Baseball, the Bible and the Trinity [1]
A Tri-logue (A Dialogue for Three People) [2]
A Tri-logue (A Dialogue for Three People) [2]
JOE: Tom Rasely! Did you know that strange as it may seem, the Bible is about Baseball.
TOM: Baseball? Baseball was invented by Abner Doubleday. And he invented it right over in Cooperstown, New York. Now, Abraham is in the Bible. But Abraham probably lived about four thousand years ago. Moses is in the Bible. But Moses probably lived about three thousand years ago. Jesus is in the Bible. But Jesus lived about two thousand years ago. And they all lived in what we today call the Middle East. The Middle East— that’s thousands and thousands and thousands of miles away from here. Even by jet, that would take better than a half a day to get there. Abner Doubleday lived in Cooperstown, New York, about forty-five miles away and by car it’s an hour from here. Now, legend has it that Doubleday invented Baseball there, in Cooperstown, in 1839. I know because I’ve been in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and that’s what it says, right there in the Hall of Fame. And if there is anything I know, it’s that 1839 is not thousands of years ago. 1839 is only about 170 years ago.
LINDA: Tom— Baseball is in the Bible. The first words in Genesis say: “In the Big Inning...”
TOM: Oh, yeah?
JOE: Yeah.
TOM: Well who’s on first?
LINDA: What do you mean?
TOM: All baseball players have funny names. And some of those names are even pretty strange. I mean, in the past baseball players have had names like Dizzy Dean. And Moose Skowron— he played for the Yankees. And today we have Joba Chamberlain— Joba Chamberlain— that name doesn’t sound like the name of a baseball player. That sounds like a character out of Star Wars. But a guy named Joba Chamberlain plays for the New York Yankees. At least when he’s not on the disabled list. Anyway, Charles Dillon Stengel— speaking of funny names— Charles Dillon Stengel is known to most people as Casey Stengel. And Casey said you can’t have a baseball team without a catcher— so let’s forget about a catcher and start on First Base. If the Bible is about Baseball, who’s on First?
LINDA: What do you mean who’s on first?
TOM: If the Bible is about baseball, what’s the name of the player who plays first base in the Bible?
JOE: What is not the name of the one who plays first base on the Bible baseball team.
TOM: I know that! Who’s on first?
JOE: Who is not the name of the one who plays first base on the Bible baseball team.
TOM: Can one of you please tell me the name of the person who is playing the position of first base on this Bible baseball team?
LINDA: I AM.
TOM: You play first base?
LINDA: No.
TOM: I didn’t think you were playing first base. So, who is the name of the person playing first?
JOE: I AM.
TOM: You play first base?
JOE: No.
TOM: O.K. We got that straight now. You’re not playing first. And you’re not playing first. So, who is playing first?
LINDA AND JOE (TOGETHER): I AM.
TOM: No. Wait! You can’t both be playing first!
JOE: No. We’re not.
TOM: So, who is playing first?
LINDA AND JOE (TOGETHER): I AM.
TOM: All right. You’ve got two people playing first base.
LINDA: No. You don’t understand. When Moses asked God to tell Moses what the name of God is so Moses could tell the people of Israel that name, the word God used to identify God’s own self was the Hebrew word Yahweh.
JOE: And the Hebrew word Yahweh is, in Hebrew, a form of the verb to be. Hence, the name of God is...
LINDA AND JOE (TOGETHER): I AM.
TOM: No. That can’t possible be right. No one can be named ‘I AM.’ It’s just too strange.
JOE: Hey! If someone can be named Dizzy or Moose or Joba, how can you say ‘I AM’ is a strange name?
TOM: Well, I guess you have a point. But I’ve heard people call God by a lot of names. I’ve heard God called Creator. I’ve heard God called the Light. I’ve heard God called Rock— now that name sounds like a baseball player— Rock. I’ve heard God called Father.
LINDA: Yes. God is called by a lot of names in the Bible. But of all those names you mentioned, Father is the one you will never find in the Bible.
TOM: What do you mean Father is not in the Bible. Didn’t Jesus teach the disciples to start a basic prayer to God with the words “Our Father...”?
LINDA: No.
TOM: What do you mean no? We said a prayer that started with the words “Our Father...” just a couple of minutes ago and I know Jesus taught that prayer to the disciples.
LINDA: No. The prayer Jesus taught the disciples was more personal and more intimate than that. Jesus told the disciples to pray saying “Our Daddy...”
TOM: But this is God! That sounds way too...too... too informal— “Our Daddy...”
LINDA: But that’s what it really says in Scripture in the original language— “Our Daddy.”
TOM: All right, so where did we get Father?
JOE: We got it from the Romans. They called their chief God ‘Father.’ So, the term ‘Father’ is not in the Bible. It just started being used because the Romans were using it for their god.
TOM: But the Romans worshiped a lot of gods; the Romans were pagans.
JOE: I think you’ve made my point. They were pagans.
LINDA: And since God is not called Father in the Bible, maybe we should just stick with the name Yahweh— “I AM.”
TOM: I AM is on first?
JOE: I AM is on first.
TOM: O.K. Who’s on second? Bet I got you with that one. Who plays second base on this Bible team? It ain’t ‘I AM’ is it?
