Dr. Fred Kimball Graham is an associate professor emeritus of Emmanuel College. He is well known in the United Church because of his role in the development and publication of “Voices United” and “Celebrate God’s Presence.”
Sunday, July 29, 2018 Dr. Fred Kimball Graham 13:15: “How many loaves do you have?”
Best listened to with headphones.
A few years ago one of my colleagues told me about the sermon she was preaching on baseball. As a devoted Blue Jays fan, she brought insight to her discussion of the connection between the two. My own childhood experiences of baseball (attending long and seemingly incomprehensible Jays games, and being a last pick in gym class, with good reason) means that baseball is not my personal sport of choice.
However, baseball might be the most written about sport in its connection to religion – from comparing themes and values in baseball to the Christian faith to describing baseball as a religion in its own right, there are both superficial and complex analyses of their links. If you’re interested in the topic, you might already know that there are multiple books written about this – Crossing Home: The Spiritual Lessons of Baseball by James Penrice (1993), And God Said, “Play Ball!”: Amusing and Thought-Provoking Parallels Between the Bible and Baseball by Gary Graf (2005) and most recently Baseball As a Road to God: Seeing Beyond the Game by John Sexton (2014). You can also buy books of baseball devotions, such as Steal Away: Devotions for Baseball Fans by Hugh Poland (2006), and Playing with Purpose: Baseball Devotions by Paul Kent (2015). I can’t tell you whether any of these books are worth reading, but the number of books alone suggests anything I might write only scratches the surface. I will leave you with a few insights though: …
July 22, 2018 – 13:20: Guest Preacher Awit Marcelino – Reflection on Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
It’s the FIFA World Cup season. We’ve just finished some interesting semi-finals (and really this World Cup has been full of surprises all along…) and for those looking ahead to the final on Sunday morning, you might be considering whether to watch soccer or attend worship this week. If you decide on church, of course, you can watch highlights of the game (or the whole game) later. If you decide on soccer, you can listen to the sermon online. Soccer is a compelling sport in many ways, from the endurance required (with a maximum of three substitutions, most of the team is running for an hour and a half – at least – and still expected to display other skill) to the equality of access (anyone, anywhere in the world, can play if they have a ball, or something ball-like) and global appeal compared to many other sports.
Of course, soccer may not be your cup of tea, but many of us have at least one team sport that we follow with an attentiveness that could be described as religious – or spiritual, if you’d rather be Spiritual But Not Religious.
Actually, …
Emily’s Weekday Wondering – Sports, Spirituality and the World Cup for SoccerRead More »
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