The Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series!!!
I find myself wondering if I am dreaming. For most of my life, the Phillies have been a losing team, but I have stuck with them. The 1980 season, of course, has been the most vivid good memory of them all ... until now. The team of Rose, Trillo, Bowa, Schmidt, McBride, Maddox, Luzinski, Boone, Carlton and McGraw has been the team aainst which to measure all other teams. When you only have one World Series Champion, it is not hard to agree among fans which is the best ... but now, we have 2. Two - not 26 or whatever it is for the Yankees. Not uniquely one, either, though.
Now I have the team of Howard, Utley, Rollins, Feliz, Burrell, Victorino, Werth, Ruiz, Hamels and Lidge to compete with my '80 team. Which is better? Do you have to pick one over the other? Is there enough room in a fan's heart for both? What happens if they win another? These are new things for Philadelphia fans to ponder ... I've never seen the Eagles win it all, nor the Flyers, and I saw the Sixers win in '83. Singular teams have been the norm for my fandom. What now?
If only someone had warned me how complex life was going to get ... ;)
Friday, October 31, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Game 4 Win
Well, we were at Game 4 of the 2008 World Series last night between the Tampa Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies. It was fantastic! We got there hours before the gates opened - I think we may have been technically the first ones in line - at least, the first ones at the outfield gates. It was a beautiful fall day and the Eagles game provided some entertainment for a while - there was a projection screen set up along Citizens Bank ballpark, along with the many news agency vans and souvenir stands. My dad and uncle sat at the gates of the park and talked baseball with other fans as they slowly collected.
Inside the park, the workers were getting ready to hand out the "rally towels" to all fans - something so simple, and yet they unify people in a small but real way. When they finally opened the gates, they opened every other gate - of course, ours wasn't one of them. So although we lined up first, we weren't the first ones in. You would have thought the people we shared conversation with through the gate could have told us our gate wasn't going to open, but they didn't.
Walking inside our park was different - the air was different somehow. It was World Series air. My dad ran off to Bull's Barbecue for his standard fare. I decided to get in line at Tony Luke's since the line was relatively short (I think I only waited 10 minutes to place my order). That cheese steak was a World Series cheese steak - and boy did it taste good!
We scouted out our seats in left field, below the big scoreboard. They were actually quite good if you don't mind being away from home plate and not seeing the big board graphics. We were able to see, perhaps for the last time, Pat Burrell in a Phillies uniform. His stock seems to have risen in Philadelphia, although perhaps not enough to justify bringing him back.
Across Ashburn Alley from us was the Baseball tonight setup - we could see John Kruk and Karl Ravitsch with Steve Phillps and Peter Gammons. After the game, they would broadcast baseball tonight. As the fans were leaving, they would chant Kruk's name and although he was working on some kind of a report, he would raise both his arms in acknowledgement to the crowd and the fans would cheer. The pictures I took came out a little blurry, but I got a good one of Kruk's back ... :)
The stadium began to fill and as I walked around to see where my aunt and uncle got to stand with their standing room only tickets, I ran into my friend who works for a local newspaper. I didn't realize he was also a big Phillies fan, though I should have ... So, there were 4 other people I know at the game besides me - 4 out of about 42,000 or .01% ... My aunt and uncle's spot was great - just slightly off center from home plate (towards the third base side) at the metal "troughs" behind the first section of seats. They got fantastic "seats" much cheaper than those around them if they got theirs off stub hub. Home plate section seats were going quite high, if I recall - $1500 and more. Anyway, my uncle said this game was one of the highlights of his life.
