Holy WeekPrimjer

My favorite sport growing up was baseball. As the potential to play in college became a reality, I became obsessed with practice. My hitting coach was a former professional baseball player and he used to say to me, “Baseball is the only sport that requires daily practice, just so you can fail more times than you succeed. We practice more so we fail less!” He was referring to batting averages when getting a hit three out of ten times is considered very good, and four out of ten times is considered world-class. I’d spend hours practicing. At one point I was committed to hitting 500 balls a day. Fast-forward to a dad of three and pastoring a church. I can’t remember the last time I picked up a bat, let alone hit 500 balls. But that didn’t stop me from accepting the challenge when my son got his first whiffle bat and balls. We hit the backyard, he hung a fastball, and I piped that thing three houses down. Bat flip. McGregor walk. Daddy’s back. My son stood with his mouth wide open, eyes filled with pride, and screamed, “How did you do that!” I told him about the countless hours I spent in the cages practicing. Once you practice something long enough it becomes engrained into your natural movement. As we take the adventure of Holy Week exploring the life of Jesus leading up to His death, burial, and resurrection, don’t miss the remainder of Wednesday. Luke captures it for us by letting us know, “Jesus went to the temple daily.” The resurrection is the event that changed the world, but the example of Jesus’ daily communion with God and service to others is what perpetuates that change today. Don’t just look to Sunday as your “moment.” Focus on your daily communion with God and service to others as the momentum that carries you after Sunday. If resurrection moments don’t create daily routines, the power is missed. Sunday’s coming, but today is here. Embrace the daily with God.