In the legendary annals of baseball lies the names of some rare “all-around” players.  In modern terminology, we call them a “five-tool player.”  You can Google a list of the top 10.   However, you will not find these names on any of those lists.  Bo Jackson, George Brett, or Bobby Witt, Jr.  Many of us remember Bo being drafted by our Kansas City Royals and quickly making it to the major league team.  While his pro career was short, the highlights prove that he was an “all-around” baseball player.  George Brett had a much longer career and it proved that he also possessed all the tools.  Now, early in Bobby Witt, Jr’s career, there is every indication that he is also a complete player.  As a reminder, the five tools that I have eluded to are speed, arm strength, fielding ability, hitting for average, and hitting for power.  If you think about it, that leaves out 99.9% of the pitchers in modern baseball, the only exception being Shohei Ohtani.  These players excel because they work hard on all these areas.  They become the best because they strive to be the best.

Christ’s invitation to journey with him is a journey towards transformation.  When Jesus says, “come and follow me” it is not an invitation to be the same person.  His invitation is to become a different person - a person molded into the version God envisions.  John Wesley had a particular term for this; he called it “the altogether Christian.”  In other words, a person perfected by God’s love empowering full love in return, love of neighbor, and even love of enemy.  It may seem like a strange journey given the world we live in but never the less, it is the way of discipleship.  I do not like saying this, but it is apparent that some of us are taking this transformative journey with while others of us may be reticent or resistant to it. 

After his arrest, Paul began a journey to Rome for trial before Caesar.  Part of his journey found him in the prison at Festus’ headquarters in Caesarea Maritima.  With Festus’ recent appointment to this position, King Agrippa and his wife Bernice come and pay their respects.  While there, Agrippa learned that Paul was in the palace prison and asked to speak to him.  When Paul appeared before King Agrippa, Paul took advantage of the moment and shared the gospel message of Christ crucified and God’s plan for redemption.  Paul’s message moved King Agrippa but not enough to convert him.  He actually says to Paul, “almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”  Almost.

In the Wesleyan tradition of Christian faith, we firmly believe that God desires all of us to move from “almost” to “altogether.”  God does not save us for us to choose to stay exactly as we are.  If we did, we would end our days being “almost” what God intended for us to become.  Few of us really desire to be mediocre, halfway decent at or just okay at our Christian walk.  Still, how many of us are okay with being “almost” Christian.  In this moment, I hope you hear Christ’s invitation to become more, to strive for more, to seek the powerful Holy Spirit so that you may someday be transformed into the “altogether” Christian.  As I have mentioned before, our daily goal should be to be a little better person today than what we were yesterday.        

I invite you to take time and read each of the scriptures above followed by reflection on the questions below.  Consider the steps you are taking to journey with Christ toward “altogether” transformation.  Lastly, I pray that God bless the reading of God’s Word and the meditations of your heart.