2013 MLB Preview: NL East

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Jason

This should be a fun race to watch. The Braves have really jumped out here in the early going, but they’ll be battling Washington all year long for the top spot in the division, maybe even the league. It’ll probably come down to health; both teams have already dealt with injuries to key players in the early going.

1st place: Washington Nationals

Last year, Washington would’ve been the consensus #1 heading into the playoffs if not for the infamous Stephen Strasburg shutdown. Somehow, six months later, his arm is now ready for 220+ innings. Whatever, Mike Rizzo. As it stands, the ‘Nats boast one of the best rotations in the majors: Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, and Jordan Zimmerman could each make a run at 20 wins. Dan Haren looks lost, but Washington is banking that the old vet still has a little left in the tank. If he does, look out. I love the bullpen, especially with the addition of Rafael Soriano. As long as Clippard and Storen don’t let their egos keep them from pitching effectively in the 7th and 8th, this bullpen is very solid. The lineup will benefit from Denard Span in the leadoff spot. Bryce Harper looks primed for a monster year and as long as Ryan Zimmerman isn’t on the shelf for too long, this squad should score plenty of runs. I give them the slight nod over Atlanta on the basis of the rotation.

2nd place: Atlanta Braves

Personally, I think they overpaid for B.J. Upton. He has decent pop, but he’s a .240 hitter. They already have a couple of guys that fit that bill (McCann, Uggla). But brother Justin looks like an early MVP candidate. I think Jason Heyward is huge for them. If he continues his progress, this team will be hard to stop. But Brave fans should hope his ground ball rate doesn’t revert back to ’11 form. I don’t LOVE the pitching on this team. One of these days, Tim Hudson’s arm is going to fall off; until then, he’ll keep using smoke and mirrors to get guys out. Medlen looks like the real deal, but Tehran is unproven and Paul Maholm is pitching over his head. The bullpen is absolutely lights out, though. They’re loaded with enough power arms in the late innings to overcome any deficiencies in the rotation. I see Atlanta cruising to a wild card spot, possibly even dethroning Washington atop the division.

3rd place: Philadelphia Phillies

This is less a statement about Philly and more about the Mets and Marlins. This team will probably do well to play above .500 ball through the summer. No other team in the league is so reliant on aging veterans. Ryan Howard’s legs are shot. Roy Halladay’s velocity is long gone. Chase Utley is a grinder, but how much longer can he hold up. Or how about Jimmy Rollins? Or Cliff Lee? Or Michael Young? If this were 2006, this team would be unbeatable. Hamels and Lee will give them a real chance to win every time they take the hill, but that’s about it. 82 wins would be best case scenario.

4th place: New York Mets

Let’s start with the good news: they get to play the Marlins a lot. And Matt Harvey is awesome. And David Wright will retire with the Mets. After that….well, it’s a bit more difficult to remain positive. What can you say about a team that traded away the reigning Cy Young award winner whose contract was club friendly? Who knows? Maybe John Buck is really the second coming of Mickey Cochrane. But more realistically, the offense will struggle all year and the young pitching staff will take their lumps as they acclimate from the minors to the bigs. But there’s room for long term optimism. In the next few seasons, Harvey and fellow stud prospect Zack Wheeler could be leading a Mets resurgence in the standings. Until then…like I said, at least you get to play the Marlins.

5th place: Miami Marlins

This team is almost as big a joke as Houston. They traded away all their talent in the offseason in the dump deal with Toronto. And the lone talent left on the big league team, Giancarlo Stanton, is already tweeting his disgust at management for leaving the cupboard so bare. Jacob Turner and Nathan Eovaldi could evolve into serviceable starters, but otherwise this team is going to struggle in every facet of the game.

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The Story: Bitterness

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Jason

When studying the book of Ruth, the title character often receives much of the attention. But there are some powerful lessons we can learn from Naomi’s story, too.

Her story begins in Bethlehem, which literally means “house of bread”. A great famine seizes the land and we are immediately struck with the irony: famine has come to the house of bread. This, of course, foreshadows the emptiness that Naomi is going to experience.

Though the land is plagued with famine, Naomi leaves “full” – she has her husband, Elimelech and her two sons and she is headed toward a land unaffected by drought and plague. In Moab, her sons marry. But before this happens, her husband dies. Some time later, her sons — both of them — pass away. Naomi’s emptiness begins here — the emptiness of loss.

Naomi, in the span of a few short verses, experiences several of the most profound losses in the human experience: the loss of a spouse and the loss of a child. She makes the decision to return home to Bethlehem, which is no accident. Although the text never makes it explicit, God is certainly up to something when Naomi decides to move back home.

Bethlehem is the place where the kinsman-redeemer (Boaz) lives. Moving ahead in the Story, Bethlehem will also be the birthplace of the Kings, first David, and then Jesus.

