I love baseball. (Please don’t stop reading.) Some sports you either had to play them or love someone who played them. I think baseball fits into that category, especially over the last 20-30 years.It used to be America’s pastime, maybe even America’s sport. It may still be called America’s pastime, but it certainly is not America’s sport and is losing fans (and participation at young ages) every year. Though I am a purist (I don’t like the Designated Hitter, and I think batters need to learn to bunt again), I admit, the game needs to change. It needs to speed up so games are typically under three hours and closer to 2-1/2 hours. The strike zone needs to be larger so batters will swing for contact more and not just for home runs. Teams need to share more revenue so there’s more parity instead of the same teams in the playoffs (ok, that onemight just be frustration with my Cincinnati Reds). There are many more ideas out there. But most experts agree, the game has to change.
Everything is always changing, now more than ever. Football changed rules so there’s much more passing and scoring now. Basketball changed with just one huge rule change – the 3-point shot. Now, even St. Peter’s College can upset 3 powerhouses in the NCAA tournament before finally losing.The church must be willing to change too. Of course, the gospel, the essentials of the faith, the disciplines, will never change, just as baseball, football, and basketball will always be recognizable. But the way we DO church must change. The way we present the gospel must change. The programs must change. The buildings must change. And yes, the music must change. If we want to reach each new generation with the gospel of Jesus Christ, we must be willing to give up many (not some, MANY) of our preferences.I want my grandkids to be able to enjoy baseball. But even more, I want them to love to be a part of a church, whatever that may look like in the decades to come.