When I got to Deming almost three years ago, I joined the group that plays pickleball in the gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I am not a good player. But it is fun, and I get some exercise when I am doing it. One of the funny things I have found about pickleball, or at least the way I play pickleball, is that it is never consistent. Some days I can hit everything that comes at me and pull off some awesome cross court shots. Other days I can’t get anything where it needs to go. Today was one of the latter. Nearly every ball I hit went into the net or out of bounds.

As I was contemplating my poor play today, it hit me that pickleball really is a lot like life. Sometimes everything goes amazingly well. I can hit whatever comes at me, even those balls (or life challenges) that have a weird spin or are coming directly at my face. I am an asset to my partner. I feel good about myself. Now mind you, that doesn’t mean that I don’t miss any balls, or flub life challenges, because I do. Everybody does. But when I am ‘in the zone’ and achieving milestones (even if that is as simple as checking off the easy tasks on my to do list), my outlook isn’t focused on the misses and the mistakes. I focus on what I can do, and I am deservedly pleased with my accomplishments.

Other days it seems as if the ball – or life in this case – is coming at me from all angles. There are things that come flying in so hard and so fast that I can’t do anything except watch as they go by. There are things that are right where I need them to be – an easy shot so to speak – and I respond with a swing and a miss. It is maddening. Two or three shots like that and all I begin thinking about is how bad I am at this, which, by the way, only makes things worse. I want to throw my racket or at least throw in the towel.

So, what have I learned about life by playing pickleball? Well…several things.

• Life is not always about winning. You get the same amount of exercise when you lose.
• Find your tribe. Find those people who you genuinely like to be around. Have conversations about all kinds of things, not just the task at hand. Get to know each other. Enjoy the company.
• Build each other up. No matter the kind of day you are having, there is something positive to be celebrated and something to be learned from the misses. Your tribe can help you do both.
• Keep showing up. Even on my worst day now, I am miles above where I was when I started. Practice may not bring perfection, but it certainly brings improvement.
• When you want to throw in the towel, don’t. Take a break if you need to but get back to it. A short rest or a new day brings a new perspective. Often that perspective is better than you anticipate.
• You can’t do it alone. Life, like a game, takes at least one other person. Four are better. A whole tribe is even better. Another person can make your strengths better. Another person can cover your mistakes. The end goal is to get the ball to the other side of the net. It doesn’t matter who gets it there.
• Be grateful. No matter how bad it is going, you are still in the game.
• Have fun. That won’t be possible in every moment, but overall you should find some enjoyment. If not, try something else. Find what brings you joy.

Friends, we can also substitute pickleball or life with church. Church is not about winning or losing. After all we have already won the race simply because of grace. Church is about having a tribe of like-minded believers who can build us up, cheer us on, and help us learn from our mistakes. Church is about being among friends who can help us out in the bad days and celebrate with us on the good ones. Church is about showing up and doing all the church things – worshipping, praying, teaching, leading, serving – even when we don’t think we are good at any of it. We all have a learning curve. It gets easier and better each time we participate. Church is not a solo activity. We need each person’s gifts and talents if the church is to be strong and resilient. We need each other to step in when we fall short. We need each other to get us over the net into eternal life. We cannot do it alone. Church is about being grateful for the lives we have been given. We really are still in the game, even when we think it is time to throw in the towel. There is a place for everyone, even if that place changes from time to time. The church needs you. I need you.

Finally, I leave you with this thought. God calls us to joyful worship. The Psalms tell us:

Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Ps 105:1-6)

Trumpet sound, lute, harp, clanging symbols, praise! It is hard to be solemn and sour when that is our environment. Too often, people treat church a drudgery instead of the source of joy that it should be. If that is us, maybe we need to check ourselves. What are we focusing on? Are we seeing the good or are we consumed by the unpleasant? If it is the latter, what do we need to do to get that fresh perspective? I don’t know that I have good answers for anyone. It takes soul searching and reflection on each of our parts. What I do know is that it takes all of us, coming with our most loving selves and expecting God to show up, to make church a place that is joyful and fulfilling for you and me.

And other than this, this pastor has nothing to say.