Returning home when we feel empty is a natural impulse. But listen to what Naomi says when she arrives: “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune on me.” (1:20-21)

Two things we can say about this:

  1. Naomi is honest about her circumstances. Brutally honest, we might say. But this is not a criticism. She’s right — she has experienced tragedy and hardship. She has lost her husband, both of her sons, and presumably, because she has no one to redeem her husband’s property, she has lost this as well. I don’t think we should see this as whining. In fact, it’s healthy for us to be honest about our circumstances. She’s not living in denial, not sticking her head in the sand. And we should also point out that this is not a rejection of God. She is still committed to God, despite these hardships. When we go through hard times, God welcomes our honest prayers. Read through Psalms and see how many of them are lament Psalms. However…
  2. Naomi has allowed her circumstances to make her bitter. This is the problem. It’s one thing to be honest about our situation; often times, there is nothing we can do about these circumstances. But bitterness is always a choice. It’s a choice to dwell in negativity. And this is Naomi’s issue. My mother used to say this, and maybe you’ve heard it before, too. “There are a lot of things that are out of your control; but you can always control how you react in any situation.” This is true. Naomi has chosen the lens of bitterness as a way of seeing her entire life, so much so that she basically changes her name. “Call me Mara” (which means bitter). Bitterness has overtaken her identity. This is the self-destructive danger of bitterness. What do you do when you taste something bitter? You spit it out, right? But what happens when you binge on bitterness? Is it possible that your spiritual “taste buds” get burned out and that all you can taste is bitterness at every turn? That seems to be what’s happened with Naomi.

Can you relate to that? Have you ever been “bitten” with “bitterness”?

How do you know you’re bitter? One of the indicators is, like Naomi, your self-perception becomes skewed by your bitterness. You’ve allowed these circumstances to swallow you whole, so that you don’t even know who you are anymore. You find a way to steer every conversation back toward your bitterness. If you’ve been there, then you’ve been bitten with bitterness.

The Bible has a great deal to say about bitterness:

Bitterness can blind us. Naomi’s bitterness blinds her to two realities:

  1. Naomi is blessed with a committed daughter-in-law.Naomi says she left Bethlehem full but she’s returned empty. But this isn’t true! She has a daughter-in-law who makes one of the strongest statements of loyalty you’ll find in the entire Bible! That’s why it’s read at nearly every wedding you go to! Let’s read it again: Where you go I will go and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die and there I will be buried. Ruth 1:16-17. Imagine how Ruth must’ve felt, hearing Naomi talk about her emptiness! But Naomi’s attitude does nothing to dissuade Ruth from being absolutely committed to Naomi’s well-being. It can be terribly difficult living with someone who is bitter. Our best advice might be to follow the example of Ruth — who seems to have chosen to love Naomi through her bitterness.
  2. Naomi is blessed with a committed God. Although Naomi maintains her faith in God, she also holds God responsible for her plight: 1:21, the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me. Deuteronomy 18:17-18: 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. 18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. In the OT Law, God makes a commitment to defend the defenseless. As a widow, Naomi would certainly qualify as one of these individuals in her culture. By returning to Bethlehem, Naomi enjoys the benefit of God’s provision in the Law — OT Law to allow widows, poor to glean the fields of the rich. This law is proof of God’s commitment to women just like Naomi and Ruth. But her bitterness has blinded her to the promise of God to stand by her side and defend her cause.

Bitterness grows over time.

The Hebrew writer describes bitterness as a dangerous root: Hebrews 12:15, See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Often times you can’t see roots; they’re buried deep under the ground. But bitter roots bear bitter fruit. How does bitterness grow in your life?

It usually begins with disappointment / pain / sorrow from the loss of a loved one, a job, a social position, etc. This disappointment gradually hardens into resentment if its not dealt with properly. Disappointment accrues interest and the result is that resentment works its way deep into our heart and turns into bitterness.

None of us is immune to this process.
So what do we do about it?
We take great care to “weed out” bitterness by the grace of God.

When I’m bitter, it’s usually because I feel that I’ve been wronged. I feel that I have the right to hold on to something from the past, maintain a grudge over a past offense.

But grace teaches me that I don’t have that right. If I’ve partaken of the grace of God, then I lay down my right to lord these mistakes over you for the rest of your life.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Col. 3:13)
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Eph. 4:30-32)

The New Testament teaches that the key to overcoming bitterness is forgiveness. The sooner you can forgive, the less bitter you will become.

Finally, we can say that Bitterness can lead to sin.

  1. Bitterness has been called “emotional suicide”. It’s drinking poison while wishing someone else would die.
  2. But we should deal with our bitterness not only for the physical health benefits it could bring us —  but spiritually speaking, holding on to bitterness can lead us into sin.
  3. Acts 8 – Peter and John travel to Samaria to lay hands on the new Christians there that they might receive the Holy Spirit. Powerful display of God’s power, confirms the expansion of the Kingdom to include the Samaritans — important fulfillment of Jesus’ mission He gives in Acts 1:8.
  4. But a man named Simon the Sorcerer, who has recently been converted, asks Peter and John for this same power, offering them money in exchange for this gift.
  5. Acts 8:20, Peter says, “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! V22, Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. V23, For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
  6. In Simon’s life, bitterness over not having the same gift as the apostles leads him to being “captive to sin.”
  7. The same could be true in our lives. The Ephesians passage we referenced earlier is proof of this. When we remain bitter, our hearts are hardened, making it difficult for us to live in love with one another.

Do you need to deal with bitterness today? Don’t let this issue hold you captive to sin. Be quick to forgive. Maybe you need help with this — ask the Lord for help, He will be quick to answer.

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The Story: The Kinsman Redeemer

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Jason

When was the last time you heard the story of Ruth? For many of you, it may have been a while. And that’s a shame, because it is a beautiful story of sorrow and redemption. It’s an unlikely love story; those are usually the best kind, aren’t they?

But let me tell why this story is so important: it is an essential part of God’s upper story re: Israel’s history and the redemption that will ultimately come through Jesus.

Ruth & Boaz will have a son, Obed

Obed will have a son, Jesse

Jesse will have a son, David

Ruth’s story is a key part of the development of Israel’s history.

We first meet Ruth at the graveyard where she has buried her husband of 10 years. Not long afterward, her mother-in-law, an Israelite named Naomi, informs Ruth that she is headed back home.

