Jubilation

November 30, 2007

By Paul Veliquette

We were fortunate to even be there. It is an amazing structure, rising up out of the city, soaring high to become part of the beautiful Denver skyline. Coors Field is an edifice built by beef and beer and home to the Colorado Rockies. These days we call them Kid Rocks because of their young and tender age.

The Rockies were the hottest team in baseball as the season came to a unique and exciting ending. The Rockies and the San Diego Padres ended in a tie. A single playoff game would break the tie to see who would take the next step.

My wife, Glenda, was able to get online just moments after the final game and purchase four tickets to the game. There we were with 50,000 of our closest friends, cheering on the boys. We were all on our feet during the game to cheer on the pitching staff to get the last out of an inning, or to encourage the boys at the plate as they would swing the lumber at a streaking white speck.

It was an epic battle that ended up tied in the ninth inning. Then came the 10th, 11th, 12th and finally the top of the 13th inning. The Padres with one swing of the bat went ahead by 2 runs. Although a sense of quietness seeped its way into the stadium, these fans did not lose hope.

There had been too many games, especially in this phenomenal run at the end of the season, where the Rockies had come through with a miraculous comeback. Could it happen again? YES! We had faith in these boys.

Sure enough, the score was tied on a triple by our favorite most valuable player candidate, Matt Holliday. No outs, score tied, Holliday on third base. The noise was deafening as all 50,000 were on their feet to give praise and affirmation to the boys. Todd Helton came to the plate and was walked so the pitcher could face a less formidable batter.

Josh Carroll, the steady and reliable utility player, came to bat. A shallow fly ball was hit to center field. Nobody in their right mind would dare test the arm of a center fielder on such a shallow fly ball, no player or the best of third base coaches. But these are the Rockies.

The crowd held their breath as Holliday tagged-up and launched homeward. As he streaked toward the plate, the noise in the ballpark exploded. Would he be thrown out? Would he by some great miracle make it home? There was massive cloud of dust as Holliday, the ball, and all met at home plate.

There it was — even from the left field stands we could see it. The ball squirted away and Holliday was safe!!! The roar could have been heard in Kansas! Fireworks exploded behind us. Jubilation erupted not just in Coors Field but all over the state!

It suddenly occurred to me that we had become so excited over a game. Grown men and women were acting like kids, getting carried away with extreme emotion. People did whatever they could just to make it into the local temple of baseball. Why is it not like that in the local church? Why do we almost beg people to come? Why are we tempted to manipulate people and circumstances to create some sort of artificial excitement so they will come? What's up with that?

There was a time when the church was filled with that kind of excitement, enthusiasm and energy. You could not keep people away. There was an explosion of growth in the church. People were talking, walking, living in such a way that every single day crowds of people who were not previous fans joined up to be a part of this most exciting group called the Church, the Way, the body of Christ.

We read about it in Acts 2:47 where is says, "And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved" (NIV). I am convinced there was such excitement because people made confession of faith daily. It was a baby church with lots of baby believers.

These days we almost call it a miracle when an unbeliever happens to be in church. Perhaps out of a sense of resignation we have made church all about believers and not those who are yet to come.

What about the "the church that is not here yet"? Do you want church to be exciting again? Let's do all we can to make it about new birth, new believers, about people added daily to the church. That is what I want to do. Will you join me?

Paul Veliquette is pastor of Windsor (Colo.) Assembly of God.