” (you can switch that by clicking on “Thumbnail.” Then choose “send to editor”. You can edit the size of the photo from the editor. Just double or triple each number you see. Just make sure that whatever proportion you use is consistent between the length and width. Also, inserting “align=”right”" (with quotes just around the word “right”) will imbed your photo in the text, on the right.
Drop me an e-mail if this still isn’t clear.
I’m not for club sports at all!!! Way too serious and they miss almost every Sunday during season. (There was an elder at our church in the metroplex who had an amazing daughter all the way around~she played club soccer and was gone alot….that spoke volumes to me.) Kinda sad….. This is terrible for all those kids~~they are being taught by action what is important ~~soccer, baseball, volleyball~~whatever club sport you play~~oh and not to mention the thousands parents spend~way out of control in my opinion!!! P.S. My son plays little league and I’m a major sports fan, just not a club sports fan!
Sorry I got off topic!
Hope ya’ll win the finals!
lee
Lost last night (to the winner of the Dallas district) in the finals of the winners’ bracket. We play tonight in the finals of the losers’ bracket.