In 2005, Jim and I took a seven day “East Coast Baseball” bus tour operated by Christian Tours of Newton, North Carolina. In those seven days, we saw six night games at six different parks (listed in order): Pittsburg (Jim and I agree that PNC is the best park we’ve been to for watching a game); Philadelphia (competing Philly cheesesteak restaurants), the old Shea Stadium (home of the Mets) where the Temptations and the Platters performed before the game; Fenway Park in Boston (in contrast to Wrigley Field, we don’t understand why so many like this old park); the old Yankee Stadium (we saw Jim’s team the White Sox, eventual World Series Champions, beat the Yankees); and finally Camden Yards the home of the Orioles. Each day we arrived at the ball park in time for batting practice in the late afternoon, ate at the park, got to our motel after midnight, and then got up the next morning to travel to the next game. By the time we got back home we were literally dragging, but we were still not tired of baseball. It was an amazing tour.
 During batting practice some of the people on our tour would sit in the outfield hoping to catch a fly ball; they even brought baseball gloves. I wanted a baseball, too, but I wasn’t up to catching a fly ball with my bare hands. During batting practice at the last game of our tour at Camden Yards between the Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays, I noticed a gaggle of boys standing at the edge of the stands. They were waving and shouting at the players on the field asking for baseballs, and every now and then a player would toss a ball into the stands. On the hope of getting a ball, I walked over to where they were and wormed my way to a place at the front. I stood there with my hands cupped upward forming a bowl as though I were preparing to receive a communion wafer. On the field, Tampa Bay second baseman Nick Green reached over, picked up a ball and glanced towards the stands. Our eyes met and I said, “May I please have a baseball?” He then slowly walked towards me; when he reached me, he gently placed the ball in my cupped hands. I said, “Thank you very much!” He said, “You’re very welcome ma’am.” All around me the little boys were saying, “Geez.” “Did you see that?” “Oh man!” “Why her?” I think I even heard some comments that weren’t appropriate for little boys to make.

 Since that trip I’ve thought about the symbolism of our crossed upward cupped hands at Communion. I think it signifies thankfulness for the grace God has extended to us, and humility and faith as we anticipate the symbols of his body and shed blood we are about to receive. It also helps us to focus on Communion and turn our eyes toward Him. Jim looked up its history and it goes back at least to Saint John Chrysostom (350 – 407 CE), who said that it was like making a little throne for Christ. This is all in keeping with Paul’s words about Communion.

 To learn what Paul has to say about Communion, read 1 Corinthians 11:23-29 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Paulette

Today’s reading: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+11:23-29