Pitching vs. Throwing 2.4.2021

Baseball fans know that there are throwers and there are pitchers. Throwers have natural talent, so much in fact that they can use brut strength and velocity, or natural movement on the ball to do all the work. Nolan Ryan. Randy Johnson. Roger Clemons. Fastball, Slider/Curve/Splitter. Power. 

On the other hand. Pitchers. Pitchers are generally not known for their power or velocity. Throwers, as they age and add guile and savvy to their craft can become pitchers. No pitcher becomes a thrower. You don’t add velocity to your fastball as you age. 

And pitchers don’t need to. Because they know how to win with their best stuff, their worst stuff, regardless of field or weather conditions they improve their game without really adding to their “natural” abilities. One of the best pitchers ever was Greg Maddux. The following quotation from Wikipedia should be on his plaque at Cooperstown…

On July 22, 1997, Maddux threw a complete game with just 78 pitches (63 strikes and 15 balls) against the Cubs. Three weeks earlier, he had shut out the defending champion New York Yankees on 84 pitches, and five days before that he had beaten the Phillies with a 90-pitch complete game. Maddux allowed just 20 bases on balls in 1997, including six intentional walks.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Maddux

The real difference between a thrower and a pitcher is intent. This is not only true of baseball but of preaching as well. Which is, actually, my concern here. Just about any one trained in the basics of Biblical hermeneutics or who has spent any time at all listening to Sermons can put together a perfectly respectable message.

Unfortunately, many people who preach regularly approach the process like a gifted amateur. They step up and just let’er rip. With respect to their craft they are “throwers” not “pitchers.” They may well be very successful yet they are not leveraging their regular opportunity to the best of their ability. 

Like good pitching good preaching is a matter of Intent. Most preachers preach at least once, maybe more times during a given week. So like a pitcher they need to think in terms of control, variety, and cumulative effect. 

Good preaching does its laps in the outfield. Good preaching plays a long-game. Good preaching considers the "opposing lineup." Good preaching anticipates the questions, concerns and distractions that listeners bring into the assembly. Good preaching anticipates that the  listener who is skeptical this morning, may be back in 2 months, or catch Bible-Study online and something then will catch their attention. Good preaching  like good pitching "sets up" the batter. 

Our goal is to have the best possible message each and every time we speak on behalf of God. That means:

Intent

Control

Variety

Cumulative effect.

There will be times that you just rear back and let’er rip. Do that too often and the strain will get to you. Here’s to a lifetime of preaching; not just one good outing.