The 1976 baseball season was glorious for Mark (The Bird) Fidrych. The Detroit Tiger pitcher burst onto the baseball scene like no one before. Within two months of pitching his first game, The Bird was a national phenomenon as the curly-haired, antics-driven pitcher filled stadiums across the land.

He would manicure the mound with his hands, talk to the baseball, and face every pitch as if it were a bit part in a movie. Fidrych had charisma to spare, and the fans loved him. Even better, he was a great pitcher!

He went 19–9 in 1976, leading the American League with a 2.34 ERA and—imagine this—pitching 24 complete games! It was one glorious summer for Mark Fidrych.

But after one year, the glory was gone. An injury messed up Fidrych’s shoulder, and after four lackluster seasons, he was out of baseball. Glory-less.

Sports glory comes and goes. Glory experienced is not the same as glory remembered.

Not so with God’s glory. The glory that God demonstrates to His people can be seen over and over. Moses saw the glory of God on Mt. Sinai. The priests experienced it in the tabernacle. The glory of God was evident in Solomon’s temple. And in Ezekiel 43, we read that God’s glory will someday return for God’s people to see. In some future time, the temple at Jerusalem is to be rebuilt, and after it is, God’s glory will shine.

We, of course, have not enjoyed the awe-inspiring presence of God’s glory as did the folks in Old Testament days. Yet we can read Ezekiel 43 and imagine worshiping God in His complete majesty and glory.

God’s once and future glory. That’s something worth thinking about.