On Base
Originally scheduled for September 22
We are now approaching the time of year when major league
baseball conducts its World Series. To get you ready for this, we
have chosen a trivia question for you. If you’re a batter, there are
eight ways to get on first base. Name them.
It is the nature
of the universe that some things have only one way to do them.
Everybody wants to get to heaven just like every batter was to get
on base. There are some interesting ways that have been thought up
as to how to do this. For example:
·
There is the guy who is convinced that because his name is
registered on the roll of the church, he has paid his dues and is in
the club.
· Then
there’s the Cosmic Jelly Bean Counter. He figures if he had licorice
jellybeans — bad deeds — all he needs to do is get more jellybeans
of, say, watermelon flavor. After all, God can count, can’t He? If
my good deeds outnumber my bad ones, I’m in the door.
·
Then there are those with no particular theory who are convinced
that they are good people, and good people go to heaven.
But
listen to what the Lord Jesus says:
Jesus said to
him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me.
(John 14:6 ESV)
He is the way because he has paid the price for our sins on
the cross. By his atonement he has opened the pathway to heaven —
the only pathway. Communion is the regular remembrance of this. We
are instructed to do this in remembrance of Christ. The bread
reminds us of his body broken for our sins; the cup tells us of his
blood shed for us. It is a solemn occasion during which one should
examine himself. Each of us must seek out the way, the truth and the
life. As one great saint put it,
“Without the way, there is no going.
Without the truth, there is no knowing
Without the life, there is no living.”
Oh, yes. How does one
get on base? Here are the eight ways that it can be done.
1.
Base hit
2.Walk
3. Hit by pitch
4. Fielder’s choice
5.
Reached on error
6. Dropped third strike
7. Catcher’s
interference
8. Fielder’s obstruction
