Last Sunday night I took Chandler and a friend of his to an interleague baseball game between the Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim) and the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was a 5 p.m. game to accommodate being televised as the Sunday night game on ESPN. But the early game time also made possible a special event after the game we knew nothing about until we heard an announcement about it in the final inning.
Following the game there was to be an Angels vs. Dodgers Legends and Celebrity Softball Game and Home Run Derby sponsored by the ALS Association, dedicated to fighting amyotrophic lateral sclerosis a.k.a. Lou Gehrig’s disease. We decided we should stay and check it out. The special guests in attendance included former Dodgers: Steve Garvey, Bill Russell, and Jose Canseco; former Angels: Tim Salmon, Jay Johnstone, and Rex Hudler; and celebrities: Kate Linder (“The Young and the Restless”), Mike Catherwood, (KROQ co-host and appeared recently on “Dancing with the Stars”), and Elliott Yamin (a fan favorite from the fifth season of American Idol).
We stayed initially for the opportunity to reseat ourselves in the first few rows of the field seats (it was open seating), but we were soon hooked on the home run derby featuring Jose Canseco and Tim Salmon which had Canseco hitting soft balls way back into the stands as far as any hard ball I’ve seen hit. This was followed by a 3-inning softball game that was entertaining if only for all its clowning around, including a controversial “call” at home that had Tommy Davis kicking dirt on home plate and jawing with the umpire.
Not to mention that all the resources of Angel Stadium where put to use in the softball game including the familiar stadium announcer, big screen pictures of each participant, the organ prompt for the “Charge!” yell, and yes, even instant replay. And since it was only a 3-inning game, everyone was asked to stand for the “seventh inning stretch” in the middle of the 3rd. As we stood, we were treated to a rousing rendition of “America the Beautiful” sung by the former American Idol finalist, Elliot Yamin.
It was at this point that time seemed to stand still. Elliot Yamin suddenly had the stadium holding its collective breath. Even though the words were printed on the jumbotron, no one dared interrupt the sacred offering. Not that he was perfect, (he wasn’t), but he was good – very good – and for a moment we forgot that this wasn’t the Big Leagues. This wasn’t even on television. In fact, when he finished, most of the 5,000 or so people there would probably forget it ever happened. But for just that moment, we made history. We made the private history of anyone who chose to notice the surprise and remember.
I would call this transcendence. When an experience transcends the setting and transports you somewhere else, even if only for a moment. It’s in these moments when we experience our true worth.
It could happen to you today. Don’t miss it!
John Fischer The Catch 
Excellent word, John.
One of those transcendent moments that I will never forget occurred over 30 years. I was part of a small ensemble and we were performing Handel’s Elijah. If you haven’t experienced Elijah, it is on par with Handel’s Messiah. The story depicts Elijah’s life with great emphasis on his confrontation with the prophets of Baal as recorded in I Kings 18:25ff.
25 So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.” 26 Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, “O Baal, answer us.” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made. 27 It came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened.” 28 So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom… (and yes, the Scripture gets rather graphic at that point.)
I’m having trouble coming up with words to describe the magnificence of the music at that point. The music swells and the chorus repeats the prophet’s fevered prayers to Baal to “Hear and answer” “Hear and answer” “Hear and answer” and then comes — total silence.
At that moment, our director’s eyes met mine, and there was an instant, transcendent communication between us. To describe that instantaneous communication would take several pages, but summarized, we both said to each other that we knew that the God whom we worship is totally awesome and is far greater than anything the world can provide. After the concert, we talked about that moment and we were both amazed to find that our thoughts and reactions were identical. It was totally transcendent.
But I’m thinking that was just a small snippet of what’s to come.