A little bit of family history: Naomi and her husband, Elimelech, and their two boys lived in Bethlehem. Famine strikes, they set out for Moab, east of the Promise Land. This is where the boys marry their wives, Ruth and Orpah. Over time, all three men pass away, Dad and both sons.

Their deaths leave these women destitute. No possibility of food, work, home. They can’t just go back to school, finish their degree, get a job waiting tables. History is not kind to women who are left behind, left alone. This is the grim reality these women face.

So Naomi packs up her belongings and decides to head back to Bethlehem. She’s heard the famine has let up and, after all, Israel was her homeland. She tells her daughters-in-law to return and go back to their mothers. “You all are young enough to find new husbands, start a new life.”

Ruth and Naomi

Ruth and Naomi

Orpah obeys, but Ruth refuses. In fact, she makes one of the most well known statements of covenant faithfulness in the entire Bible – and she speaks these words to her mother-in-law, of all people!

“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” — Ruth 1:16-17

It’s worth remembering that Ruth is not an Israelite. She is a Moabite woman. The Moabite nation began when Lot — Abraham’s nephew — impregnated his daughter centuries earlier in Genesis 19:37. With that sort of beginning, Moab was doomed from the start. Child sacrifice was a regular component of Moabite worship to their god, Chemosh. Moabites were perennial enemies of Israel; not even allowed to enter the assembly of the Lord (Deut. 23:3).

But Ruth’s devotion to Naomi is so great, it leads her to this moment of accepting not only her mother-in-law and the responsibility of her well-being, but also the God she serves. 10 years of fixing meals, washing clothes, talking and laughing and crying – 10 years of doing life together leads to this moment where Ruth professes her faith — faith in Naomi, but even more importantly, faith in God. Over these 10 years, Ruth must’ve seen something in Naomi’s life that prompted this.

Imagine how difficult this would be for Ruth. In the ancient world, bloodlines were everything. Nationalism and tribalism were rampant. But here is Ruth, pledging her life to her Israelite mother-in-law. Imagine the pain Ruth’s parents must’ve felt as they stood at the entrance to their home and watched her walk away from everything and everybody she’s ever known. What would compel someone to do this?

Even though she’s not allowed in the assembly of the Lord, Ruth accepts the God of Israel. This is a testimony to Naomi, who seems to have accepted Ruth and loved her as if she were her own daughter. In fact, later on in the text, she actually calls her that, “my daughter”. You get the feeling that Ruth says, “If serving your God will make me anything like you, then I’m all in.” Naomi has  her struggles, too, and we’ll talk about them tonight, but her influence over her daughter-in-law is undeniable.

Given where we are in Israel’s history, this story is a bit surprising. A few weeks back, we were talking about Joshua’s command to go and take the land by force, to drive out these pagan peoples. But Ruth’s story shows us an example of a foreigner coming to know and serve the God of Israel. Ruth’s story tells us what it means to truly be part of the family of God. In a world where bloodlines usually constitute battle lines, Ruth is a glimmer of hope, a message of Good News that reminds us of what we said in the first message in this series: all humanity bears the image of God, therefore all humanity is worthy of God’s redemption.

And so, Ruth returns w/ Naomi to Bethlehem. Penniless, Ruth goes to glean in the fields of Boaz. OT Law — we skipped over much of it in our telling of The Story this year. But back in Leviticus 19, God gave the Israelites a very important teaching, one that Jesus dusts off and makes a central tenet of His teaching: love your neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19:18). One of the ways this command is expressed is found in 19:9-10:

When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord your God.

This law ensured compassion for “the least of these” in Israel.

And this is where we meet Boaz. He’s a relative of Elimelech, Ruth’s deceased father-in-law. He allows Ruth to glean in his field, which shows his desire to do things according to the command of God. But in addition, he shows compassion on Ruth. He commands his men not to lay a finger on her (2:9). In a society in which an unmarried foreign woman could easily feel vulnerable and defenseless, Boaz says, “Don’t worry. You’re safe here.” Boaz takes it even a step farther, asking Ruth to glean exclusively in his field.

2:10, Ruth says, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me – a foreigner?”

2:11-12, Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband – how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

In the shadow of your wings...

In the shadow of your wings…

Throughout Israel’s history, the idea of “the wings of God” was used to convey God’s ability to provide, to protect, to deliver. Consider these Psalms:

  • Psalm 17:8, Keep me as the apple of your eye; Hide me in the shadow of your wings.
  • Psalm 57:1, I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
  • Psalm 61:4, I long to dwell in your tent forever & take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

Guess who wrote each of those Psalms? David, Ruth and Boaz’s great-grandson. Are you beginning to see what an important story this is in the OT?

Naomi hears all of this and she begins to concoct a plan to get Boaz to marry Ruth. We ought to just call it what it is: she starts playing matchmaker. Naomi tells Ruth to get dressed up: Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. (Ruth 3:3). She tells her to go to the threshing floor where Boaz will be. Our story began in famine, but now it is harvest season — Boaz and his men will be working sunup to sundown and then they’ll sleep in tents they’ve set up in the field. Not only does this help keeps thieves away, it also lets them get right back to work first thing in the morning. Naomi tells Ruth to get dressed up, to go to Boaz’s tent, and to lie down at his feet.

Now, this is a risky move. It’s fairly scandalous, at least that’s how it would’ve been perceived. It’s a risky move, but it’s also a bold move. But Ruth does exactly as her mother-in-law tells her.

