I enjoy all four seasons, but I enjoy summer the most. The warm seas, summer holidays with the family, delicious stone fruits are just some of my favourite things about summer. A couple of weeks ago I went to see the cricket too- a 20/20 evening match- it was a beautiful summer’s night, out with church friends, and I witnessed some amazing cricket. Summer cricket is another highlight of the year for many.
At the cricket, I noticed a number of things. Firstly, there were a lot of people that had only a minor interest in the cricket. Some were there for social reasons; some were there because they’d been dragged along by a boyfriend; some were more interested in the beach balls bouncing across the stadium. It reminded me that many people come to church for different reasons- but do we love God, and love others because he first loved us?
Secondly, I noticed how perfectly honed these men are at their craft. There were some brilliant catches, precision batting and fielding, and it was all very very impressive. They made it look so easy- but it wasn’t. Professional cricketers aim for perfection. God’s standards are perfect too. Why do people expect perfection in everything else, but when it comes to God, they hope for the best? God’s standards are perfect- we are saved by grace because God’s perfect standards are met in Jesus.
Thirdly, I was reminded of our Connect 09 mission. I saw my college friend, Simon Flinders, who is the chaplain to the NSW team, sitting in the reserved stand. He was trying to connect with the players- part of the 60% of Australians who don’t know a Christian personally. It looked like hard work. Simon loves cricket, but he wasn’t there for the cricket. Connecting with people is hard work.
NSW lost the game, but it didn’t matter- it was a great night out, in the warm summer air. I noticed something else too- I definitely enjoy 20/20 games more than test matches!

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