Cubs v. Brewers in the NLDS: A Presbyterian Story
Me, Viet Vo, David Fields, and the Rev. Arnel Dela Rosa Vasquez of Edison Park UMC. A Presbyterian, an agnostic, a Catholic, and a Methodist walk into Wrigley Field… not everyone is perfect. Photo: Gerald Farinas.
For the first time in history, the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers are meeting in the postseason. It feels almost biblical, as though two neighbors who’ve argued over fences and barbecue smoke all summer suddenly find themselves squaring off in a tournament of destiny.
But if you look closely, you’ll see that the Cubs—yes, the Cubs—play with the same spirit of Presbyterianism that we at Edgewater Presbyterian Church try to live out in our neighborhood.
Faith in things not seen
Presbyterians know that faith isn’t about certainty, but about trusting that the story isn’t finished. No congregation knows this better than ours in Edgewater, where we keep showing up—through hard years, through change, through hope—trusting that God is still doing something in and through us. Cubs fans know this spirit, too. For decades, they endured heartbreaks, curses, and near misses. Yet the Wrigley faithful showed up, sang the seventh-inning stretch, and believed that someday the promise would be fulfilled. And it was. That’s Presbyterian perseverance in action.
A team of all kinds
Presbyterians are a people who affirm the “priesthood of all believers.” Everyone has a role, a gift, a place on the roster. That’s what makes the Cubs so Presbyterian. They’re not just about one superstar. It’s a team of all sorts—young rookies, seasoned veterans, pitchers who keep us on our knees, batters who surprise us when it matters most. Like a church Session, everyone has a vote, and the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts.
Wrigley as a sanctuary
The Rev. Kristin Hutson with granddaughter. It’s her very first Cubs game! Photo: Kristin Hutson.
Wrigley Field is no cathedral, but it sure feels like a sanctuary. Fans gather, voices rise in unison, and together we experience the mystery of hope and heartbreak. At Edgewater Presbyterian, our sanctuary isn’t about bricks and mortar either—it’s about community, song, memory, and the Spirit moving among us. The ivy, the organ, the communal liturgy of baseball—it all points to the sacred joy of being together.
The joy of neighborliness
And now, it’s neighbor against neighbor: Cubs versus Brewers. Presbyterians know something about neighborliness—even when we disagree. It’s about living faithfully with the people across the alley and across the pew. The Cubs and Brewers may battle it out on the diamond, but after the series ends, the two cities will still be tied together by a shared Midwest story. That’s what Presbyterians call covenant community.
So as the Cubs head into the NLDS, I can’t help but see the Presbyterian spirit at play: faithful perseverance, shared leadership, sacred gathering, and neighborly respect. And maybe, just maybe, that spirit will carry them a little deeper into October.
After all, if Presbyterians know anything, it’s that resurrection stories are real—and so are comebacks in the bottom of the ninth.
And besides, if the White Sox already have the Pope in their corner, surely it’s fair that the Cubs get to claim the Presbyterians.
