Bible Study Baseball is an approach to Bible study that is similar to Lectio Divina, but it uses a baseball metaphor.  It was developed by Pastor Kerry Nelson of Houston, Texas.  Pastor Nelson presented his Bible Study Baseball approach as part of a five-day series of his devotional writings in February, 2007.  You may find this approach helpful to you in your own Bible study, so it is presented here in it's entirety.  If you choose to study the approach as part of your daily devotions, it is separated into five days as originally presented by Pastor Nelson.
      Day 1
      Day 2
      Day 3
      Day 4
      Day 5

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen. Luke 9:28-36

There are three things we need to know about second base – CONTEXT – in Bible Study Baseball. 1) Our perspective changes when we’re on second base. We see a wider picture and we need to be attentive both to where we’ve been and where we’re going. 2) It is the farthest base from home plate, that is, when we’re at second base we look around the text, at the wider context in which the text is found. And 3) Second base puts us in scoring position, when we run well at second we’re on the way home.

Second base – CONTEXT – is the place where our experience and our accumulated learning about the Bible really helps. Here is where we really rely on our coaches. First base and third base (we’ll be there tomorrow) require no previous understanding at all. You don’t have to be anything like an expert to slow your reading down to notice all of the details when you’re on first base. And tomorrow, you won’t need to be an expert to “go inside” as you listen to a text – but here on second base it really helps to have previous experience.

Second base – CONTEXT – asks you to look at the wider context in which you find the text. Like a pebble dropped in a pond, you look at the concentric circles around the immediate text, its place within the surrounding material, within that particular book of the Bible, within that type of biblical literature, within the historical setting.

When we listen to Luke 9:28-36, we start off realizing that it is in the New Testament, that is from one of the four New Testament gospels (collections of stories about Jesus), and that is comes roughly a third of the way through the book. Knowing that the reading is from a gospel sets us up with certain expectations – Jesus will be a character, we might see a story that is told slightly differently in one or more of the other gospels, etc. These observations are among the outer circles.

When we look at the story itself, we might look behind and see that Jesus had just taught the disciples that true following meant losing their lives, just before that he predicts his death, and just before that he calls the twelve and sends them on a journey to proclaim the Kingdom of God. In the 8th chapter, the disciples watch Jesus teach and perform miracles.

Immediately after our text, Jesus casts a demon out of a man’s son, then he predicts his death again, then he settles an argument among the disciples about who is the greatest among them by lifting up a child in their midst.

Here on second base we see that the image of the Transfiguration falls right in the middle of Jesus helping the disciples see the various ways that servant leadership play out in his (and therefore the disciples’) lives.

Then we “lead off” from second base (CONTEXT) by asking ourselves, “What are the possibilities of purpose for the writing of this text? What is the writer trying to accomplish?” For instance, is this story one told to encourage the disciples as they begin to understand the challenges of following Jesus?

Let us pray: Gracious Lord, we thank you for the people who have dedicated their lives to preserving and studying and teaching your Word down through the centuries. As we listen to you speak to us, among the widest circles around your Word are the fans in the stands, the communion of saints, who cheer us on as we open ourselves to you. For all of this, we thank you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen. Luke 9:28-36

Third base in Bible Study Baseball is CONNECT. Closer again to home plate, we take a quick glance back across the field. On first base (CONTENT) we spent some time slowly noticing all of the words and the characters and the plot of the verses we are listening to. We got to second (CONTEXT) and we expanded our horizons, looking at the wider circles of material around the text. Now we are at third and it is time to look deeply within ourselves.

I take very seriously the idea that the Word of God is actually the WORDS of God – that is, God talks to us through the Spirit as we listen to the text. Hebrews 4:12 says, “Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” When we get to third base, we take some time to go inside and we allow ourselves to sense that piercing that is going on.

Martin Luther, speaking about such listening, provided further clarity in recognizing that the Law of God kills (pierces our conscience, convicts us of sin, reveals our brokenness) while the Gospel of God, the good news of our forgiveness and redemption in Jesus gives life (comforts, encourages, revitalizes and inspires.)

So it is that when we get to third base (CONNECT) we ask ourselves questions like:

How do you react - thoughts and feelings - as you are confronted by the text?
Are you comforted, alarmed, terrified, encouraged?
What lies behind that reaction in your own life?
What life experiences have you had that remind you of this story?
What do you need to do with that information? Praise, give thanks, confess....?

