Sorry, Ryan, but here goes. But first I'll throw you a bone: a rematch of last year's World Series between the Cardinals (Ryan's favorite team) and the Red Sox kicks off tonight. Tonight's game and Wednesday night's game are both on ESPN.
If the AL Cy Young Award vote were held today, the Gambler would win in a landslide. Following yesterday's 8-1 victory over the Royals, Kenny Rogers's ERA dropped to 1.62. During his current eight-consecutive start win streak, Rogers has recorded an ERA of 0.97. Astounding, especially for a 40-year old. Before this year, my greatest fear was Rogers would begin to show his age this year. Physically, there is no sign of age; mentally, he's pitching like a wise sage.
Michael Young is hot too, now entreched in a 15-game hitting streak. The Rangers have at least 10 hits in seven of their last eight games.
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On Saturday, I wrote about the joy I experience when I, as the officiant of a wedding ceremony, experience the first sight of the bride. On Saturday, my cousin Linsey, escorted by her father and my uncle, Tim, entered through the doors of the church building to "How Beautiful." The timing was flawless! As the doors of the auditorium opened, these words rang through the assembly.
"How beautiful the radiant bride who waits for her groom with his light in her eyes. How beautiful when humble hearts give the fruit of pure lives so that others may live. How beautiful...how beautiful.
So beautiful, in fact, it brought tears to my eyes, making it only the second wedding ceremony I've ever performed (my sister's being the first) where I choked up.
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Last week, I spent some time writing about the need to question. Bible study is a dynamic exercise and part of that dynamic is found in the freedom to take the Bible into our own hands and read it anew every day. We must approach the Bible, not as an encyclopedia to confirm our presuppositions, but to be changed by the penetrating double-edged sword.
To this end, I share with you today the words of Vincent Donovan. Donovan is a Roman Catholic missiologist who is quoted often in Brian McLaren's book A Generous Orthodoxy. McLaren quotes Donovan's writing in Christianity Rediscovered.
Never accept and be content with unanalyzed assumptions, assumptions about the work, about the people, about the church or Christianity. Never be afraid to ask questions about the work we have inherited or the work we are doing. There is no question that should not be asked or that is outlawed. The day we are completely satisfied with what we have been doing; the day we have found the perfect, unchangeable system of work, the perfect answer, never in need of being corrected again, on that day we will know that we are wrong, that we have made the greatest mistake of all.
I love Donovan's insight because it has been a bedrock in my quest to better understand the will of God. Bible study, sermon prep, class discussion, small group interaction -- all of these means are fresh challenges to me. Challenges, not to simply affirm my faith but to reorient my faith anew in Jesus. They offer invaluable opportunities to be convicted again by the penetrating double-edged sword that is, the Word of God.