Boaz wakes up in the night and notices something is wrong:

3:9, “Who are you?” he asked.

“I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer.”

The Hebrew word for “garment” that’s used here — it’s the same word Boaz used in 2:12 when he prays for God to cover Ruth under the shadow of His wing. Ruth uses the same word — which also means corner of a garment — to ask for Boaz’s protection. She is asking Boaz to be the answer to her prayers; she’s asking him to be the answer to his own prayer. She’s asking him to be her deliverer, her protector, her redeemer.

The idea of a redeeming kinsman is another tenet of the OT law: when a man died childless, his brother was to marry the widow. The first born son of this union was regarded as if he was born to the deceased man, received his estate, so that the man’s line was not cut off. If the brother was deceased, as in this case, then the responsibility was transferred to the nearest of kin.

Boaz, although he is a relative, is not the nearest of kin. He knows who is — apparently, he’s given some thought to this possibility prior to Ruth showing up in his tent. So he has a decision to make. Boaz wants to take Ruth as his wife; but he also wants to do the right thing per the commandments. So he goes off to negotiate with the nearest of kin. And I love what Naomi says when Ruth reports back to her in the morning: “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today,” (3:18).

Boaz is a man who will do the right thing the right way. Remember the time frame here: this is the period of Judges, a lawless time characterized by the phrase, Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Well, not Boaz. There’s still at least one good man in Israel committed to doing things the right way. And he won’t rest until the matter is settled.

The nearest of kin isn’t interested; he seems fine with acquiring a little bit of extra property, but he has no interest in Ruth or risking his own estate over the affair. And so Boaz seals the deal, becoming Ruth’s kinsman-redeemer, reversing her fortune by giving her a place, security, and a future.

The final image of Ruth is the picture of Naomi holding her grandson, Obed, in her lap. This child will be the father of Jesse, who will be the father of David. Our story began in a graveyard; and it concludes in a nursery. Once again, fortunes have been reversed.

But Boaz prefigures another kinsman-redeemer, another deliverer — one who negotiates our purchase from sin and death, reversing our fortunes. One who will come from the line of Ruth and Boaz, from the line of David — Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer.

Posted in Devotional, Faith, God, Marriage, Scripture, The Story | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

2013 MLB Preview: AL West

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Jason

Injuries have already impacted several of these clubs right out of the gate. Both the Rangers and Angels were already a bit suspect in this department heading into the season. And now, just a week or so in, both clubs have put their aces on the disabled list. I’m still going to handicap this division the same way I would’ve two weeks ago, but expect both of these clubs to operate with a little less sizzle for the first couple of months.

1st place: Texas Rangers

You could argue that no team had a worse offseason than the Rangers. Spurned by both Zack Greinke and Josh Hamilton, the Rangers decided to pass on any other major upgrades via free agency. Instead, they quietly pieced together some intriguing signings. Lance Berkman and Joakim Soria are both coming off substantial injuries, but if healthy, they should provide a boost. A.J. Pierzynski should continue to hit for power in Arlington, even though he’s getting a bit long in the tooth. Kinsler, Andrus, Beltre, Darvish, and Harrison form a nice core and super-prospect Jurickson Profar is waiting in the wings. I expect the Rangers to monitor the trade deadline market for whatever they need to help them make a playoff push. This might be their best shot to win for the next several seasons.

2nd place: Los Angeles Angels

Sure, Josh Hamilton is a nice signing. But if you start to add it up, both Hamilton and Pujols are getting a bit injury-prone. They might combine for 80 HRs and 225 RBI; or they might flip-flop between the DL and DH. In a couple of years, I think Halos ownership might regret both of these deals. But the greatest question mark is the rotation. I don’t see imports Jason Vargas, Tommy Hanson, and Joe Blanton as improvements over Greinke, Santana, and Haren. If Ryan Madson ever returns, the ‘pen ought to be solid. And Mike Trout will be great (though I expect regression). But I don’t think it’s a slam dunk that this club wins the division. In fact, I think they’ll be in a dogfight with Oakland for one of the AL Wild Card spots.

3rd place: Oakland A’s

Boy, where did these guys come from last year? I don’t know anybody who predicted these kids to be this good this early. As of this writing, Oakland is the hottest club in the bigs. The young starters look strong: Brett Anderson is ace-material (when healthy); A.J. Griffin, Tommy Millone, and Jarrod Parker look to be the real deal. It’s a sign of this club’s depth that they demoted Dan Straily after his 11-strikeout performance a few days ago. The offense is unspectacular but effective-enough: Yoenis Cespedes is the only guy who really scares you, but they have enough complimentary pieces to get the job done. I really like the OF rotation (Cespedes, Josh Reddick, Coco Crisp, Seth Smith, and Chris Young). That depth is already reaping dividends while Reddick has been banged up. If Jed Lowrie gets 500 at bats, look for him to produce in a big way. It seems Billy Beane has replicated the blueprint that’s worked well across the Bay in San Fran: cheap, young starting pitching and a grinding offensive attack. These guys could be here to stay for a while.

4th place: Seattle Mariners

Seattle could be the most improved team in the majors this season…and still finish 4th in this division. Kendrys Morales and Mike Morse give instant credibility to an anemic attack. Jesus Montero might not stick as a big league catcher, but I think he’ll hit in a big way. Dustin Ackley and Justin Smoak seem to have plateaued off, but they’re still young enough to improve. The bullpen has a couple of power arms and help is on the way for the rotation, too: soon King Felix could be surrounded by Danny Hultzen and Taijuan Walker. When that happens, Seattle could legitimately contend. Until then, they’ll at least have fun beating up on the pathetic Astros.