LINDA: No. It ain’t I AM.
JOE: Jesus is on second.
LINDA: Today we celebrate the Trinity and in the Trinity Jesus is known as the Second Person of the Trinity. Jesus is on Second.
TOM: Oh, yeah? Think you’re smart with that one, do you? (Mocking.) Jesus is known as the Second person of the Trinity. So, Jesus is on Second. Well, I know my theology too. And Jesus had two natures. Jesus is fully human and Jesus is fully divine. So, maybe Jesus is not just on second. Nah, nah, na, na, na!
JOE: Shortstop.
TOM: What? Shortstop?
JOE: Shortstop.
TOM: Jesus plays shortstop.
JOE: You are right on that one, O grand inquisitor of all things baseball and Bible. Our Christian claim is that Jesus is fully human and fully divine. So, Jesus gets to play second. And Jesus gets to play shortstop too.
TOM: Who’s on second?
JOE: Jesus.
TOM: Who plays shortstop?
LINDA: Jesus.
TOM: But how can someone play two positions?
LINDA: Tom... it’s Jesus.
TOM: (Resigned.) Yeah.... fully human; fully divine.
LINDA: Right.
TOM: O.K. Explain that. Explain how someone can play two positions.
JOE: Tom... it’s Jesus.
TOM: (Resigned again.) Right. O.K. It’s Jesus. But you still have the hot corner! You haven’t got the hot corner covered yet!
LINDA: The hot corner?
TOM: Third base! Where you have to be ready for someone dropping down a bunt. Where the batters hit wicked shots right down the line! And you don’t have it covered! Wham! Crack! And there goes a line drive right over the bag...
JOE: Tom. Tom. Tom. Tom. You know who covers the hot corner.
TOM: I do?
JOE: You do.
TOM: (Pause.) The Spirit of God?
JOE: See? You do know your theology. The Spirit of God, sometimes called the Holy Spirit, sometimes called the Paraclete...
TOM: Hold it! Hold it! Hold it! That the Holy Spirit is called the Paraclete really proves the Bible is about baseball!
JOE: That the Holy Spirit is called the Paraclete really proves the Bible is about baseball?
TOM: Of course it does! The Holy Spirit must be wearing a pair of cletes.
JOE: Right. Well, the Holy Spirit is sometimes called the Paraclete, sometimes called the Spirit which is present to us, sometimes called the Spirit in our midst... the Spirit is there to handle all those bunts which might catch us unaware and all the hot shots down right the line.
LINDA: The Spirit of God is always with us. The gifts of the Spirit, the gifts God gives us are many: wisdom, knowledge, healing, prophecy, discernment. The Spirit of God is at work in our lives. And we can rely on the Spirit to guide us through life.
JOE: And our experience of God, the example of Jesus and the guidance of the Spirit is the real reason we say Baseball is mirrored in the Bible.
TOM: Why do you say that?
JOE: Tom, what’s the object of the game of baseball?
TOM: To score runs?
LINDA: Close! Not quite right, though. The object of the game is to be safe at home.
JOE: And if we pay attention to the fact that God, the Great I AM is on first...
LINDA: And Jesus plays both second and short...
JOE: And the Spirit covers third...
LINDA: And that God, Jesus and the Spirit is the Trinity and that God, Jesus and the Spirit are the Trinity...
JOE: When we pay attention to all that...
TOM: I know. I know. We will be safe at home with God.
JOE: Safe at home...
LINDA: Safe at home...
LINDA AND JOE: Amen!
TOM: Amen.
ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Choral Response and Benediction. This is an précis of what was said: “Who is on first? One of my Seminary professors posted this on Facebook. On Trinity Sunday we celebrate the mysterious love that provides the cement for the universe. Love must always have its object, and God, as God truly is, is always a community of love. All things are rooted in that love and all things will return to that love. We can no more escape that love than we can escape gravity or other forces deep in our nature. And God is always one step beyond our understanding. After all, God who could be understood by theologians would be subject to manipulation by them.”
BENEDICTION:
PASTOR: The blessing for today is used by natives of the islands in the South Pacific. Let us recite it together as a Unison Prayer.
MANY: O Jesus, please be the canoe that holds me up in the sea of life. Please be the rudder that keeps me on straight paths. Be the outrigger that supports me in times of stress. Let Your Spirit be the sail that carries me though each day. Keep me safe, so that I can paddle on steady in the voyage called life. God of all, bless us so we may have calm seas, a warm sun and clear nights filled with stars. Amen.
[1] It needs to be noted that in the posting of this sermon on the web there will be some discrepancies between the published text and the audio file, since the recording of this happened when three people exchanged dialogue in “real time” and in real time intentional and unintentional additions and cuts happen. But the text is close to the recording.
[2] It needs to be noted that this sermon came after a Children’s Time during which the Pastor tried on a lot of baseball hats with the emblems of different teams and asked the children to identify the teams. The pastor then asked: which team is God on? And one youngster got it right: God is on everyone’s team. The pastor then immediately transitions into this sermon. The parts were played by Pastor Joe Connolly. Tom Rasely, Music Associate and Linda Oehme, Deacon and a Member of the Executive Council.
