Go Irish! Today was fully a family affair as my boys and I had the chance to play with Pastor Jim Clark of Grace United Methodist Church of South Bend and his daughter Jamie Clark, who is a former youth pastor and now Program Coordinator at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Elkhart County.
Jim suggested we play at the nearby University of Notre Dame on the lawn between the football stadium and the Hesburgh Library affectionately known as “Touchdown Jesus.” As the mural of Jesus looked down on us on a beautiful and cool August morning, we played a game of catch, all five of us, daughter and dad, sons and dad, in front of the grand stadium.
I have known the Clark family for many years as Jim and I have both served United Methodist congregations in Indiana. We have both served several congregations in our careers, which makes us sound kind of old. Jim and I have also had the chance to travel together to Guatemala and southern Africa along with several conferences in the states. It has been and continues to be an absolute joy to walk the journey of life and ministry with Jim and his family. Today, it was a joy to play a game of catch.
Jim grew up near Cincinnati, so naturally he’s a Reds fan. And yes, we’re still friends after the Cubs scored around 47 runs on the Reds this week! He played baseball growing up and we share a love for the game. Jamie grew up, well, you can guess it, a Reds fan too, who enjoyed playing softball.
The location where we played our game of catch might give you another clue about this guy, Pastor Jim Clark. You can call him Pastor and, as my boys call him, Mr. Notre Dame. He is a huge Irish fan! All things Notre Dame! He went to his first Notre Dame football game in 1978 and has cheered for the Irish ever since. You can probably catch Jim this fall in two locations, his church and Notre Dame Stadium.
All joking aside, Jim is a great father, husband, pastor, and friend. I’m glad to call him my friend and colleague. We really enjoyed our time together playing a game we both love!
There were lots of people walking around on campus. As we were wrapping up, a family walked by and asked us to take a picture of them. They shared that they were from Boston attending a wedding that afternoon. After a couple of pictures, the two boys, maybe college age, started playing catch with my oldest son. We were trying to get to brunch, but Zeke’s new found friends didn’t want to leave either. One game of catch led to another with our new friends from Boston.
The art of playing catch brings people and families together from Indy, and South Bend, to Boston. You never know who you’ll meet and the families that will come together for a good cause and for a game of catch.
I’ll be sharing some stories on this blog throughout the month of August. If you feel moved to share a financial donation for my Gleaners fundraiser, use the link below.
https://give.gleaners.org/fundraiser/4739257
Get outside. Play catch. Find something that brings joy and a smile to your face.
Thank you for supporting Gleaners and following my 30 days of catch!