I believe that was the most people I have ever been with simultaneously. Back in 1990, I was at a conference with 20,000 people, but the attendance this night was 42,000. Now perhaps I was at a game at the Vet (seating capacity I believe 60,000+) with more people, but I don't remember it - and there certainly wasn't the emotion of a world series game then. I've never been to a Penn State game, or any of the other mega-stadiums. So I believe this was the loudest game I've ever been to, if not the largest crowd. As I stood there in the outfield and let the sheer volume of the cheers come in like waves from the ocean (I couldn't tell you if there was one single Ray fan there that night), what came to my mind? Heaven. Or, more precisely, praising God with all the other saints of all time. Standing before God and having my heart so engulfed by his majesty that praise pours out of me like it never has before ... and standing with billions of other Christians as they do the same. "Awesome" does not even begin to describe this experience. That small Phillies game was just a foretaste of the divine glory that will be revealed. What attracts us to these events, these things "bigger than life?" Is it not the faint echo of something truer, something far more satisfying that has been lost as we live apart from God in this sin-cursed world where death is chained to these bodies?
The Phillies crushed the Rays 10-4. Even the pitcher hit a home run!
God has crushed and will continue to crush his enemies - the World, the flesh, the Devil, sin and death. This victory will be worthy of all praise above any praise we have ever uttered or imagined ...
Inside the park, the workers were getting ready to hand out the "rally towels" to all fans - something so simple, and yet they unify people in a small but real way. When they finally opened the gates, they opened every other gate - of course, ours wasn't one of them. So although we lined up first, we weren't the first ones in. You would have thought the people we shared conversation with through the gate could have told us our gate wasn't going to open, but they didn't.
Walking inside our park was different - the air was different somehow. It was World Series air. My dad ran off to Bull's Barbecue for his standard fare. I decided to get in line at Tony Luke's since the line was relatively short (I think I only waited 10 minutes to place my order). That cheese steak was a World Series cheese steak - and boy did it taste good!
We scouted out our seats in left field, below the big scoreboard. They were actually quite good if you don't mind being away from home plate and not seeing the big board graphics. We were able to see, perhaps for the last time, Pat Burrell in a Phillies uniform. His stock seems to have risen in Philadelphia, although perhaps not enough to justify bringing him back.
Across Ashburn Alley from us was the Baseball tonight setup - we could see John Kruk and Karl Ravitsch with Steve Phillps and Peter Gammons. After the game, they would broadcast baseball tonight. As the fans were leaving, they would chant Kruk's name and although he was working on some kind of a report, he would raise both his arms in acknowledgement to the crowd and the fans would cheer. The pictures I took came out a little blurry, but I got a good one of Kruk's back ... :)
The stadium began to fill and as I walked around to see where my aunt and uncle got to stand with their standing room only tickets, I ran into my friend who works for a local newspaper. I didn't realize he was also a big Phillies fan, though I should have ... So, there were 4 other people I know at the game besides me - 4 out of about 42,000 or .01% ... My aunt and uncle's spot was great - just slightly off center from home plate (towards the third base side) at the metal "troughs" behind the first section of seats. They got fantastic "seats" much cheaper than those around them if they got theirs off stub hub. Home plate section seats were going quite high, if I recall - $1500 and more. Anyway, my uncle said this game was one of the highlights of his life.
I believe that was the most people I have ever been with simultaneously. Back in 1990, I was at a conference with 20,000 people, but the attendance this night was 42,000. Now perhaps I was at a game at the Vet (seating capacity I believe 60,000+) with more people, but I don't remember it - and there certainly wasn't the emotion of a world series game then. I've never been to a Penn State game, or any of the other mega-stadiums. So I believe this was the loudest game I've ever been to, if not the largest crowd. As I stood there in the outfield and let the sheer volume of the cheers come in like waves from the ocean (I couldn't tell you if there was one single Ray fan there that night), what came to my mind? Heaven. Or, more precisely, praising God with all the other saints of all time. Standing before God and having my heart so engulfed by his majesty that praise pours out of me like it never has before ... and standing with billions of other Christians as they do the same. "Awesome" does not even begin to describe this experience. That small Phillies game was just a foretaste of the divine glory that will be revealed. What attracts us to these events, these things "bigger than life?" Is it not the faint echo of something truer, something far more satisfying that has been lost as we live apart from God in this sin-cursed world where death is chained to these bodies?
The Phillies crushed the Rays 10-4. Even the pitcher hit a home run!
God has crushed and will continue to crush his enemies - the World, the flesh, the Devil, sin and death. This victory will be worthy of all praise above any praise we have ever uttered or imagined ...