5th place: Houston Astros

I really hated to see Houston move to the AL. I’ve enjoyed watching my Cardinals routinely beat them like a drum for the past several years. This is the kind of club that helps you understand Premier League soccer rules over in Europe: you wish a club this bad could be banished to the minor leagues. I’m rooting for Jeff Luhnow since he’s a former Cardinal exec, but boy does he have his work cut out for him. It’s really not even worth profiling this pathetic team. They’ll lose 115 games easily. They’re that bad.

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2013 MLB Preview: AL Central

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Jason

This is probably the easiest division to handicap. The Tigers look to be one of the top two or three clubs in the AL. I think the Royals are good enough to contend for a wild card spot and the ChiSox should be competitive. Here are the team-by-team breakdowns:

1st place: Detroit Tigers

The bullpen is somewhat unsettled right now; Leyland likes a bona fide closer, and right now it looks like Phil Coke and Joaquin Benoit will split duties. And the defense is average. Otherwise, this is a very strong club. Offensively, Detroit boasts the best 3-4 combo in the game in Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder. Victor Martinez looks like he’s fully recovered and Austin Jackson is coming into his own as a leadoff hitter. But the rotation might be the best in baseball. Of course, Justin Verlander is vintage, but Max Scherzer has developed into an ace in his own right. Anibal Sanchez, Doug Fister, and Rick Porcello round out a young, deep rotation. This team can cruise to the division crown.

2nd place: Kansas City Royals

GM Dayton Moore might regret trading uber-prospect Wil Myers in a few years. (Heck, he might regret it by next month.) But the haul coming back from Tampa (James Shields, Wade Davis) is part of a comprehensive overhaul of the 2012 starting rotation. Only Jeremy Guthrie remains from last season, and he was only a midseason addition to the ’12 team. Shields gives the club a legit #1; Davis pitched well out of the ‘pen last year and still has plenty of upside; Guthrie and free agent import Ervin Santana should provide plenty of quality innings. The offense will be led by a core of homegrown talent: Billy Butler, Salvador Perez, Alex Gordon, Eric Hosmer. The bullpen is filled with power arms and the farm system is still stocked. These Royals could be here to stay for the next several seasons.

3rd place: Chicago White Sox

Not to brag, but I predicted last year’s turnaround on the South Side and many of the same pieces return this season. Chris Sale emerged as an ace and Jake Peavy recovered his pre-injury form. The offense will miss A.J. Pierzynski’s bat, but Alex Rios, Adam Dunn, and Paul Konerko will keep the scoreboard operator quite busy. But there are question marks. Will Robin Ventura’s motivational magic continue? Can Tyler Flowers hold down an everyday spot in the lineup? How much will John Danks be able to contribute? Will Sale suffer any setbacks after last year’s increased workload? Expect the Sox to hover around .500 all year. Better than the worst clubs in the division, but not quite elite.

4th place: Cleveland Indians

I actually like their offseason quite a bit. Michael Bourn changes the complexion of this club, giving them the dynamic leadoff batter they haven’t enjoyed since Kenny Lofton’s heyday in the mid-90s. They probably overpaid for Nick Swisher, but I expect him to thrive as the big fish in this small pond. And the addition of manager Terry Francona might be the most important piece. Tito is a proven winner and he’s a player’s manager. I’m rooting for him. The rotation is still a bit of an enigma. Justin Masterson is maddeningly inconsistent…and he’s supposed to be the ace? And you never know what you’re going to get with Ubaldo Jimenez. Two years from now when Trevor Bauer and Carlos Carrasco are anchoring the rotation, Cleveland might be able to contend for the division crown. But not until then.

5th place: Minnesota Twins

I really like Ron Gardenhire and I hope he’s able to pull a rabbit out of his hat here. But I have a feeling this is his swan song in the Twin Cities. This team is simply bereft of pitching. Scott Diamond was a nice little story last year, but come on. When Vance Worley is your offseason headliner, you know you’re in for a long summer. Mauer will probably contend for another batting title and Justin Morneau looks to be healthy (finally). He and Josh Willingham make a formidable middle of the order. But I just don’t see how this team can contend with the other teams in this division. It ain’t happening.

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The Greatest Day

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Jason

Last Friday, I took the boys camping. Ever since our Disney camping trip back in the fall, they’ve been begging to go again. Of course, it’s been much too cold to seriously consider it, but with spring time weather finally here, we were finally able to make it happen.

We packed up our gear: a tent, sleeping bags, a cooler full of Cherry Cokes and Sunny D, some charcoal for grilling, and bikes and scooters for riding. On our way to the campsite, we stopped by a local grocery store and bought some hot dogs and a bundle of firewood. We got the campsite set up just before dark, so we didn’t have any time for riding bikes or hiking, so we decided to fire up the grill. After feasting on hot dogs and Doritos, we made ourselves a campfire and spent some time talking before delving into the massive chocolate bar my mother in law sent home with me to give to the boys. All three of us must’ve been exhausted because we all fell asleep in the tent around 10PM.

We slept great until about 3AM. I woke to the sound of one of our neighbors walking his dog…and that’s when I was struck with just how cold it was outside. I checked the weather app on my phone and it gave a temperature in the 30s! I threw another blanket on top of the boys and slept pretty fitfully until morning. But there were absolutely no regrets, despite the colder weather. The morning made it all worth it.

