Sports Announcers & God's Word

NPR recently had a nice article on the impact that famous baseball announcers have on our national consciousness.

Even the casual baseball fan probably would have been able to recognize the voice of Harry Kalas who announced for the Philadelphia Phillies and who died this past April before the season began. Growing up in southeastern Pennsylvania, I heard his voice often but it wasn't until he passed away that I actually saw a picture of him.

In his commentary on announcers, Frank Deford says, "...when he retired in 2002, (Ernie) Harwell (announcer for the Detroit Tigers) thanked his listeners for 'taking me to the cottage up north, to the beach, to the picnic, your workplace, and your backyard.'"

As I think about Ernie Harwell's comment, isn't this what is going on when we seek to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ? When we are in worship together, we hear God's voice speak to us through the hymns, songs, scriptures, prayers, and sermon. And during those times when we're not physically present in church, God's voice continues to speak to us at the cottage up north, at the beach, at the picnic, our workplace, and in our backyard.

No matter where we may be, we are able to hear God's voice through prayers, through times of listening, in our conversations, and as we read the scriptures and meditate on how they relate to our lives.

God's voice might not sound exactly like Harry Kalas or Ernie Harwell, but whenever we hear it, whether in church or as we go through our week, we know that we are not alone. God is with us.

And the more we listen for God's voice, the more familiar it becomes to us. Thanks be to God!