03-17-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
March 17, 2024
Years ago, I was running at 10k in a small town. The energy and hospitality were wonderful, and it was a fun race to run. But I laughed when I realized where the finish line was. As I stood there waiting to hear the person with the bullhorn yell, “Go,” I looked up and noticed that the banner ahead of me said, FINISH. It was a loop course, and the finish line was about 15 yards behind the start line. And because of the size of the running group, I was standing far enough back that the finish line was a short distance ahead of me. I had to cross the finish line before I crossed the starting line. Rereading what I just wrote sounds incredibly confusing, but I find that life rarely gives us exact start-and-stop, beginning-and-ending points. If you’re like me, it feels as if I wake up and immediately step into the fast-moving current of life, and I get dumped out at the end of the day long enough to sleep before doing it all over again. As we talk more about Pressing the Reset Button, I want to encourage you to find moments where you can at least pause and breathe for a few moments, especially if you feel as if you’re constantly being swept up in the current. Too often, the next start line is immediately after the finish line, and it doesn’t feel as if we have even a moment to breathe. 

Even if I can’t find a reset in my daily life or even much of a break, I seek your assistance, O God of the Sabbath, as I do my best to find a few moments to breathe and be reminded of who I am and whose I am. Amen.