After eating breakfast and drinking my morning coffee, we went over to the playground area at the campsite. Jackson had fun playing on the slide & swing; he even made a new friend. Joshua and I threw baseball before he joined his brother for some play time on the massive play set. After an hour or so on the playground, we got out our walking sticks and took a long walk through a couple of the trails. One trail in particular took us along a fairly high bluff. Jackson continually wanted to lead the way on our walk. I’m so impressed with his fearless nature, although I have to admit, I had to rein him in a few times when he’d get dangerously close to the edge.

We hiked for about 2 hours or so before little legs finally gave out. On our walk back to my truck, Jackson looked up at me with a little bit of dirt and sweat caked onto his face. He said, “Dad, this is the greatest day.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“It’s the greatest day of my life.”

I immediately thought of that old George Strait song, “The Best Day”. It’s a song that follows the relationship of a father and son throughout the years. The opening verse describes a camping trip, similar to this one, wherein the boy tells his Dad, after spending the weekend together, “Dad, this could be the best day of my life.”

I’d have to agree with Jackson; it ranks as one of my favorites, too.

The Bybee boys camping trip, Spring 2013

The Bybee boys camping trip, Spring 2013

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The Story: The Threshing Floor

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Jason

At this point in Israel’s history, power is decentralized. Rather than replace Joshua with another national leader, a series of local, tribal leaders emerge throughout the land. But Israel also deals with the repercussions that come from failing to drive the pagan peoples out of the land. In fact, Judges 1:28 says, “When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely.” The former slave people are now guilty of the crimes of Pharaoh a few generations earlier.

And it’s precisely this kind of moral drift that characterizes Israel during the period of the judges. Repeatedly, this phrase comes up in Judges: And the people did what was right in their own eyes. Sad commentary on this period of Israel’s history.

And so this cycle begins: Israel does evil in the sight of the Lord; God punishes Israel by allowing an enemy to oppress them; Israel cries out to the Lord; God raises up a judge to deliver them; the land has peace for a period of years. This cycle is repeated throughout the book of Judges.

In one of these cycles, the Midianites rise up to oppose Israel. In response to Israel’s cry, God calls Gideon as he is threshing wheat in a winepress.

An ancient winepress...Gideon's "hide out"

An ancient winepress…Gideon’s “hide out”

Judges 6:11, Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites.

Threshing wheat normally takes place in a large, open space. The thresher tosses the grain in the air, letting the wind blow away the chaff. The picture of Gideon threshing out the wheat in a small, enclosed winepress conveys his fear of the Midianites.

An ancient threshing floor...a "wide open" space

An ancient threshing floor…a “wide open” space

What do people do when they’re afraid? They do things they’re not supposed to do. Like thresh wheat in a winepress. Winepresses are for crushing grapes. Threshing floors are for threshing wheat. But Gideon is so afraid, he’s doing things he’s not supposed to do. God never wanted it to be this way. Gideon is not supposed to be afraid of the Midianites; he and his people are supposed to drive them out. But his fear has taken hold of him. Maybe you can relate to that.

Are there things in your life that have taken hold of you, things that God never intended for you to be afraid of? If so, then I think you’ll relate to Gideon.

If anybody else were to walk up to Gideon in this moment, they’d see a scared little man trying not to draw attention to himself. Yet, the angel of the Lord addresses Gideon with a different title: “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior,” (6:12).

When others look at Gideon they see a fearful man, trembling in the winepress. But God looks at Gideon and sees a mighty warrior, fearless because of his trust in God.

But Gideon objects initially. Like Moses before him, he’s reluctant at first to accept God’s call.

V13 -“If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened? The Lord has abandoned us.” God counters his objection.

V14 – “Go in the strength you have and save Israel…” But Gideon is reluctant.

V15 – “How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” (6:15). But God has been down this road before.

V16 – “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.” 

From Gideon’s story, I want to point out three themes that are recurring themes from our study of The Story so far this year. The first is this: God offers His presence to His people for His purpose. 

Gideon fails to see himself as God sees him. When he looks in the mirror, he sees something insignificant. But he fails to see the most important thing: God is on his side! And that means Gideon doesn’t need to cower in the winepress; with the presence of God, he can become a mighty warrior. God is offering His presence to Gideon for His purposes.

If you ask Gideon, “What’s wrong with the world today?” he has an answer. “Well, it’s the Midianites. That and the fact that God has abandoned us.” But if you ask Gideon, “What are you doing to rectify the situation?” his response is, “What, little ol’ me? Nothing. I can do nothing because I am nothing. I’m an insignificant man from an insignificant tribe. I can’t solve this problem. It’s too big for me.”

Well, Gideon’s right…he isn’t much if you go by some of the common worldly barometers. But that’s exactly the point: God doesn’t call Gideon because he’s the sharpest, the strongest, the most heroic. I believe God calls him precisely because he isn’t any of those things.

But with God on his side, Gideon becomes someone else entirely. This weak little milquetoast of a man threshing his wheat in secret is going to become the leader of one of the greatest underdog stories the world has ever seen. March Madness has nothing on this story.

God offers His presence to His people for His purposes. Gideon is about to learn this lesson; and I hope the same can be said of us.

That leads to the second recurring theme that we’re encountering. In our reading of The Story this year, have you noticed that God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called? Have you picked up on that?

  • Abraham and Sarah: “Are you sure we’re the right ones for the job? We’re old enough to be grandparents!” God: “I’ve got it under control.”
  • Moses: “I’m not a public speaker.” God says, “I know a guy who is.”
  • Gideon: “I’m a little bitty nothing of a man.” And God says: “I know. That’s why I picked you.”

