Scripture reading: 1Timothy 6:6-19.  A young teacher at a small rural school taught his volleyball team that practicing in thier smaller, less impressive gym, would give them an advantage against other volleyball teams because they'd learn better control over the ball.  By reappropriating what imppressive means to young athletes, he was able to make a very competitive team!  Are the same lessons being taught to us in today's scripture reading?  How can we reappropriate God to teach how faith can continue to fight for values in rural culture to allow the life to be enjoyed to the fullest.

This week 1Timothy 2:1-7 asks us to pray for leaders.  All leaders.  I'm willing to bet most people are praying that many of today's leaders get fired or something worse, and from stories in the news, it's hard to blame anyone for being really frustrated with today's leaders.  But what if today's leaders felt just as trapped as everyone else that feels like they've jumped into waters they can't get themselves out of? We've all been there before!  What if praying for them might make us better leaders and disciples, while making a better world?!

In this week's sermon, I ponder this image taken at last week's 4th Annual Oxford Presbytery Softball Tournament and this little girl's journey to making it to first base.  Her experience and triumph became the triumph of both teams playing, and all people watching!  I had a prof at Queen's Theological College, Bill Morrow, who used to say, 'The presence of the Holy Spirit was in inverse proportion to the number of people present.'  Small is good.  The message was clear.  I used to think he was talking about people at church... but perhaps he was also talking about little people running to first base.  Perhaps small rural schools are also a place the Holy Spirit dwells in abundance.  Jesus in this week's scripture points out the importance of searching out one small sheep from a flock of 100.  Small can not only be good... it's can be divine!