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Susquehanna Annual Conference.
[Edited] Watch HERE.
We join our hearts with family members and friends and remember fondly their loved ones who were pastors, colleagues, friends, parishioners among us. We give thanks and praise for these beautiful souls.
We could share many things in these moments about those we are remembering. We could speak about how they loved their family and their dedication to the church. We could speak of their prayer life, their compassion, their passion to share the love of Jesus with others. We could speak of their inspirational preaching, inspiring worship services, teaching, pastoral visits, leadership with children and youth; their love of music and singing and their community involvement; of how they encouraged us to truly live out the gospel as disciples.
And there is so much more we could share as we remember fondly how they made a difference in our lives.
There is a reason we remember those who dedicated so much of their time in being faithful to their call. Hebrews 12:1 reminds us that, “we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses...” And we are. Witnesses of the faith and new life. People we have walked alongside, shoulder to shoulder, deep in the mire and muck, and to the deep valleys and to the mountain tops to be beacons of light to the world. All in the name of Jesus!
Hebrews refers to all of the people who have run the race of faith before us. If we go back to Hebrews chapter eleven, we are reminded of the faith of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and others, and how they endured suffering, and overcome obstacles, and ran the race of faith which was before them.
We all know what it is like to have obstacles in our personal lives and in the life of the church. But you and I are not the first to run the Christian race; others have gone before us. And we thank God for them.
The book of Hebrews, not only talks about the “cloud of witnesses” it also uses the metaphor of running, urging believers to persevere in their faith with endurance.
Hebrews 12:1 continues:
“...let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (ESV)
I would like to draw your attention to the following words from this passage in Hebrews:
“...and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith...”
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While the scriptures may not always directly address the act of running as a physical exercise, its metaphors involving running provide valuable insights into the Christian journey, emphasizing perseverance, discipline, and fixing our eyes on Jesus.
The Apostle Paul used the analogy of a runner in a race many times in his letters. It was one way he could connect with his listeners who were familiar with the ancient Olympic Games and competition.
When I started dating my husband, Allen, I learned he had a passion for running road races. Often on a Saturday morning in the spring, summer and fall, we would drive to a town hosting a 5k or 10k race.
I did not run. I was the cheerleader, bag and water bottle holder who would be standing at the finish line. (If you know me well, I would rather have been participating in a 5k or 10k on horseback!)
When we lived in the Benton and Nescopeck communities, Allen’s new goal was running in the “Run for the Diamonds.” Allen ran in this race for 20+ years. It is a nine-mile race, where a runner faces a long and steep hill which tested the runner’s strength and endurance. The winner in the male and female categories would win a diamond.
I am here to bear witness that Allen never won a diamond! But for Allen it wasn’t necessarily about the diamond. For him, it was about the completion of the course and how well he personally ran the race.
Allen’s ambition grew from running a 5k or 10k and the 9-mile race to running a marathon: 26.2 miles. And not just any marathon, his goal was the Boston Marathon, which he had to qualify for by running in other marathons. He has run a total of around 26 marathons so far in his life.
I didn’t get it. Who in their right mind would run 26.2 miles in the heat, the rain, the cold? Who in their right mind would run for 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, and beyond? Who in their right mind would run to the point of exhaustion and dehydration and collapse at the finish line?
I just didn’t get it.
A marathon is definitely a strenuous test of fitness, perseverance, and endurance.
As Christians we run a different race with perseverance, faithfulness, and fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.
When we run the race of life in Jesus’ name, we must concentrate on attaining the goal of Christlikeness and not get distracted by worldly attractions and temptations. The race God set out for us is a lifelong marathon, we must commit ourselves to run to the very end.
Emily Schankweiler has been credited with saying, “The Christian life is not a sprint; it is a marathon.” The idea is that the Christian life is a long-term process of growth and development, requiring daily effort and commitment.
Paul in his letter to the Ephesians writes about running a race – a race set before us as followers of Jesus. And we run this race because Jesus prepared and ran faithfully. We run this race because of the “the cloud of witnesses” who persevered and ran faithfully to share the love of Jesus with others.
The whole metaphor of running a race is a metaphor for our lives. God has called us to run the race of this life. Sometimes the race is short; sometimes it is long. But no matter the distance and time, God has called us to finish the race faithfully!
Paul was longing to finish his life well. When speaking to the Ephesian leaders for the last time, he told them, “I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.” —Acts 20:24
Paul lived his life as a race to be run. He lived it as a race to be finished, being faithful to Christ. Walking in His way. Trusting in His word.
In Philippians 3:13-14, Paul writes: “Beloved, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ.”
At the end of Paul’s life, the good news was this: he finished. And he finished well. He told Timothy,
”For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” —2 Timothy 4:7-8
I don’t believe that Paul was referring to his upcoming itinerary here, but rather to eternity. God had called him to share the gospel, and that is what his focused was on. Paul’s energy was devoted, not to making a name for himself, or preparing for retirement, or trying to be successful in this life; but rather to win the prize that God had set before him. And he was not going to let anything get in the way of that, neither his past nor his present.
So, by declaring “I have finished the race,” Paul is telling Timothy that he had put every effort into the work of proclaiming to all the Gospel of salvation. He had completed the course set before him; he had left nothing undone. He was ready to cross the finish line and receive his eternal reward.
And with the completion of his race, Paul was expecting the reward as he proclaimed, “...in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day...” —2 Timothy 4:8
Paul emphasizes the necessity of running our race with purpose and intention. He invites us to reflect on the very core of Christian living, striving for spiritual growth, fueled by personal discipline, and guided by God’s hand. It’s a vivid reminder that the way we run the race of faith matters.
In our spiritual race, we’ll face hurdles and obstacles, the demands of our training will be intense, and we’ll need extreme discipline and endurance to persevere. But we don’t face these challenges on our own. It’s the Holy Spirit who steps in as our coach.
No matter how long the race may be, we are to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, “the champion who initiates and perfects our faith” because Jesus perfectly finished His race.
May we be diligent in our “race,” may we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and may we, like the ones we remember, finish strong and finish well.
To the family members who may have been on the sideline or at the finish line, cheering your loved one on, offering words of support encouragement, prayer, and a listening ear, running in your own way the race with them, we thank you.