And then, leading off toward home plate, we ask, “What is the writer trying to convey to me, to us, about our life in this passage?”

It is hard to play baseball when you are nervous and tight and afraid. To play well requires relaxing our body so we’re ready to move quickly, focusing our mind so we’re not distracted, remaining aware of all that is around us so we’re not surprised, and having FUN because, after all, it is just a game!

Bible Study Baseball also involves trust and relaxation. On first base, we need to focus ourselves because we are so naturally inclined to race right by what the text actually says. On second base, our wider view gave us more perspective on what we were reading. And now on third we are free to trust God and to trust ourselves, to trust our instincts, to trust what we feel in the pit of our stomachs. We are free to trust that God meets us where we are and tells us what we need to hear.

Tomorrow I’ll share my “third base” thoughts as we make our way to home plate, back to prayer and the question, “How shall I live?”

Let us pray: Holy Spirit, come to us as we come into God’s presence through God’s Word. Speak to our heads, our hearts and our bodies. Grace us with your presence, that we might trust your movement through our lives. Kill us, our pretensions and our fears, and give us new life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen. Luke 9:28-36

Many years ago the thought occurred to me that Christianity is a team sport. The first thing Jesus did was gather a few friends. The Church is God’s idea. The power is in the group. The Christian faith is a “we” movement, not an “I” movement. The faith is personal but not individual. This basic understanding guides us in Bible Study Baseball – in listening to God speak to us through the Bible.

We wouldn’t even have a Bible to read if not for the countless saints along the way who wrote and preserved the text for us. Every time we sit down to read, we do so in the context of the lives we lead. And those lives always involve interaction with others, with family, friends, neighbors and the world. The faith is relational.

As we stepped up to the plate at the very beginning, we prayed. Just as a baseball player takes a few practice swings to loosen up and get ready, we prayed that God would open our hearts and minds, that the Spirit would guide us in our reading, that we might receive gifts of wisdom and discernment.

Now, having worked our way to the text (first base, CONTENT), around the text (second base, CONTEXT) and through the text (third base, CONNECT), we come to home plate. These are some great home plate questions:

What difference does this story want to make in my faith?
What difference does this text want to make in my life?
How does this text seek to change me as a person – my attitude, dreams and behaviors?
What decisions are this text leading me to make?

These are all personal questions as the text speaks to us personally in the context of our lives but they are also relational questions as we live our lives with others. I firmly believe that our knee jerk response to the question we normally pose to the Bible is to talk about its meaning for other people. Yet I think we miss the point when we go there first. Baseball is a team game but no one else can run the bases for you if you are the one that wants to arrive at home plate. So we ask all of these questions first from a very personal point of view.

That is one of the reasons why I disagree with the idea that there is “one meaning” to a Bible text. There can never be “one meaning” for texts that continue to speak to all the saints of God and seekers of faith. In some ways, meaning in the abstract is irrelevant, is meaningless. The only meaning which has any real world meaning is the means by which a text shapes our lives and informs our behaviors.

I have listened to this text all week. I’ve done so as a person and as a pastor who will be preaching this text on Sunday morning. But before I can sense what it is saying to my congregation, I need to hear what it is saying to me. And to me – it convicts me in my unwillingness to pray. It encourages me with a reminder that Jesus wasn’t a last minute choice for God but a continuation culmination of the faith traditions and memories into which he was born…the faith which continues in and around me. The text reminded me of the mountaintop experiences of my life, the joy I was feeling over the good things that were happening recently in my life. But also the grief I’ve felt in the midst of changes that I didn’t anticipate or want. And the desire Peter expresses to stay on the mountaintop is a desire I know as well…even as I know that ministry awaits on the other side of the mountain. To follow Jesus is to follow him into the valley, encouraged by the vision of the mountaintop behind and those yet to come.

This text tells me to value the experiences of my life, one day at a time and one at a time. It tells me to keep going, to keep following, to be open to new possibilities. And it tells me that if I’m following Jesus, I’m walking the right path for me.

So it is that we have fun with the Bible using Bible Study Baseball!

Let us pray: Gracious Lord, thank you for the various ways you encourage us along the way. Give us a confident trust in your purpose and your presence. Help us let go of the past that we might walk lightly into the future with you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.