co-ed softball

I made my "c-league," co-ed softball debut last night with my company team. It was a ton of fun. We won 10-9 and it was a spirited, competitive game. One of the benefits of playing with a team of therapists, social workers, and teachers is that everyone was supportive and encouraging to one another. The other team was a bit critical of one another and it was an obvious contrast to hear the chatter in our dugout. I was proud about that.

I've been thinking and praying about finding a way to offer counseling at church. If the guys who build can offer their gifts to the church, if the teachers can work with the youth at the church, why can't the counselors and social workers use their gifts at the church? In fact, social work is probably the "profession" most related to simply being a caring layperson. I've heard it said that if the church did its job properly there wouldn't be professional social workers. I don't think I'd go that far, but I do think that lots of what social workers do can be achieved by laypersons.

We go to a good church. There are good people there and I believe the Holy Spirit is at work there. I find my beliefs very liberal for this particular church, and I don't consider myself a "Nazarene" (probably fodder for another blog entry sometime) but I am usually tolerated, if not wholly included.