Some time ago, I ran across my old baseball glove I used back in younger days. It hadn’t seen much use after the late 1960’s, and seeing it again brought back a lot of great memories! I loved baseball! And, I loved that glove! I remember when I had saved up enough of my paper-boy money to buy it. Did I mention I loved that glove! I remember how as a kid, half the fun of getting a new baseball glove was breaking it in…the other half, of course, was using it. I remember when I first bought it, the leather was really hard and stiff…there was no way it would work without me first putting some loving care into it. So, out came my tin of saddle soap which was the material of choice for us older-timers…and, I began to carefully rub the soap into the leather until it became soft and pliable. Everyone forms their glove differently. It really is an art. I liked mine to be stiff around the edges and soft in the pocket so if the ball hit the edge it wouldn't fold the glove over and keep going,…it should be stiff enough to stop the ball. Of course, forming that pocket was really important. I would tie up a ball in the pocket to help form it. But, nothing worked better than constantly bending it or throwing a ball into it. I remember how the guys would ask, “Hey Vaughn, ain’t you got that mitt broken in yet?” I loved my glove!
But, my old glove didn’t look like that glove I loved so much 40 plus years ago. It didn’t have the ball wrapped up tightly to keep the pocket shaped anymore. The glove was laid flat, and now it had more of the shape of an omelet! It still looked kind of like a baseball glove, and it did fit my hand, but it was going to need some serious work if it was ever to be used. I mean, it was okay…but, it was unfit for service.
It kind of makes me think of Revelations 2:4, where we read a pretty stern judgment on the Church of Ephesus… they had lost their first love. I believe this is a somber warning for all churches. It almost comes as a surprise to readers of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, because the whole book seems to be an encouragement to stay the course, continuing in their love for God and one another. Yet, here in chapter two of Revelations, we find they somehow missed this chief point. Verses 1-3 speaks the praises of an active vibrant church with sound doctrine,… but when it comes to love (in verse 4), they come up short.
I think in some ways our churches can become like dried up, neglected old baseball gloves. Instead of a passionate intimate relationship with Christ, how easily we can become distracted by our structures and programs… and unattached to our first love. The world and all of its comforts can infected us, and we settle for being just saved, and not being radically transformed disciples.
There are no doubt easier ways to do church than to do the hard work of cultivating an intimate relationship with Christ. We can choose to be merely “religious” and go about our programs and marketing to fill our buildings, but it will only look like a church… and it will not be effective in “catching” whoever enters. Through the Holy Spirit, God works on us, He cleans us, He softens our hearts, He forms us just the way He wants us to be to be the most effective. And, then He empowers us to reach into our world for Jesus Christ. As we abide in Christ, He continues to keep us pliable and effective for Kingdom purposes. But more than that, as we respond to His love and do the Kingdom work with Kingdom power we are freed to be who we were created to be… His beloved bride.
I loved my glove! I love my Savior…He’s my first love! May I never put him aside, and forget to give Him the attention and love He so richly deserves.
