Bowling Lessons

I’ve never been described as having “thin, dainty fingers.”

Recently my little brother got married, and his reception was at a bowling alley. I know…awesome, right?  I have another friend who his brother got married on the same day in another city and his reception, was also at a bowling alley.  Bowling Alley receptions, so hot right now.

Well, it turns out this small bowling alley had a limited ball selection, which is always a challenge for me at any bowling alley to find a ball that fits my massive thumb. But for thick, full-fingered people like me, there was one solid option at this bowling alley.

So my brothers, my dad, and I who all have husky thumbs all shared this one ball…which is challenging when you’re bowling on two different lanes. A lesson in patience.  After waiting long enough for the ball to return over and over, I decided this was my opportunity to work on my curveball…is that what it’s called in bowling? My summer bowling league in elementary school would be deeply disappointed in me.

So I tried.

I tried the weird curveball thing on a smaller ball that couldn’t fit my thumb.

And do you know what?  I discovered something.

I
Was
Unbelievably
Terrible
At
It.

In ten frames, I think I made it work once.

But that one time?

Strike.

Isn’t that a bit like life and following Jesus?  There are so many great things…but there are also lots of things in life that present real challenges. Limited options. Difficulties. Obstacles. Very real problems and pain.

The solution isn’t always to quit or give up.

Sometimes the solution is to look for another way.

To find joy in the middle of the challenge.
To see possibility in limited options.
To be strengthened in times of difficulty.
To learn through obstacles.
To hope, pray, and work toward peace in the middle of pain.

And sometimes, it is awesome and fun and beautiful, and other times it is hard.

I had a college student in my previous ministry that used to say, “you win some, but you lose most”…which feels really sad and a bummer, but I think she was right.  There are a lot of bad hands that get dealt, lots of struggles that we will all face, but that doesn’t have to be the end.  There is beauty in the epic narrative of life in Jesus.

We were never promised an easy life…or even a good life. But we were promised abundant life. A real life. A life with troubles, yes, but Jesus reminds us, take heart, because He has overcome.

And honestly? I loved getting to try that style of bowling. I probably hadn’t attempted it in over a decade. It was fun.

Do you know why I hadn’t tried it?

Because I didn’t want to waste the time. Or the money. I didn’t want to give up what I knew and was comfortable with just to try something new.

But when the usual options didn’t fit, there was no better time to try.

Maybe that’s true for you too.

Maybe you’ve hesitated to really follow Jesus because it feels costly. Because it might stretch you beyond what’s comfortable.  Because you’re fearful some things in your life will have to change…maybe…probably…but I promise it is worth it.

Following Jesus, living a life that embodies His ways won’t always be easy. You won’t always get what you want. But it is a life full of meaning and purpose, joy and love, beauty, celebration and abundance.

And honestly?

I think it’s a lot of fun too.

And there’s no better time to try than now.

Also, if you are considering have a wedding reception at a bowling alley, let me know.  I’m there.  I got to keep working on this curve ball thing.

I hope if you’re in town this weekend, you’ll join us for worship at The Chapel.

A few important things to note below.

Worship – we have our normal worship at 8:30am and 10:00am.  This is the first Sunday of the month, so we will conclude both services with communion.  We practice an open table, so all are invited to receive if they so choose.  Also, if you don’t have a preference, pro-tip, the 8:30 is less crowded…and on a busy weekend, that may be easier to navigate.  I would encourage whichever service you come to, you arrive early, bring patience and kindness as it will inevitably be a full house.  Obviously, if you are sick or out of town, you can worship with us online on our Facebook page or YouTube.

Prayer – We do a Tuesday noon prayer service nearly every week.  Join us from noon to 1pm with live worship music, devotional thought, guided time of prayer, and plenty of time and space to sit and dwell upon God.  Come and go as you need.

All Church Bible Study – We are back this Wednesday with our next all church bible study and we are wrapping up 2 Peter.  5pm at The Chapel.  We’ll conclude by 6:15, so you have plenty of time to get dinner with friends or catch sunset.  Sarah and I lead this all church bible study together.  It is super fun and I hope you can join us.

Parking.  Parking is limited at The Chapel, and it will only get more crowded as summer gets rolling. We encourage you to park by the school on Smolian and use the linked parking passes. This link should cover now through the rest of the summer.  These passes are good for Sunday morning worship until noon and for our summer Wednesday evening Bible studies.  You can also park in the county lot between Seaside and Watercolor. It’s a lovely short walk from there to The Chapel.

It’s a packed holiday weekend, and there are lots of fun celebrations happening around town that you should certainly check out.

We look forward to seeing you Sunday as we follow Jesus together.

Blessings.

Andrew