Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

In this passage, the Apostle Paul compares our life here on earth with running a race. As a runner, I’m always looking for Bible passages that mention running or races. When I prepare for a long race, I will train for several months: running, swimming and doing exercises. I also try to eat less junk food. When the day of the race arrives, my hope is to run the best race that I can.

I’ve never actually won a race – I’m not a particularly fast runner. Occasionally I have finished first in my age group, and the prize is usually something nice: a medal, or a ribbon. As Paul says, we all compete, but only one will win the race, and the winner’s prize is something perishable.

In our earthly, life-long race for the eternal prize, we are not competing against each other, but we all are striving to reach the same goal: God’s promise of salvation. There is no training for this race – we are in it from the beginning. And, as we live our lives, we need to stay aware of our goal and not to yield to earthly desires. As Paul says, we need to enslave our bodies, so that we are not distracted by things of the flesh. None of us would want to be disqualified from this race!

As we run our earthly race, some parts may seem easy and some may be very difficult, just like any race. But we can always rely on God for help as we run towards our goal.

Dear Lord, thank You watching over us as we run our earthly race. Please help us not to be distracted, but to stay focused on our goal of eternal life with You. Amen.

Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to the skillful; but time and chance happen to them all.

Ecclesiastes 9:11

As a runner, I always keep an eye out for Bible passages that mention running or races, and this one caught my eye the last time I read Ecclesiastes. I like this verse because it seems to describe a lot of what we see here in our earthly lives, “under the sun,” as the writer says.

When we rely on our own abilities, the results are not always what we hope for, even if we are skilled or wise or strong or swift. Our best plans can sometimes go completely wrong. In our world, “time and chance” can make all of our wisdom or training or intelligence useless. It is only by relying on God that we can be sure that we will reach our goals.

I’ve run in many races over the years. On race day, when I line up with the other runners for the start, I know that no matter how much I’ve trained, what happens next is mostly out of my control – time and chance. So, before the start I pray that God will watch over all of us and keep us safe on the course, and that He will help me to make good decisions during the race and that I will run the best race that I can. I’m not a very fast runner, so there is very little chance of me winning the race, but with God’s help, it can be a great experience.

Dear Lord, thank You for all the skills and talents that you have given to us. Please help us to recognize the limits of our abilities, and help us to put our trust in You. Amen.

He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:29-31

As a runner, I always keep an eye out for passages in the Bible that mention running; I like this one a lot. Running can be a lot like life in general. Sometimes when I run it seems easy and I feel I can run for a long time, but other times it’s hard just to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Life can be very similar; some days are easy and fun but some days we just struggle, and there often seems to be no end in sight.

The part of this passage that really stands out to me is that God is there for us and He will give us power and renew our strength. When I struggle during a long race, sometimes I wonder, exactly why am I doing this? Wouldn’t it have been better to have slept late this morning instead?  But I know I can ask God for help and He will guide me and give me strength, just as he does in my everyday life.

As I write this, it’s been about a year since the Covid19 pandemic began. Like a lot of people, I’ve been working from home, wearing a mask when I go out, and following the guidelines. This pandemic is also like a long race; we seem to be making progress but the finish line is not yet in sight. Some days things go very well, but some days it’s a just a struggle to keep moving. But God is always there for us and we can go to Him and He will renew our strength and we can continue to “run and not be weary.”

Dear Lord, thank you for being there for us and loving us as we run our race here on earth.  Thank you for renewing our strength when we grow weary or faint. Please watch over us and guide us through this time of pandemic. Amen

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, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart.

Hebrews 12:1-3

There are several passages in the Bible that compare living our lives to running a race and this is my favorite one. Just as in life, a race can have parts where it is easy and fun, and parts where things can be difficult. And the goal is to reach the finish line. In a race this might mean a T-shirt, a finisher’s medal and perhaps a complimentary adult beverage, but as we live our lives, the ultimate goal is God’s promise of eternal life.

The word the I like the most in this passage is “perseverance.” To me, running with perseverance means running with determination and patience. It’s not really about physical ability but more about my mindset as I run. I try to deal with the challenges and distractions as they come up, and remain focused on what’s happening now. Or to put it another way, I try to “run the mile I’m in.” When I’m struggling during a long run and have to stop to walk for a while, perseverance is what gets me running again.

We also need to live our lives with perseverance. We need both patience and determination because there will be times when we struggle. And in the good times, we should be mindful of our goal and not get distracted. We need to be able to “run the mile we’re in” and not worry or get discouraged, but trust that God will help us finish our race and reach our heavenly goal.

Dear Lord, thank you for being there for us as we run our earthly race. Help us not to grow weary or faint of heart, but to run with perseverance and trust in You, secure in the knowledge that You love us. Amen.

