Trying versus Training
Trying versus Training
At some point—hopefully soon—MLB and the MLB Players Association will finalize a new collective bargaining agreement, Spring Training will commence, and baseball will return.
Spring Training and Lent—which begins Ash Wednesday—share an important thing in common beyond happening at the same time of year. It’s a time players ramp up their training so that when the heat is on they do exactly what needs to be done when it needs to be done as a matter of habit. For thousands of years disciples of Jesus have focused on the same thing at Lent.
Because whether it’s effortlessly and habitually turning a double play, or obeying everything Jesus commanded, it takes more than just trying…it requires training.
One has to try, of course, but we seriously overestimate what we can do solely by trying, and grossly underestimate what we can do by training. This is why MLB players don’t just show up on Opening Day with their bat and glove ready to try really, really hard. So, similar to the pre-season in baseball, Lent is a time when disciples of Jesus pay particular attention to training.
Trying versus training this Sunday. See you then.
Steve+
Mask Survey
If you haven’t already, please take a minute to complete our very brief mask survey here.
From the pandemic’s early days it’s been the policy of Redeemer’s Vestry to take seriously both local indoor masking regulations and CDC guidelines in our public worship. Growing disparity between these has lately caused some degree of confusion. Given the range of views and differing levels of comfort among the members of our community regarding masking—and because we want to encourage heartfelt singing in our worship services (a particularly potent means of virus transmission)—the Vestry decided at our February meeting to continue requiring masks during our Sunday morning morning worship for the next month, with the intention of revisiting the issue at our March meeting. To help inform the Vestry’s consideration of this issue, we would greatly appreciate your input.
Shrove Tuesday Dinner—Cancelled
Due to a funeral that day, our Shrove Tuesday Dinner scheduled for Tuesday, March 1, 6PM has been cancelled. Please join us the following evening for our Ash Wednesday service.
Ash Wednesday Service—March 2, 7PM, Annapolis SDA
Picture credit: Lesly Juarez on Unsplash