Getting Our Place on the Team Luke 13: 22-30 August 22, 2004, 12 Pentecost, Proper 16 The Rev. William V. Livingston, Rector Church of the Resurrection, Starkville, Mississippi When I was growing up in Vicksburg, the City Parks and Recreation Dept. offered morning and afternoon playground activities. I spent almost every summer day there for several years. I thoroughly enjoyed every activity . . . except baseball. I loathed baseball. While I was fairly good at other sports, I was terrible at baseball. While I have halfway decent eye-hand coordination in tennis, I can miss a ball with a bat by two feet. I have a depth-of-field deficiency that results in being unable to estimate an object's distance if I cannot align it with an object on the ground. Thus, while I think a pop-fly is coming directly to me, it may land 10 feet in front or behind me. As a child, most of my clothes and sporting equipment were hand-me downs from my older brother. While other kids had new full sized, well formed gloves, I had a misshaped, small pocketed, worn-out glove that felt like trying to catch with an old oven-mitten. I most hated baseball because of the team selection process. The two oldest and best players were designate captains and each alternated selecting team players from the sundry children gathered to play. Their first choices were their closest friends. Being a couple of years younger than the usual captains, I never fit into this category. Then they chose based on playing ability. I cannot tell how many times I was the last chosen. The only consolation was that all would play, even if it meant that I would be placed as far out in left field where they thought no ball could possibly be hit. Based on this experience, I can assure you that the person who asks, "Lord, will only a few be saved?" was one who felt assured he had his ticket punched. Those who feel certain they will be one of the first selected for the team, given a bid from the most desirable fraternity or sorority, are the ones who ask, "Will only the best get picked?" The less capable player, the less popular student, instead asks, "Will I get picked?" and then prays, "Oh, God, please just let me get picked." Thus, I contend the person asking the question does not ask because he wants everyone to be on a team or wants everybody in their desired social club but because he wants those selected to be only a few, thus emphasizing his special status. This was the world of first century Palestine. This is the world of 21st century western culture. Once again, Jesus, the one who continually reverses the order of how we humans structure the world, says, "Continue to strive for the way in will be narrow. You, the best pitcher, catcher, and batter on the playground won't even make the team. You, the most handsome, athletic, popular won't even be accepted into a fraternity. You, the one who can quote every line of scripture, who knows all the rules - you won't even be able to get in. The team captain will first pick the littlest, the worst batter, the one with the most ragged glove, and besides, he'll pick kids from all over town instead of you." As the team captains finish the selection, you realize you haven't been picked. But, we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets. I was a faithful member at Resurrection. I was there most Sundays. I followed all the rules. I even served on the Vestry." "Yes, but all you did was listen. Did it make a difference? Did you take my teaching to heart and allow it to transform your life? How did you go about transforming the world as a result of knowing me? You claim to be an heir of the Kingdom, however, for you the Kingdom will not exist until you have done all in your power to bring it to fruition." "But only people like us will be selected to be on the team. You know, people who look like us, think like us, act like us, obey the rules we obey. No one else will be good enough to be on our team." "There you may be right, because here is the team, and it looks nothing like you expect." "But don't you remember, I'm the best pitcher. No one gets more hits than I. Besides, I'm your buddy!" "But did you clothe the naked? Did you give water to the thirsty or food to the hungry? Did you take care of the poor? Did you share your glove with the kid who doesn't have one?" "Well, actually no, I didn't do any of those things. I was too busy honing my game than to actually do anything, but mostly what I did was to make sure I never struck out, never dropped the ball, and mostly I was busy avoiding things. I avoided people who were sinful; you know those who couldn't bat as well as I." "Well, then I guess you have more to do, don't you?" Faith is not an assurance of a position on the team, an accomplishment, an achievement of excellence, a distancing of oneself from the one who can't play the game. Faith is difficult and full of surprises - not unattainable, not a team so assiduous that only the elite need bother, just difficult. Like grappling with doubt. Or imagining self-denial in a world of self-serving. Or accepting God's love in a world of hate. Or believing in tomorrow even when today seems sour. Or not being threatened when today's beauty fades. Or mastering an impulse to retaliate. Or unclenching one's fist. Or giving away one's harvest when others are building bigger barns. It may well be that only a few will attempt the challenges of faith. That doesn't mean only the high-achieving few will be chosen on the team or only the best rule followers enter the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is a strange venue where anyone can come, not just the best batters. Every dimension of faith seems difficult. From coming to Jesus in childlike wonder to facing death with trust, from living for others to dying to self, from hearing new words to embracing outcasts, from praying to one who cannot be seen to loving one who can - it is all difficult. So which are you, one who feels certain that you deserve to be on the team, or one who prays, "Oh, God, just let me get picked." The Bread and Wine we receive today are God-given reminders that for each of us, whether the best batter on the playground or whether we have struck out every time at bat, whether we have perfectly followed all the rules or lived a life of regret a place has been set for us at the team table. Jesus promises that in God's grace, all things are made new, and all will be surprised.