The month of August is nearly here and the Major League Baseball season is entering a key time as divisional races heat up with teams vying for an opportunity to get to the playoffs and hopefully the World Series. Someone once said to me, “There is a lot of grace in baseball.” Another person once even so boldly said, “You’ll find more grace in baseball than you will in a typical Christian church.” There is grace in baseball. The spiritual parallels are so many that there was even a book written several years ago called The Faith of Fifty Million. It contained stories from the history of baseball; the title taken from a statement once made by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In baseball, second chances exist; forgiveness and comebacks are many. People once thought to be lost return. I think of Josh Hamilton who plays for the Texas Rangers and is one of the top hitters right now. He had dropped out of baseball a few years ago because of his drug addictions. He looked like he had wasted his opportunity to play. However, he turned his life around, came clean from his addictions and is now a top player. He also uses his past experiences to encourage kids to stay away from drugs.
    Another example of “grace in baseball” is pitcher Zach Grienke of the Kansas City Royals. In 2006, he decided to quit pitching even though many people believed he would eventually become an ace pitcher. It turned out that he suffered from depression and anxiety. He sought treatment and came back. In 2009 he won the Cy Young award as the American League’s best pitcher.
There is grace in baseball: players written off are given new opportunities. Errors and failings can be erased. Sometimes it all happens in the same game. Bob Brenley of the San Francisco Giants set a record in a game in 1986. He made four errors in one inning. He also hit the game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game for the Giants.    
There is grace in baseball. It must be so. The players are human beings. There are sins, errors, omissions, misjudgments…and forgiveness. I would hope that people would also be able to see and say, “There is grace in the Christian church.” After all, our central message is one of grace and forgiveness; of new life and lost being found.   
So it is in I John 1:9 we read: “If we confess our sins, he (Christ) who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Or think of Ephesians 2:4-5: “But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved…”
There is grace…We want people to be able to see, know, and experience the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. And maybe Sunday worship is like opening day: last season’s standings are left behind and hope springs eternal.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!