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Going to game 4 of the World Series ...
Can you believe it? We have tickets for game 4 of the World Series! I am going with my dad, and my aunt and uncle are also going. This is something I never thought would come to pass. The Phillies are playing the Tampa Rays. We purchased the tickets before the previous round of the playoffs were completed, since the price was refundable if they didn't advance ...
I have dreamt about going to a World Series Game for years - and a potential clinching one for the Phillies seemed like just a wish. But here we are - those Rays spoiled the potential clincher by winning one game. It would have been nice ... but then again, it would have been nuts at a clinching game. I'll just have to watch it from home Monday night ...
We are going very early for this game ... it's 7 pm tonight and we're leaving now ... the Eagles are also playing today at home, and apparently there is a concert tonight featuring "The Who" - so parking and traffic could get interesting!
I have dreamt about going to a World Series Game for years - and a potential clinching one for the Phillies seemed like just a wish. But here we are - those Rays spoiled the potential clincher by winning one game. It would have been nice ... but then again, it would have been nuts at a clinching game. I'll just have to watch it from home Monday night ...
We are going very early for this game ... it's 7 pm tonight and we're leaving now ... the Eagles are also playing today at home, and apparently there is a concert tonight featuring "The Who" - so parking and traffic could get interesting!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Sins that so easily beset us...
I have a particular set of sins that ebbs and flows in my experience. No, I'm not going to tell you what they are - but it involves my desires and the actions that flow from them (not a helpful description - isn't that what all sin is?). There are times when I seem to be more vulnerable and times where I can brush off temptation like so much lint off a jacket. These are things, like all sins, that are common to us all. It is so defeating to succumb yet again. It never lives up to the promise, and guilt always follows. Some people might brush this aside as inconsequential, but I cannot. I don't want this in my life anymore, and I hate when I become so foolish to think it will deliver on its promise this time.
Someday I know I will be free of these desires - for when I see Him, I will be like Him. So I know that God will get the victory over this in my life - eventually. I know that he might gain this victory even on this side of heaven. But the struggle is so hard and so relentless, it does seem at times like there is no hope. But there is. Someday there will be no more sin, no more suffering, no more death and decay! Oh what a day that will be!
I know that God is also absolutely sovereign, and therefore he arranges the events of my life so that they are for my best and his glory! He is not the author of sin and He does not tempt anyone, but he allows us to go through the suffering of resisting sin, of feeling its sting, of slow victories for reasons not yet fully revealed. Someday, I will see the top side of the tapestry, when all the "loose threads" and crossed patterns make sense - and He will get the praise.
I do not yet see sin for he horrible reality it is, and I do not see Christ for the all-surpassing, all-satisfying, glorious God He is! Sometimes I think that if I only saw Him as he is, my desire for sin would fade away. There is truth to that, and it would help if those I listen to would verbally exalt Him as He truly is - but I have begun to see that this is not the total answer. Men love darkness. I loved darkness. I still do. Not to the degree I once did - and not when I am controlled by the Spirit. I seem to be a mixture of my old self and new. I don't know if that is theologically accurate, but it is the way it feels. So while I went through a period of thinking I just needed better teachers to give me a more accurate view of the exalted Christ, there is still a problem within me. I still believe the lies.
Lord, forgive me of my lack of clarity. You are owed clear thinking and whole-hearted devotion, and I fall so short. I have been too harsh with others, thinking their "problems" could be fixed by "just" getting a better picture of you. There is no hope for the human heart but you. There is no hope but your plan, your sovereign work in my heart. Forgive me for trite advice, telling others that they "just" needed to pray, to study their Bible, to get an accountability partner, or to get a better picture of Christ. All these things do help, and they are not bad, but they are not the answer - you are. You are the one who changes people - not some technique. You are the one who reaches into a life and accomplishes what you will. You call us to strive with all your energy, to work out our salvation with trembling and fear - for it is you at work in us.
