Pastor’s Message

In preparation for our Lenten theme of Spiritual Spring Training, I made an amazing discovery. Did you know that major league baseball spring training began Wednesday, February 17 in Florida and Arizona?  February 17 was also Ash Wednesday when Christians around the world began the season of Lent.

Major league baseball players began their spring training practices on the same day that Christians began our spiritual spring training sessions to become more faithful followers of Jesus Christ. But not only that. The first official game for the 2010 Major League Baseball season is on Sunday afternoon, April 4. Sunday, April 4 is also Easter Sunday this year.  I find this incredible and unique that this year Major League Baseball began spring training on Ash
Wednesday and have their first official game six weeks later on Easter Sunday.  Major League Baseball spring training is exactly the same time frame from February 17 to April 4 as our Lenten season of spiritual spring training for the followers of Jesus.

St. Paul compares the discipline and training of athletes to the discipline and training needed for followers of Jesus Christ.  I like Dr. Gene Peterson’s way of paraphrasing Paul’s message from I Corinthians 9:24-25. Peterson writes: ALL GOOD ATHLETES TRAIN HARD. THEY DO IT FOR A GOLD MEDAL THAT TARNISHES AND FADES. YOU’RE AFTER ONE THAT’S GOLD ETERNALLY.

All good athletes train hard. When you watch Olympic athletes, or professional football, basketball or baseball players perform you know that they have spent hours and years training hard to become so proficient in their sport. If someone wants to be competent in a sport they have to discipline and train themselves for that sport.  In a similar way if we want to be competent and growing in our spiritual life, we have to discipline and train ourselves in spiritual disciplines.

During this season of Lent, I hope that you are finding ways to get more spiritually "fit" so that you might experience the living presence of God in your life more fully and live victoriously in the midst of the challenges of life.

Kent Millard, Lead Pastor