The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-03
A FAN" IN THE PULPIT
TELLS HIS AUDIENCE ALL ABOUT
THE GAME
$50 Run That We May Obtain" Was
His Textile Would Rather Be the
Small Boy Picking Through Knot
Hole Than the Poor Umpire.

WILMINGTON, Del, Oct. MEM
bers Of the Wilmington Athletic asso-
citation baseball team enjoy the novel
distinction of having had special
sermon preached to them by a lead
ing minister of this city. The sermon,
the subject of which was Lessons
From the Popular Came" was deliver
ed by the Rev. John Shape in Della
ware Avenue Baptist Church. The
sermon has caused considerable talk,
especially in sporting circles, and Mr..
Shape today is much talked of man.
Mr.. Shape is almost as we'll pleased
at the success of his discourse as are
the baseball fans. When seen today
by a reporter, he said:
81 had had the sermon in mind for
some time, and it was inspired as 1 was
sitting in the grandstand watching the
Athletic association team land a. VIC
tory Oh, yes, I attend their games
frequently, and I endeavor to get into
one or two games a year to keep in
practice. I am an advocate of good
clean, wholesome ball, such as the Will
mington team has been playing the
past season"
The Pastors Text.
The text of Mr.. Shapes discourse,
which was chosen from I. Corinthians,
tx, "a, was, so run that We may OBJ
tain"
He began his sermon by saying:
Members of the Wilmington Athlet-
ic association baseball team, we are
glad to greet you, and you, together
with your manager. your friends and
fans are welcome. AS a citizen 1 COM
pliment you on your successful sea-
son, and as minister commend you
on the clean and wholesome ball you
have been playing on the home
grounds. I do not know what you
have done away from home. I had
occasion to go with you when you
played your great game in Philadel-
phia. and then I would have forgiven
you anything under the sun but losing
the game"
Following his greeting to the MEM
bers Of the team and the great crowd
Of fans that swelled the vast auditor
ium of the church, Mr.. Shape drew
comparison between the game of life
and a game OF ball. He contraSted
the training of a baseball team and the
training for a Christian life, and said:
Il will proceed to bunch my hits and
land you safe at home"
The Value of Fellowship.
Mr.. Shape spoke Of the dependent
fellowship in a game Of ball, and he
instructed the players to learn the full
value of such. He said it took nine
men to play a game. and he pointed
out the value Of playing together. It
was the same with the Christian, he
said, and added that one man could
not win the game in the Christian race.
The speaker also referred to the ne
cessity Of taking advantage of the
safety points in a contest on the dia-
mond.
'"These safety points you term bases.
but in the contest Of life 1 shall, in
| order, call them Mothers Instruction.
! The Church Of God Prayer and
| Heaven In your game the player
| attempts to prevent any one reaching
the second safety point, but it is diff
ferent in the game Of life, with the
| Christian on the base" In a further
reference to the running, he said that
in both cases he who failed to pause
at third might never reach home.
Pity Only for the Umpire.
The sad lot Of the umpire was dis
cussed at length by Mr.. Shape, and he
declared that he had rather be the
small boy who watches the game
through the fence than be that poor
mortal. He was Of the opinion that
an umpire should be a big man with
g. megaphone voice.
In the game Of life. he said, there
was no kick at the decisions Of the
Umpire-the almighty God-who can
not decide wrong.
When Mr.. Shape had finished speak
ing the players crowded about him
and thanked him for his words of adj
vice. They later declared that 1t was
| the best sermon they had ever heard.