These sins are so stubborn. Your grace is sufficient. Sufficient to forgive my sins, to keep me longing to be better, and some day, in your timing, to make me like Him in this area too. I want it to be so Lord. Yesterday. Forgive me for my impatience. May you have all the glory in this area of my life - and all areas!
Someday I know I will be free of these desires - for when I see Him, I will be like Him. So I know that God will get the victory over this in my life - eventually. I know that he might gain this victory even on this side of heaven. But the struggle is so hard and so relentless, it does seem at times like there is no hope. But there is. Someday there will be no more sin, no more suffering, no more death and decay! Oh what a day that will be!
I know that God is also absolutely sovereign, and therefore he arranges the events of my life so that they are for my best and his glory! He is not the author of sin and He does not tempt anyone, but he allows us to go through the suffering of resisting sin, of feeling its sting, of slow victories for reasons not yet fully revealed. Someday, I will see the top side of the tapestry, when all the "loose threads" and crossed patterns make sense - and He will get the praise.
I do not yet see sin for he horrible reality it is, and I do not see Christ for the all-surpassing, all-satisfying, glorious God He is! Sometimes I think that if I only saw Him as he is, my desire for sin would fade away. There is truth to that, and it would help if those I listen to would verbally exalt Him as He truly is - but I have begun to see that this is not the total answer. Men love darkness. I loved darkness. I still do. Not to the degree I once did - and not when I am controlled by the Spirit. I seem to be a mixture of my old self and new. I don't know if that is theologically accurate, but it is the way it feels. So while I went through a period of thinking I just needed better teachers to give me a more accurate view of the exalted Christ, there is still a problem within me. I still believe the lies.
Lord, forgive me of my lack of clarity. You are owed clear thinking and whole-hearted devotion, and I fall so short. I have been too harsh with others, thinking their "problems" could be fixed by "just" getting a better picture of you. There is no hope for the human heart but you. There is no hope but your plan, your sovereign work in my heart. Forgive me for trite advice, telling others that they "just" needed to pray, to study their Bible, to get an accountability partner, or to get a better picture of Christ. All these things do help, and they are not bad, but they are not the answer - you are. You are the one who changes people - not some technique. You are the one who reaches into a life and accomplishes what you will. You call us to strive with all your energy, to work out our salvation with trembling and fear - for it is you at work in us.
These sins are so stubborn. Your grace is sufficient. Sufficient to forgive my sins, to keep me longing to be better, and some day, in your timing, to make me like Him in this area too. I want it to be so Lord. Yesterday. Forgive me for my impatience. May you have all the glory in this area of my life - and all areas!
A Game 1 win ...
Can I invest more emotion in the Phillies? Can I pull for them to win it all yet? Or am I stuck, like most Philly fans, being so cautious of the pain of losing that I have to be pessimistic for protection? They won game 1 of the NLCS against the Dodgers. Many experts are picking them to win the NL pennant. They're winning and Howard and Utley have not woken up yet. They're getting good pitching and have a "perfect" closer. But ... But ... But will they implode? Will the Dodgers ride Manny's back to the World Series? Or will Rollins and Howard and Utley do what they are capable of and carry the Phillies to meet the AL? And will they be able to handle Boston's experience or Tampa Bay's ignorance of pressure?
I know that sports is in the wrong place in many lives. My love of the Phillies cannot compete with my love for God. But what is the proper way for a follower of Christ to enjoy the gifts he has given (and baseball is a gift)? We all love some hobby or activity - and I think God meant it to be that way. We aren't supposed to let these things get out of proportion. Whether it is hunting, bowling, reading, opera, sports, TV, fitness, our jobs, or even our family, they should never become more important to us even in a moment than God is.
My love for the Phillies does go back a long way - the 1970's. OK, I know some of you have been through the 30's, 40's, 50's and so on. But I don't remember a time when the Phillies were not my team - and for me, that might as well be 1000 years. It seems like a long time.
The last time the Phillies were in the World Series, I was in Baltimore teaching. Unfortunately, I don't remember putting too much time in watching them then - it seemed that my job took up all my energy. So although I liked the '93 team, the '80-'83 team is the one I most identify with. So this has been a long time for me. Yes, I know I'm talking like the World Series is already a definite - I guess I'm invested.
