The Friday Update - Baseball

Happy Friday,

Author Catherine Bly Cox’s faith began when her first daughter was born, and she found that she “loved her more than evolution required.” Perhaps you’ve had this response with parenthood, or in some other aspect of life. If you think about it, food needn’t taste good—there could just be pods we consume for energy. Art needn’t exist at all—it’s unnecessary for survival. The Grand Canyon needn’t be breathtaking, and/or we could have been created without the impulse to universally agree that it is. Certainly, not everything in the world is beautiful, and the presence of evil is a problem. But the fact that objectively beautiful things exist will always point me to a purposeful Creator. And perhaps even more remarkable is that a purposeful Creator knows—and loves—you and me.  

(This week’s Friday Update is guest-written by Syler Thomas, Pastor of Community Life at Christ Church Lake Forest. There’s no truth to the rumor that Syler is starting a rival The Tuesday Update that is cooler, classier and 3X more witty.)

How Can You Not Be Romantic About Baseball

If you enjoy baseball even a little, take five minutes to watch this nostalgic homage to the national pastime shown at this year’s All-Star Game. Yes, the 2016 Cubs make an appearance, and yes I get goosebumps each time I see that part.

Quiz

In May, Willie Nelson released his latest solo studio album Dream Chaser. Willie, a fellow native Texan, is 93 years old and released his first album in 1962. Want to guess how many solo studio albums he’s released in his life? Answer is at the bottom.

What Are The Odds

Apologies for mentioning baseball twice, but it is baseball season. Any idea how many Major League Baseball players named Max Muncy there are? Strange as it sounds, there are two. They are not related. Crazy, right? Wait, it gets better: they were both drafted by Oakland; they both play third base (one for the A’s and one for the Dodgers); and they were both born on Aug. 25^th (12 years apart, but still!). On June 29^th, they played against each other, both batting seventh. Talk about Maximum Muncy.  BTW, Max Muncy won. I don’t know what any of this means…but I’m glad I live in a universe where this is happening.

Quotes Worth Requoting

1) “Children, no matter how nurtured at home, must be risked to the world. And parenthood is not an exact science, but a vexed privilege and a blessed trial, absolutely necessary and not altogether possible.” — Wendell Berry

2) “We often value what we can count, rather than what’s important.” — David Brooks

3) “The soul is like a wild animal—tough, resilient, savvy, self-sufficient and yet exceedingly shy. If we want to see a wild animal, the last thing we should do is to go crashing through the woods, shouting for the creature to come out. But if we are willing to walk quietly into the woods and sit silently for an hour or two at the base of a tree, the creature we are waiting for may well emerge, and out of the corner of an eye we will catch a glimpse of the precious wildness we seek.” — Parker Palmer

4) “Jesus brings us the assurance that the universe is a perfectly safe place for us to be.” — Dallas Willard 

Music To Recommend

1) Last year, I recommended Jon Guerra and I still do. Here’s a one-off collaboration with Jon and singer Andrew Belle. The theme of “Give Me You” is that the greatest gift God gives us is the gift of Himself. 

2) Another up-and-coming singer/songwriter is Nashville-based Thomas Austin, who in “Normal Church” does a nice job poking fun at churches who try to be something they’re not. Make sure you listen to the end. Here’s another powerful song of his called “Evergreen.”

Willie’s Discography

If you guessed 79, you win. But that’s just solo studio albums. If you count compilations, collaborations, and soundtracks, it’s over…150. Over 150 albums in 64 years. Should I too become a nonagenarian, I hope I’m still able to be doing what I love, like Willie.

Finally

If you want to watch my sermon from two weeks ago about a passage that changed my life—specifically a passage from Acts 9 about suffering that you might have read before but not paid much attention to—here is the link. (The podcast link is here.) If you only have 10 minutes today, skip to the end to hear a moving testimony from former president of Christianity Today, Harold Smith.

Closing Prayer

"Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (A Prayer for Fridays, Book of Common Prayer)

P.S.

 If TFU has become part of your Friday rhythm—and you’d like to help us out—then send it to a friend. Preferably one who reads. But we’re trying to be hospitable.

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