There are lots of ways to talk about the relationship between sports and religion. The opening scene of Bull Durham comes to mind. As does the cultic quality of America’s obsession with football. Sport as the center of personal and communal piety has a long history in many cultures, with the U.S. perhaps—to keep the competition motif alive here—winning the prize for the world’s most zealous devotees of the faith.

The psalms are poignant. They bear emotion in a way that grabs our souls. They are comprehended by the heart in a way the head can’t. But I falter when I try to preach them.