Put Me In Coach
Coaching a softball team is much harder than it looks. I don’t mean “coaching” in the traditional sense where we meet for practice a couple of times per week and I instruct the players on the finer points of the game. You see, we are just a church league softball team with a variety of talents and enthusiasm. I have organized a team for the past several years and have had a wide range of challenges when it comes time to place ten players on the field. The most difficult task is to place each player in the position which best suits his or her abilities and is most beneficial to the team.
One year, I had at least 16 to 20 guys show up each week wanting to showcase their talents for the loyal fans who show. With so many guys, of various ages and physical abilities, the “talent” pool is somewhat diluted and it becomes very difficult to get everyone into the game for equal playing time, especially when the score resembles Super Bowl VI in 1972 (look it up!). It makes it hard when we can’t even bat through the entire lineup. Some times, especially for the co-ed team, we have trouble fielding a full team and either have to recruit players from other teams or from the stands, or forfeit the game. Even this year, where I have limited the number of players so as to be able to encourage a smaller group of men as opposed to discouraging a much larger number, it is still difficult to find just the right mix.
Some of our guys – who are all very good players – can only play in one or two positions. Some arms are weaker than others and some just don’t have the range that they used to. I am mainly speaking of myself, since I am overweight, have thrown my arm out and just can’t run like I want since I tore up my knee several years ago. I also can’t see as well anymore and thus I have relegated myself to playing catcher or first base. So each Friday night during the summer, I spend considerable angst placing "my guys" in just the right positions to try and field the best team we can.
We go through the same ritual every Sunday. Each Lord’s day, we at Central try to appoint men, young and old, to serve in a capacity which creates the optimum atmosphere for worshipping our God. Gone are the days when we cornered the first guys we saw just to get the appointment sheet filled up. Now, much like coaching, we attempt to utilize the talents and abilities of the congregation to achieve the most effective team of servants. Some men are fantastic speakers with insightful thoughts who can direct the minds of the congregation to the Lord’s table and the Savior’s sacrifice. Some are exceptional worship leaders who choose just the right songs that best compliment the lesson and direct them in such a way to as to lead our hearts and souls into God’s presence. Others are not as comfortable in the public arena but are happy to serve the congregation by serving communion or helping as ushers. I have heard many a prayer that humbles me as the one who prays petitions the Lord to intercede in just the areas of our lives that we need Him most as well as encourages us to take a more active role in the lives of our fellow members.
These men have made our corporate worship at Central the warm, loving, and meaningful. Much like Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 12, our services are as much about serving and encouraging others as they are about serving and praising God. Thank you, men of Central, for volunteering your time and talents so that our worship may be a fragrant offering to God, and an encouraging experience for the rest of us. Thank you for making my job much easier as I approach each Sunday and ask for your commitment to serve.
By the way, I also welcome volunteers. Just say “put me in coach”.
One year, I had at least 16 to 20 guys show up each week wanting to showcase their talents for the loyal fans who show. With so many guys, of various ages and physical abilities, the “talent” pool is somewhat diluted and it becomes very difficult to get everyone into the game for equal playing time, especially when the score resembles Super Bowl VI in 1972 (look it up!). It makes it hard when we can’t even bat through the entire lineup. Some times, especially for the co-ed team, we have trouble fielding a full team and either have to recruit players from other teams or from the stands, or forfeit the game. Even this year, where I have limited the number of players so as to be able to encourage a smaller group of men as opposed to discouraging a much larger number, it is still difficult to find just the right mix.
Some of our guys – who are all very good players – can only play in one or two positions. Some arms are weaker than others and some just don’t have the range that they used to. I am mainly speaking of myself, since I am overweight, have thrown my arm out and just can’t run like I want since I tore up my knee several years ago. I also can’t see as well anymore and thus I have relegated myself to playing catcher or first base. So each Friday night during the summer, I spend considerable angst placing "my guys" in just the right positions to try and field the best team we can.
We go through the same ritual every Sunday. Each Lord’s day, we at Central try to appoint men, young and old, to serve in a capacity which creates the optimum atmosphere for worshipping our God. Gone are the days when we cornered the first guys we saw just to get the appointment sheet filled up. Now, much like coaching, we attempt to utilize the talents and abilities of the congregation to achieve the most effective team of servants. Some men are fantastic speakers with insightful thoughts who can direct the minds of the congregation to the Lord’s table and the Savior’s sacrifice. Some are exceptional worship leaders who choose just the right songs that best compliment the lesson and direct them in such a way to as to lead our hearts and souls into God’s presence. Others are not as comfortable in the public arena but are happy to serve the congregation by serving communion or helping as ushers. I have heard many a prayer that humbles me as the one who prays petitions the Lord to intercede in just the areas of our lives that we need Him most as well as encourages us to take a more active role in the lives of our fellow members.
These men have made our corporate worship at Central the warm, loving, and meaningful. Much like Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 12, our services are as much about serving and encouraging others as they are about serving and praising God. Thank you, men of Central, for volunteering your time and talents so that our worship may be a fragrant offering to God, and an encouraging experience for the rest of us. Thank you for making my job much easier as I approach each Sunday and ask for your commitment to serve.
By the way, I also welcome volunteers. Just say “put me in coach”.
posted by Carl Wheeler at 11:00 PM
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