God doesn’t choose any of these individuals on the basis of merit or strength or talent. I believe He chooses them precisely because they aren’t any of those things.

Paul talks about this very thing over in 1 Cor. 1:27, But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

God tells Gideon: I’m the only credential you’ll need. You may be insignificant, but with me by your side, you’re a mighty warrior! What would it do for you if you heard these words from God? What would it do for your confidence, your self-esteem, if you heard God address you as “a mighty warrior”? God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called. If He’s the one who calls you to be a mighty warrior, you can rest assured He’s the one who’s going to qualify you for the job.

You see, God sees so much more than our weaknesses, our lack of resources, our lack of courage. He sees the strength we have, scant as it might be. And this is the third of these recurring themes that Gideon’s story reminds us of: God sees our possibilities through the lens of His power; He does not limit them by the breadth of our weakness. The smidgeon of strength that Gideon has, coupled with God’s presence beside him, is sufficient to rout the entire Midianite army.

But Gideon needs some assurances, needs to be convinced God is really with him to make him a mighty warrior. And God graciously provides a demonstration of His power, consuming the meat and unleavened bread Gideon had prepared in miraculous fashion (6:21). This leads Gideon to act courageously to tear down his father’s altar to Baal and Asherah, a victory over the idolatrous forces in the land.

And yet, Gideon asks for further confirmation as his task grows. Tearing down his father’s altar is one thing; opposing the mighty forces of the Midianite & Amalekite armies is another altogether.

You see, Gideon is a lot like us. He has moments of incredible faith sandwiched around moments of doubt and fear. Does that sound familiar?

The place where all this comes to a head is the threshing floor. The Canaanite forces number 135,000 (8:10). God is asking Gideon to trust him that these enemies will fall to them. But even though we’ve seen him grow in courage and strength, Gideon asks for a few more signs.

  • I’ll put the fleece out on the threshing floor; since you send the dew each morning, if the ground is dry but the fleece is wet, I’ll know you’re really in this for me.
  • So God says, “Okay.” The next morning, the fleece is like a Sham Wow; he wrings out a bowl full of water from it, the ground is dry as a bone.
  • But Gideon wavers again. He asks God for one more sign. And God says okay. This time, Gideon reverses it: If the ground is wet and the fleece is dry, then I’ll believe. And God grants him this final request. By putting out the fleece, Gideon receives assurance yet again that God is on his side.

What happens next is really interesting. The roles reverse and God is now the one asking for something. As we said, the Midianite and Amalekite army is about 135,000 strong. Gideon’s army is 32,000. That’s 4.2 Canaanites for every Israelite. Not great odds to begin with.

But as the story progresses, God is the one who takes Gideon to the threshing floor, to separate the chaff of doubt from the wheat of his faith.

God says, You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, “Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back.” (Judges 7:2-3)

And so Gideon says to the army, “Those of you who are afraid, your services aren’t required. Go home to your wife or your mommy. Only those who possess courage are allowed to remain.”

22,000 men turn and head home.

That leaves Gideon with an army of 10,000. Now the ratio is 13.5 Canaanites for every Israelite. Odds just got a lot worse. But God says, “Nope, still too big. We’re going to separate it out a little more.” And based on…of all things…how the men drink their water, God winnows down the Israelite forces to a mere 300 men.

Now our ratio is an outlandish 450 Canaanites for every Israelite warrior.

God says, “There’s one little part missing from your equation. You forgot to factor in that I’m on your side.” And, as always, that makes all the difference.

All of this begins at the Threshing Floor.

The Threshing Floor is that out-in-the-open space to which God might be calling you, a place where the chaff of fear and doubt is separated from the wheat of your faith.

The Threshing Floor is the place where you go to meet God, the place where you can be honest with Him and seek discernment on His will for your life.

The Threshing Floor is the place where you are assured of the presence and power of God.

Will you walk out in the open to that same threshing floor today?

Or will you continue to hunker down in your winepress, ravaged by fear, refusing the call of your God to become a mighty warrior?

Posted in Devotional, Faith, God, No Fear, Scripture, The Story, Theology | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments

My card

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Jason

Here is the card I found on my desk this morning from my kids.

20130404-093233.jpg

20130404-093244.jpg

Posted in Faith, Family, Jesus, Kids | Tagged | 1 Comment

2013 MLB Preview: AL East

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Jason

Every year I like to take a stab at forecasting the upcoming MLB Season. I’ll start with the AL East.

A decade ago, this was baseball’s glamour division. There was a time you could pencil the Yankees and Red Sox in for nearly 100 wins and an October showdown in the ALCS. Now, these clubs could be fighting for last place in the division. Honestly, this is one of the more wide open divisions in baseball.

1st place: Toronto Blue Jays

I’ll admit: this pick scares me. The Blue Jays certainly won the offseason, emptying the cupboard of their upper-level prospects for the chance to acquire plenty of premium MLB talent in return. But as we’ve seen recently, these super-team scenarios rarely work out well (see the 2012 Marlins; the 2012-13 Lakers; the 2011 “Dream Team” Philadelphia Eagles). So I’m not entirely comfortable with this pick, since recent history says to bet against it.

But the talent here is undeniable. The bold moves of GM Alex Anthopoulos could radically improve what was a 73-win ballclub in 2012. For starters, there’s the mega-deal with the Marlins: SS Jose Reyes, 2B Emilio Bonifacio, SPs Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle. Then there’s free agent addition OF Melky Cabrera, a batting crown contender prior to his suspension for PEDs last season. And if that weren’t enough, Anthopoulos plucked NL Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey from the Mets to complete the offseason haul. The starting rotation should be one of the best in baseball. An already dangerous lineup becomes even more formidable with Reyes and Cabrera serving as tablesetters for Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. Not since the days of Robbie Alomar and Joe Carter has the Jays lineup been this deep.