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Galatians 5:13-14

Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God has given us freedom from sin. There is nothing that we can do to earn our salvation; it is truly a gift from God. The question then, is to what use will we put our freedom? For God has also given us free will, so we can choose what we will do.

In this passage from Galatians, Paul is encouraging us to put our freedom to work by loving and serving our neighbors, instead of being inwardly focused on our own wants and desires. This seems straightforward, but in practice this may not be quite so easy. We live in a rich and materialistic society that provides plenty of things to distract us.

How can we love and serve our neighbors? There are many ways we can do this. It can be as simple as stopping your car to let someone in the crosswalk safely cross the street. Or it can be writing a check to your favorite charity. Or you might take part in a charity run or walk. Or maybe you volunteer your time. Or perhaps you are a member of a church that is active in the community. We as a congregation support many organizations and programs within the community. Ten years ago when I started looking for a new church home, that was one of the things that really stood out about Midvale Community Lutheran Church, and it still does.

These are only a few of the many ways that we can serve our neighbors. It is up to each of us to choose the ones that suit us best.

Dear Lord, thank you for the amazing gift of freedom that You have given us. Please help us to use it wisely, to love and serve our neighbors. Amen.

April 7, 2019

He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

1 Kings 19:11-13

I love these verses with the message that sometimes God is in the silence. There are many places in the Bible where God guides His people with something more tangible, like a pillar of fire or a star, or perhaps He speaks from a burning bush or sets a rainbow in the sky. But here God was in the silence.

In August 1998 I went on a hiking trip with a small group in the Canadian Rockies. One of the most memorable days was our hike in the Bald Hills in Jasper National Park. We had a beautiful view of Maligne Lake as we hiked uphill, especially when we got above the tree line. When we reached the third (and final) summit, our leader suggested that we all sit down, close our eyes and just listen. It was a beautiful late summer day and after we all got comfortable, I could hear the wind moving through the long grass. There were no traffic noises or other distractions, just the sounds of God’s creation. In the distance I heard the cry of a hawk as it swooped down on its prey. And I heard the whistling sounds made by the hoary marmots in the valley below us. When we opened our eyes we were all smiling. Listening to the silence was an amazing experience. Sometimes God is in the silence.

God has given me many gifts but unlike Elijah, I do not have the gift of discernment. Certainly it would be much easier for me if God were in the great wind, or the earthquake or the fire, or a text message or an email or even a post on Facebook. But sometimes God is in the silence, and I know that I must listen carefully for Him.

Dear Lord, thank you for being there to guide us. Help us to listen carefully, especially in the silence, to discern Your will. Amen.

February 20, 2018

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Matthew 6:25-27, 31-34

I am a worrier. That’s not always a bad thing. Sometimes I find that worrying about a problem or situation helps me find alternative solutions, so worrying can be constructive. But in most situations worrying just creates anxiety. I know I am being foolish: worrying about a winter storm will not reduce the snowfall and becoming anxious over medical tests will not change the results. I take my anxieties to God because I know He is in control, but even so, sometimes it’s just hard for me to let go of my fears.

I am also a runner. Last fall I signed up for my first marathon. Training for it was both exciting and worrisome; it’s much farther than I had ever run before. But when I became anxious I reflected on this passage from Matthew. The final verse is similar to a saying among distance runners: “run the mile you’re in.” In other words, stay focused on what you are doing now; don’t waste your energy worrying about the big hill at Mile 22 when you are still at Mile 4. Worrying will not make the big hill any smaller or easier to climb.

On race day, I prayed that I might run with hope and joy in my heart instead of worry. And I did! The race was an amazing experience, and even though I walked up that big hill at Mile 22, with God’s help I finished the marathon in the time range that I had hoped for.

Dear Lord, thank you for encouraging us to come to You with all our cares and worries and fears. Help us to “run the mile we’re in” and let go of our anxieties, secure in the knowledge that You love us and are always there for us. Amen.

March 21, 2017

Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

Philippians 3:17-4:1

In this passage Paul calls on us to imitate him, to live life as a Christian and not live a selfish life devoted to acquiring earthly things. On the surface this seems like a simple task; as Christians we know that, as Paul says, “our citizenship is in heaven” but in practice this may not be so easy. We live in a rich and materialistic society that provides plenty of things to distract us.

A few years ago one of my co-workers got a new smart phone and as we all admired it, he said, “Whoever dies with the most toys wins!” We all laughed at this, because we knew he was joking. But, to be honest, sometimes it is easy to get lost in all amazing gadgets that can clutter our lives.

To be sure, there is nothing wrong with having a new car, or a smart phone or a home entertainment center, or going to concerts, or running in races, or taking part in any of the things our society offers. But if these earthly things come between us and our citizenship in heaven, we would be better off without them.

Dear Lord, thank you for the many material things you have provided for us. Help us to keep these in the proper context so that they do not distract us from the life You want us to lead. Amen.

February 22, 2016