Mike Edmisten Follower of Jesus. Husband of Nicki. Father of Ryan & Brock. Communicator of the Word.

The Mighty Casey Has NOT Struck Out

My favorite baseball player is Sean Casey. He's been my favorite since he joined the Reds in 1998. I was really bummed when he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. His stint in Pittsburgh was short and then it was on to the Detroit Tigers.

I was really interested in this year's World Series because, even though my team wasn't there, my favorite player was. Sean Casey is a world-class player and he deserves a World Series ring. Obviously that didn't happen as the St. Louis Cardinals clinched the series last night. But that definitely wasn't Casey's fault.

During the World Series, Sean Casey led the Tigers with a batting average of .529, an on-base percentage of .556, and a slugging percentage of 1.000. (For those of you who aren't baseball fans, all you need to know is that those are monstrous numbers.) If one man could actually carry a team to victory, Tigers fans would be celebrating a world championship. But despite Sean Casey's stellar performance, it was the Cardinals fans that were up all night celebrating.

No matter what kind of numbers he puts up, one guy simply cannot carry a team. And let's not forget that the church is designed to be a team. Are you sitting on the bench waiting for that one person in your church to carry the team to victory?

A lot of people assume that this falls on the shoulders of the preaching minister. "He's the one who can bring effectiveness, health, and growth to the church. I'll just sit back and watch as he works his magic."

Bad idea. As a pastor, I can tell you in all honesty that a church who simply relies on one guy for its success is doomed to failure. If one man could carry a team, then nearly every church in America would be thriving. And the Tigers would be world champs.