Baseball was literally in the air on Sunday at Cotuit Federated Church. Two baseball balloons hung from the right pulpit and the congregation wore Kettleers and other baseball gear to commemorate the Cotuit Kettleers visit.
The service was extra special with the Kettleers being there and Cape Harmony, Cape Cod’s professional all-treble a cappella group. According to their website, they have 10 members from all over the United States to sing during the summer. Cape Harmony performed several songs throughout and after the service, including a sing-along of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" in honor of the Kettleers. The service, known as Baseball Harmony Sunday, was a hit as the sanctuary filled with churchgoers.
“We’ve been doing this for over 16 years,” Kettleers general manager Bruce Murphy said. “It’s part of the community. We enjoy coming here and the kids enjoy coming here. They like reading and participating.”
Daniel Brooks (College of Charleston) and Sean Keys (Bucknell) read scriptures from John 6:16-21 and Ephesians 3:16-21. They also stayed after to talk and take pictures with churchgoers.
“I’ve always gone to church and thought it would be a cool opportunity to read,” Keys said. “I’ve never gotten to do a reading at a church ceremony.”
“I think God commands us to go to church and be with the flock and be with a group of people,” Brooks said. “I love being in a relationship with Jesus, which promotes me to do all these different things and ultimately transforms me.”
During worship, the Rev. Angie Menke Ballou shared that Cotuit Federated Church was probably the first to have a Baseball Sunday and noticed that other churches had added Baseball Sundays to their services. She also reflected on “The Catch” made by the late Willie Mays during the sermon, saying that people are most alive when doing something they love, such as baseball or singing.
“We really value having young people come to our community from colleges and the gifts they bring,” Ballou said. “We have fused our Baseball Sunday with having Cape Harmony, so we have baseball players and musicians come together. We’re thankful for the young adults who bring their gifts to the Cape every year.”
Murphy also mentioned that some Kettleers players have started a Bible study group. They meet at Lowell Park to discuss the Bible, similar to what colleges offer on campus. He said this group of players is more religious than in years past.
At the end of the service, everyone went to the community hall to share a cake that read Baseball and Harmony, complete with a baseball and music notes, topping off a unique and fun service in Cotuit.
