Faith and Baseball: Guides

William Miller

William "Father Bill" Miller is an Episcopal priest, speaker, and writer. He is the author of two popular books, The Gospel According to Sam: Animal Stories for the Soul, and The Beer Drinker's Guide to God: The Whole and Holy Truth About Lager, Loving, and Living. He formerly owned Padre's - a bar and music venue in the funky West Texas arts town of Marfa, and may be the only priest ever to own such an establishment! He has founded music festivals in Texas, Hawaii, and Louisiana. He is passionate about music, travel, sports, food, beverages, animals, compassion and creativity. His favorite teams are the Houston Astros and the New Orleans Saints. He was at games 5,6,and 7 of the 2017 World Series and was the only fan in attendance wearing a clerical collar. He has lived in Houston, Austin, Chicago and the island of Kauai, and now resides in the charming town of Covington, Louisiana, just outside of New Orleans, with his rescue dogs Nawiliwili Nelson, Sinbad, Mahalia Jackson Queen Liliuokalani, and Waylon Liholiho Jennings. Learn more at www.fatherbill.net or www.facebook.com/williammillerauthor.

"Bill Miller gives religion a good name." -- Vince Poscente, New York Times bestselling author of The Age of Speed

"A magician with language, Father Bill writes with eloquence and great humor - reminding us that Christianity is a religion of joy, celebration,and love." -- William Broyles, Jr. Screenwriter, Cast Away, Apollo 13, The Polar Express

"William Miller reminds the world that being a Christian should be fun and theology should be real." -- Sam Candler, Dean, St. Philip's Cathedral, Atlanta

Herb Carver

Herb Carver believes that we all have an external and internal narrative that contributes to who we are: “our credentials, job titles, and work duties – even the organizations that we work for – are components of our identities, but so are the thoughts, feelings, and values that we bring to each experience.”

Herb’s external story includes nearly 20 years growing a family company that managed catastrophes, unforeseen events that threaten to damage or destroy organizations, into a national brand with over $200 million in annual sales. His internal narrative tells the rest of the story: anxiety, stress, codependency, and competing demands. As his self-concept became increasingly cloudy, Herb walked away from it all and began exploring the world anew.

From trekking the Himalayas to glacier crossings in Denali; on pilgrimages to churches, shrines, and temples; and in cultural fellowship and mindfulness – Herb began seeing as if for the first time, the people, places, and things that had been previously hidden or even invisible to him.

Today, as founder and President of PointAbove Consulting, he uses this experience to help intact teams and high-potential individuals increase their contentment, confidence, resilience, and performance in both their professional and personal lives. A professional coach with a focus on meaningful adventure, mindfulness, and life/career transitions, Herb has distilled much of what he’s learned about pursuing the wrong things and rediscovering the right things into the PointAbove Explorer program.

Learn more at: www.pointabove.com/staff/herb-carver

 

 

 

Bill Savage

Bill Savage (Ph.D.) is an Associate Professor of Instruction at Northwestern University’s English Department, where he teaches the course “Baseball in American Narratives.” He is an active member of the Society for Baseball Research (SABR), and has published scholarship on the literature and history of both the Cubs and the White Sox.  He is a Cubs season-ticket holder, and wrote about that experience for ESPN.com during the 2016 season in the column “The View from Section 416.

Scott Stoner

The Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner is the founder of LivingCompass, a faith and wellness initiative—has served his community for more than 30 years
as an Episcopal priest, marriage and family therapist, retreat leader, spiritual director, and author.  A life-long baseball fan, at various times in his life he has attended the Church of Baseball at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia, Wrigley Field in Chicago, and now Miller Park in Milwaukee.  He believes that spirituality pervades all aspects of life, a truth that is especially evident when one gains an in depth understanding of the game of baseball.

 

 

 

 
"Baseball is like church. Many attend, but few understand." -- Leo Durocher