On April 24^th, Central Washington and Western Oregon Universities played each other in softball.  Now that would almost never get national media attention, but it did this year.  The attention came because of something that happened during the game.

 

Sara Tucholsky hit a home run.  That is not a major news event, even though it was a thrill for Sara.  She is a senior and she had never hit a home run, never at any level of softball.  She was so excited that she missed first base as she ran around the bases. She stopped and turned back to touch the base.  That’s when something tore in her knee.  She fell to the ground in pain.  The umpires told her that if she couldn’t get back to the base she would be called out.  She made it back.  They told her that if she could not move farther, she would be credited with a single, a pinch runner could take her place, and she would lose her home run.  If one of her coaches or teammates tried to help her, she would be called out.

 

That’s when the first baseman for Central Washington, the opposing team, asked a question.  What if she and a one of her teammates helped Sara make it around the bases?  Would she get her home run?  The umpire didn’t think that was against the rules . . . but it was highly unusually.

 

So Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace from the Central Washington team picked up Sara Tucholsky and carried her around the bases, stopping at each base so the Sara could gently touch each one.  They helped Sara touch home plate.  She had her home run.  It probably didn’t make the difference, but Central Washington lost the game and any chance of making the playoffs.

 

Mallory and Liz gained national attention.  The sports world was amazed at their act of sportsmanship.  It was an act of kindness and generosity.  Some would even call it an act of love.  Mallory and Liz credited their coach.  The coach, Gary Frederick, had tried to teach his players that softball isn’t about winning or losing.  It is a about life and how you live it. You have an idea what kind of spirit Coach Frederick wanted in his team.

 

When Ray Rhodes took the head coaching job for the Packers, he was asked what motivated him.  He said fear.  He said that fear of failure is what drove him in his work.  As you might remember, Ray Rhodes only lasted a year.  You wonder if it was because it was difficult to have a successful team with a spirit of fear.

 

President Bush is doing his best.  I know a lot of people have questioned a lot of his decisions, but he’s doing his best to rally the national spirit.  The man won’t back down from trying to keep the country positive, to keep the nation optimistic.  You can almost tell he had background as a cheerleader as you listen to his speeches.

 

Jesus wanted his followers to have the right spirit, too.  He wanted them and us to have the Holy Spirit. 

 

We have the last part of a series of lessons from the Gospel of John today.  Jesus was preparing his disciples for the changes his death, resurrection and ascension would bring.  He told them he was preparing a place for them.  He told them that God the Father would keep them in his care.  Today he breathes on them the Holy Spirit.  The word for spirit can have many meanings.  Spirit can mean breath.  Spirit can also mean wind.  Spirit means life. 

 

In our first lesson, the followers of Jesus are alive, but just barely.  They’ve stayed together.  They continued to pray. But they were staying to themselves.  Today the Holy Spirit comes upon them with power.  With the Spirit’s power, the followers can’t sit still.  They go out into the streets and begin to tell people about Jesus.  They tell those who have gathered in Jerusalem about Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.  They tell them about forgiveness and eternal life.  The followers of Jesus tell everyone, even foreigners.

 

Some people thought they were drunk. Others probably just thought they were crazy.  Others believed.  The Holy Spirit worked through the disciples to help others to hear and believe. 

 

That’s the central work of the Holy Spirit.  If we hear the message of Jesus, that’s the Spirit at work.  If we believe that Jesus is Lord, that’s the due to the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit brings Jesus into our hearts. 

 

St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians lets us know what happens when the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus gets into our hearts.  Paul tells us that the gifts of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

 

Those are amazing gifts, aren’t they?  Can you imagine what life would be like, or God’s kingdom will be like, if everyone had the gifts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control?

 

It’s Mothers’ Day this weekend.  I have a mother story.  It comes from Africa.

 

Three women come to their medicine man.  None of the three seem to be able to get pregnant and they ask him for help.  The medicine man tells them that he can give them medicine and they will have babies, but he warns that the medicine has a side affect.  After the children are born, they will go crazy.

 

One woman refuses to take that risk, but the other two ask for the medicine. They do become pregnant and each gives birth to a beautiful baby.  They wait to go crazy, but they don’t see any signs of doing so.  So they go back to the medicine man.

 

 

AMEN