But there are still questions: Will Brett Lawrie be able to stay healthy and hold down 3B? Will Colby Rasmus stay motivated enough to tap into his vast potential? Can the bullpen coalesce despite a brand name closer & setup guy? Will Darren Oliver pitch into his 60s? Still, with this much talent, you gotta think they’ll be in the hunt.

Right?

2nd place: Tampa Bay Rays

The division’s best pitching staff and the division’s worst offense. Consider this pick a nod to the old adage that pitching is 75% of the game. With David Price, Jeremy Hellickson, Matt Moore, Alex Cobb, Fernando Rodney, Jake McGee, Joel Peralta and Juan Carlos Oviedo, the Rays are loaded with power arms. And that’s not even counting Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi, Alex Colome, and Tyler Guerrieri who are waiting in the wings in the minors. Expect to see wunderkind Wil Myers up sometime soon to help with the offense. Until then, it’ll be up to Evan Longoria, Ben Zobrist, and Desmond Jennings to put up some runs. No other manager gets more out of his 25 man roster than Joe Maddon, so I expect them to be competitive. If pitching is 75%, in this division, it looks like staying healthy might account for the other 25%.

3rd place: Baltimore Orioles

If the Yankees weren’t so dinged up, I might pick the O’s to finish fourth. But you have to acknowledge what Buck Showalter has done in his short tenure in Baltimore. After a string of 90-loss seasons, the Orioles vaulted to 93 wins in 2012 and came within a hair of knocking off the Yankees in the ALDS. I think they’ll regress a bit; no way does the bullpen repeat their otherworldly success from a year ago and for a team that relies so much on the long ball, losing Mark Reynolds will hurt. But you have to think Adam Jones is coming into his own after his breakout last season. Ditto for Matt Wieters. Manny Machado’s best baseball is ahead of him and the same could be said for many of the young pitchers. Jason Hammel was on his way to a stellar year before he was felled by injury. And Dylan Bundy should make an impact at some point this season, too.

After last season, it’d be foolish to count these Birds out, but I expect them to come back to the pack a bit. I’m predicting they’ll win 85 games in 2013.

4th place: New York Yankees

Boy, what a mess. ARod. Teixiera. Granderson. Jeter. Pinieda. Hughes. And we still have 161 games to go. The lineup is a far cry from last year’s edition, a squad that scored over 800 runs on the year. Having Brett Gardner healthy for the entire season would be nice, but nothing is given on this club, especially considering all the greybeards in the clubhouse. Ichiro and Jeter are 39. ARod and Hiroki Kuroda are 38. Andy Pettitte is 40. Mariano Rivera is 43. I can think of no reason why any team would give Robinson Cano anything to hit this year. Sure, things will be different when Granderson and Tex get back, but that could be June or July. By that point, it might not matter.

Here are the bright spots: CC is still an ace. Cano is one of the best hitters around. Eduardo Nunez is a dynamic young infielder. David Robertson throws gas.

And the Red Sox are awful.

So, chin up Yankee fan. Chin up.

5th place: Boston Red Sox

I have no idea what this team is doing. You wouldn’t think a team could lose it’s identity so completely when a change is made in the front office, but it’s happened here. I suppose you could ignore last season’s Bobby Valentine debacle; last spring I was going on and on about how that was a trainwreck waiting to happen. But after last summer’s firesale, the BoSox offseason moves are simply baffling. Why does a rebuilding team go out and sign past-their-prime vets like Ryan Dempster, Shane Victorino, and Jonny Gomes? Why go out and sign Mike Napoli with his significantly high injury risk? How does the Stephen Drew acquisition help this team in either the short or long term?

As it is, this team has an ordinary nucleus of hitters outside of Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, and David Ortiz. Even with those three, Ortiz is already banged up and Ellsbury has played a full season once in the last three years. Jon Lester is probably glad to see John Farrell return to town, but the rest of the rotation is ordinary. And the bullpen is nothing to write home about either.

I have to admit, I’m kind of relishing the Red Sox misery, especially after all the exposure they’ve received on ESPN over the years. Where are all you bandwagon fans now, eh?

So there you have it, my AL East predictions. I’ll be back later in the week with more divisional previews.

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Sunday

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Jason

Sunday is the day of glory.

The world changed at daybreak. I doubt anyone understood it in the moment of it’s occurrence. In fact, most of the world was asleep, completely unaware that God was on the move. Consider it a stealth attack on our expectations. We’ve been playing catch up ever since.

How could we miss it? Haven’t we witnessed the power of the sunrise to recreate our world, to banish the darkness and the demons and all that we find fearful? There it is, on full display each morning, his mercies made new. We are the new creation; we are made new by the glory at daybreak. The shadows may recede and the fog may lift, but no greater transformation occurs than the one within our hearts. How could we miss it?

They arrive bewildered. What horror is this? Has someone desecrated the grave? But the word comes to them: He is not here, for he has risen. He has shed the fetters of death and now he is loose, free out there in the world doing God knows what. We approach the tomb filled with the same mixture of fear and amazement. We depart much like Peter, wondering what it all could mean.

And we live in the wake of Sunday’s promise, an answer to our prayer for “Someday.”

I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people.

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.

The Kingdom of God is in your midst.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.

This is the glory of Sunday.

This is the power of God.

This is the Life which is the light of men.

And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

Amen.

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