Racing, Not Running

September 8, 2010

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

The opening verses of Hebrews 12 have taken on new meaning for me since this past summer, when I ran my first 5K race. Before then, my most notable running memories involved 1) bringing up the rear in the timed mile run in junior high P.E. class, 2) screaming back to my house whenever a loosed neighborhood dog chased me down the street, and 3) huffing through the college campus quad whenever I overslept my morning classes. The thought of competing in an organized race, without the incentive of barking dogs or G.P.A.’s, was the furthest thing from my mind.

But over the past year, I’ve been adopting a steady routine of recreational jogging. So, when Jessica invited me to run the St. Jehosophat Catholic Church “Phat Run” near Chicago last June, I agreed. Though it was beyond anything I had attempted, I was inspired by Jessica’s example. She has been a running machine, competing in two half-marathons, a handful of 10K’s, and a bevy of 5K’s over the past year. We would be in Chicago to celebrate our anniversary, and this felt like a unique way to mark the occasion.

The day of the race was a breezy, balmy Saturday morning, with manageable humidity. The 3.1 mile course was adjacent to Lincoln Park Zoo and wound through a lovely marina on Lake Michigan. I registered at the desk and received my race t-shirt (emblazoned with the joyous words “Phat Run”).

I began my pre-race stretching routine, ignoring my body’s every creak and pop, its way of urging me to reconsider. I studied the other racers, struggling against the temptation to size them up as my competition. Some were there with their young kids. (No problem. I can run faster than those tykes.) Some were decked in fancy racing gear. (Overcompensating, I hoped.) And there were a few who came with their dogs. (Just hold on to those leashes, I prayed.)

Then, in an unexpected intrusion of Scripture that seems to affect preachers at the oddest moments, the words of Hebrews 12 crept into my head.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.

We lined up at the starting line and waited for the pistol. At the gunshot, we took off. I switched on my iPod and started running, taking a few healthy lungfuls of air while it was still effortless to do so. I looked around at the mass of bodies surrounding me, and I knew, for the first time, the meaning of Hebrews 12:1.

I felt a remarkable, indescribable energy surrounded by such a “great cloud” of fellow runners as we started moving all at once. While running is an individual sport, it is, at least at the outset, a communal event. With all the bodies moving in the same direction at roughly the same pace, with no clear distinction between the frontrunners and the laggards, there was a corporate synergy, like we were all drawing from the same well of life-giving vitality. True, within a matter of a few hundred feet, we would all separate and run at our own pace. But at the beginning, we were all in this together, feeding off each other’s good will and vigor, hoping for each other’s best.

There’s a reason that Hebrews does not equate the Christian life to a casual jog, but to a race. While we run at our own pace, within the limits of our abilities, we are not called to run on our own private courses. We follow the same path, carved by the footprints of racers before us, illuminated by a cross. When we become swayed by the notion that discipleship is a solo sport, Hebrews prompts us to look around and notice the “great cloud,” tapping into the synergy it provides. We are a community of runners, with no distinction among accomplished and amateur, between veteran and rookie. We feed off each other’s energy, spur one another to keep moving, and support each other when we’re down.

As we start a new Fall season, now would be a great time to recommit your time and energy to your fellow racers. Be faithful in worship attendance, prayer, scripture reading, and financial stewardship. And let’s see where this race will take us for the rest of the year. We will be taking up our first-ever offering for the P.E.T. Project on September 19. We will be observing our annual Children’s Sabbath and raising awareness of children’s issues around the world. We will be starting six new small groups over the next several weeks, encouraging you to take your discipleship to the next level. And in a few months, we will be taking a grand step of faith, as we launch a new capital campaign and anticipate the next wave of campus renovations next spring.

The satisfaction I felt when I crossed the finish line that Chicago morning was contagious. Afterwards, Jessica said to me, “Congratulations. You’re no longer a runner. You’re now a racer.” Six days later, I ran my second 5K race, here in Cherokee. Accomplishing something of great personal merit, while acknowledging one’s dependence on those around you, evokes a feeling that is both gratifying and humbling.

Whether you are a life-long Methodist or a fledgling Christian, there is no better time to start your race then now. It’s time to shift from merely running and move to real racing. And remember, you’re not alone.

See you at the Starting Line!

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
http://www.cherokeespumc.org





WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY
Join us as we conclude our sermon series on Hebrews with a closer look at Hebrews 12:1-2. The sermon is titled, “How to Live a Hall of Fame Life.” As a reminder, we move to our fall Sunday schedule, with worship starting at 10:10 and Sunday school at 9am.


YOUTH COOKOUTS THIS SUNDAY
All Mid-High Youth, grades 7-8, are invited to the deVega’s house (601 Walnut St.) for a kick-off cookout this Sunday, from 5:30-7:00pm. Senior Highs, grades 9-12, are invited to the church at the same time for food and fun.


BUILDING COMMITTEE UPDATE
Thank you to those who participated in the congregation-wide feedback session on August 29. Of those who returned a survey, 67% were in support of the plan to move forward, and 26% were in favor of the plan with some modification. 7% felt that this was not the right time to move forward. The Building Committee is reading through all of the comments and will continue to make adjustments as we proceed. For now, here is some additional information:

Q. Where do we go from here?
A. The Committee felt that with 93% of the respondents favoring most or all of the plan, we could move forward in planning for the Fall capital campaign. They will meet with Kevin Gowdy, who will serve as our Capital Campaign consultant, next Monday, September 13. At that time they will establish a timeline for the campaign. In addition, they are waiting to hear from the District Committee on Building and Location for their approval of the project.

Q. When will the church give official approval to the renovation plans?
A. All of the work thus far is preliminary to the official approval of the congregation, which will take place in a Charge Conference sometime before the end of the year. At that time, we will have pledge results from the capital campaign as well as some finer details associated with the renovation.

Q. What about the windows?
A. In response to one of the questions during the feedback session, the windows will be double-pane, wooden, metal-clad windows that can be opened for ventilation. They will be much more energy-efficient than our existing windows.

Q. What about the pitched roof?
A. One of the most common suggestions was that the Committee revisit the idea of the pitched roof, out of concern for maintenance costs associated with a flat roof. The Committee proposes that the church remain open to the possibility of either style, and that the final decision be made based on pledges in the campaign.

Q. How much will the architect cost?
A. Following the feedback session, the Committee gathered more information regarding the architect’s fees. These fees were not built into the estimate presented to the congregation, and would be 12% of the final cost of the construction. Because money has already been paid to the architects during the design phase, the remaining percentage is down to about 10.2% of the final cost.