My question is, since it happens so infrequently, do I pay the exorbitant price to get a playoff ticket from StubHub? Or do I let this opportunity go, hoping they make it more than once every 15 years? In the last 15, I've lost a lot of family members - most of them Phillie fans. What does one do?
I know that sports is in the wrong place in many lives. My love of the Phillies cannot compete with my love for God. But what is the proper way for a follower of Christ to enjoy the gifts he has given (and baseball is a gift)? We all love some hobby or activity - and I think God meant it to be that way. We aren't supposed to let these things get out of proportion. Whether it is hunting, bowling, reading, opera, sports, TV, fitness, our jobs, or even our family, they should never become more important to us even in a moment than God is.
My love for the Phillies does go back a long way - the 1970's. OK, I know some of you have been through the 30's, 40's, 50's and so on. But I don't remember a time when the Phillies were not my team - and for me, that might as well be 1000 years. It seems like a long time.
The last time the Phillies were in the World Series, I was in Baltimore teaching. Unfortunately, I don't remember putting too much time in watching them then - it seemed that my job took up all my energy. So although I liked the '93 team, the '80-'83 team is the one I most identify with. So this has been a long time for me. Yes, I know I'm talking like the World Series is already a definite - I guess I'm invested.
My question is, since it happens so infrequently, do I pay the exorbitant price to get a playoff ticket from StubHub? Or do I let this opportunity go, hoping they make it more than once every 15 years? In the last 15, I've lost a lot of family members - most of them Phillie fans. What does one do?
My first playoff game ...
The first playoff game I ever attended was great! Oh, the weather was lousy - raining - and it probably would have been cancelled if this was a regular season game. We were in the upper deck in the left field foul section - though in the first row. It wasn't the furthest you could get from the field, but just about ...
There were some ominous clouds moving towards the game, and the Philadelphia skyline disappeared for an hour or so due to the hard rains. However, the clouds took a path close to the stadium - but not into it. We heard thunder and had a steady drizzle - but the game went on.
It was in many ways everything I thought it would be. The view from your TV at home is obviously better than those seats, but you can't reproduce the roar of the crowd, the smells, and the experience of having your entire field of view immersed in the park. Everyone was handed a cheap white towel with a Phillies logo - not a terribly creative "rally device." I would love to have the sticks that Anaheim passes out - I understand they make some real noise when 40,000 people beat them together. However, the towels were visually effective and kept the crowd in the game.
At certain moments, the ballpark was the loudest environment I have ever been in. Granted, it was not a game full of highly-emotional moments, but there were some. It made me think what it will be like when we are in some heavenly "stadium" with the billions of saints throughout time praising the Lord with all their emotion, mind, and strength. Now that will be something! To have the Lord of Glory revealed before us all and to finally be free of sin and death to be able to do what we were made for unhindered - praising him! Now that will top even the Phillies winning the World Series :)
There were some ominous clouds moving towards the game, and the Philadelphia skyline disappeared for an hour or so due to the hard rains. However, the clouds took a path close to the stadium - but not into it. We heard thunder and had a steady drizzle - but the game went on.
It was in many ways everything I thought it would be. The view from your TV at home is obviously better than those seats, but you can't reproduce the roar of the crowd, the smells, and the experience of having your entire field of view immersed in the park. Everyone was handed a cheap white towel with a Phillies logo - not a terribly creative "rally device." I would love to have the sticks that Anaheim passes out - I understand they make some real noise when 40,000 people beat them together. However, the towels were visually effective and kept the crowd in the game.
At certain moments, the ballpark was the loudest environment I have ever been in. Granted, it was not a game full of highly-emotional moments, but there were some. It made me think what it will be like when we are in some heavenly "stadium" with the billions of saints throughout time praising the Lord with all their emotion, mind, and strength. Now that will be something! To have the Lord of Glory revealed before us all and to finally be free of sin and death to be able to do what we were made for unhindered - praising him! Now that will top even the Phillies winning the World Series :)
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