Interfaith Fellowship on the Softball Field
Dear Pali Pres,
As you’ve already heard, numerous times, our church has an official softball team called the Pali Pres Prodigals. In the cold, dark, wee hours of Monday night (9pm to be exact), we played our first game of the 2023 season. I won’t mention the outcome or final score, but I will say that our team (consisting of church members, staff, preschool parents, and even one of the priests at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church) had a great time!
A number of years ago when I was an Associate Pastor at a local westside church, I partnered with one of our church elders to establish the West LA Interfaith Softball League. Our vision was to bring together people of different faiths in a spirit of fun, fellowship, and friendly competition. This year, the league is up to seven teams representing diverse houses of worship from the westside of LA. The other six teams are:
Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church & Brentwood Presbyterian Church (a joint squad)
University Presbyterian Church (located near the campus of UCLA)
Westwood United Methodist Church
While the league is always trying to grow and include new houses of worship, I find it pretty amazing that we are able to come together with these worshipping communities once a week to laugh, cheer, and recognize our unity in God. Some of our religious traditions are more charismatic than others, while others are more traditional. Some more liberal in their theology and approach to social issues, while others are more conservative. But in the end we are all sisters and brothers of the same Creator, in whose image and likeness we were formed. In fact, to start each game all players from both teams gather at the center of the diamond to join in prayer. It is not a Christian prayer or a Jewish prayer, but a prayer of thanksgiving to the God who gives us this day and one another.
I wanted to share this blog with you, members and friends of Pali Pres, as an encouragement to us all. Not necessary an encouragement about winning softball championships, but about the value and reality of interfaith relationships. It may sound a bit silly, but this softball league really gives me hope. It shows that with a little effort on our part, God can and does provide his Spirit of unity and peace to his people. As Paul says, “So far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18).
May we all find ways to live at peace with one another, including with those who have different beliefs and traditions that we have.
Go Prodigals!
Pastor Matt
