A Lesson from a Kickball Game

Just over a year ago, I started attending Vertical Life Church in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. One thing I respect about Pastor Mark Dorn is his commitment to the Great Commission. During services, you will always hear him exhort the congregation to be soul winners. His church usually goes out evangelizing on Saturday afternoons.

Pastor Mark also knows how to have fun. Occasionally, the church has kickball games between the adults and the youth. We had such a game this past Wednesday night. Before it began, Pastor Mark announced that ice cream would be served by the team that didn’t win. The adults were ahead during most of the game but the youth came from behind and were declared the winners. The announced final score was 20-19.


However, I have some doubts about the outcome of that game. People repeatedly asked what the score was and how many outs there were. A few older congregants didn’t play but sat off on the side and watched. Perhaps one of them could have been the official scorekeeper. We also could have used an umpire. I often saw foul kicks treated as fair balls and runners who didn’t touch all the bases. 


Although the outcome of a kickball game isn’t a matter of life and death, it reminded me of the importance of rules. The absence of them leads to confusion and anarchy. Since relocating to Saint Paul a few weeks ago, I’ve often used the light rail that connects the Twin Cities. Frequently, I see other passengers disregarding the rules by vaping and using audio devices without earphones. This behavior is quite annoying to me. Rules are in place for everyone’s benefit and protection. Accidents and deaths have been caused by drivers who don’t obey traffic laws. 


I have a list of rules on my Facebook page in response to the many friend requests sent to me. This is not meant to sound harsh and unfriendly, but my time online must be kept to a minimum so I can focus more on prayer, studying the Bible, and fulfilling the Great Commission. Some folks try to waste my time with unimportant chat sessions or send me stuff I don’t care to look at. It’s unfortunate that a few individuals won’t respect another’s boundaries even after you make them known.


God doesn’t want us to live in a legalistic manner. Sometimes I’ve jaywalked to catch up with people I wanted to share the gospel with (even though it’s illegal in many places) but always made sure I didn’t interfere with oncoming traffic. Still, we should strive to adhere to the rules set by our friends, authority figures, and especially the standards outlined in His word.


“Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.” - 1 John 3:4


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