Tonight begins the 2007 World Series, for some the beginning of the baseball season. And the Cleveland Indians will not be in it.
The Indians have made it to the World Series five times in the past 100 years, winning in 1920 and 1948. Most recently they appeared in 1995 and 1997, losing both times. There is, I understand, a feeling in Cleveland that if the worst can happen, it will. In this year’s American League Championship series, a best of seven playoff to see which AL team would make it to the World Series, the Indians were up 3-1 and had three chances to win that last game. They couldn’t, and now they sit at home and watch Boston do their thing.
This year the Indians won 96 games, the best in baseball. They have, I understand, a great organization from the general manager to the ball boy. Their players are star quality. And they are going home. The worst has happened.
I can sympathize with Cleveland fans. I cheer another team, Hope Presbyterian Church, whose experience can seem at times quite Indians-ish. We have great leadership in some of the best elders around. We have good teaching, and music that is rich and varied. We have some creative outreach programs in place, and our people are warm and receiving. Relationships are being developed and discipleship is happening.
With all this, our attendance does not change. Recently, we’ve seen three people (apparently) come to faith in Christ. One disappeared. Another moved away. God has given us some visitors who have hung around and even joined, while others have had to move away.
So, I join the fans of Cleveland in shaking of heads and bewilderment. But the good news is that unlike baseball the church is not about winning and losing. It is so often about the process. Even when the worst seems to happen, God is in the midst of it accomplishing his winning purposes.
We may never have our World Series ring. In baseball, it is all about the winning. But in the church, it is all about faithfulness.