Category Archives: Joy

The Marathon Challenge

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My first marathon was Twin Cities in 1999. Like this year, the forecast was for a cold start, around 35-40 degrees. Having run mostly in warm weather, I panicked and rushed out to buy my first pair of running tights a couple of days before the race. I used them and never felt very comfortable the whole race. I also made other rookie mistakes, like surging ahead at mile 15 when I was feeling great, only to hit the wall at mile 22. I finished in just over four hours, thinking “that was TOUGH.”

 
What if the Marathon was in January?

Many runners finish their first marathon and think, “Okay, I’ve done that. Don’t need to go through the pain, struggle and adversity again. Once is enough.” For me, the race had the opposite effect. I saw it as a great puzzle or challenge that I still have not figured out. Not that I think I will ever “solve” the marathon puzzle, but the combination of physical, mental and spiritual challenges continues to intrigue me. The challenge pushed me to run year round, even in Minnesota winters.  Plus I still have that elusive goal of qualifying to run the Boston Marathon.

This Sunday, I may be a bit cold when I approach the start line in Minneapolis, wearing shorts and t-shirt, hat and gloves. I will also have an old long-sleeve t-shirt that I will toss aside after warming up during the first couple of miles. After finishing ten marathons, I will know not to surge at mile 15, but wait for the real challenge at mile 21 and beyond. My marathon mantra, “The joy of the Lord is my strength” (Neh. 8:10) will be on my lips and the encouraging words of my friends and family will be in my ears. The chill of marathon morning will quickly pass as my body, mind and spirit rise to the challenge.  The finish is only 26.2 miles away.

Lord Jesus, let me meet the challenges of this day with your strength and joy.

Root Beer Float

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Every Tuesday I drive to a neighboring Lutheran Church for a Bible study with local pastors.  Together we study the scripture text for Sunday so that we can be better prepared to preach God’s Word.

Today, as I drove up to Amazing Grace Lutheran Church I noticed this “float” in their parking lot.  The congregation had used it in the local community parade, where they handed out both root beer candy and “church information on a stick.”  It was a creative way of inviting new comers to their congregation.

A couple weeks before, Resurrection Lutheran Church had participated in our local Woodbury days parade with our worship band playing  for the crowd.  It was a delight to see and hear them that day as they praised God and invite all to come for worship.

As I left Amazing Grace and took this picture, I rejoiced that congregations seek to find creative ways to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Churches too often are seen as dry, boring places.   Resurrection and Amazing Grace both seek to express the Vibrant Life of Faith.

I also realized that Amazing Grace had quench my thirst by hosting the study of God’s Word.  What a treat!

Lord Jesus, let me drink again from the fountain of living water.

Today’s Wedding Anniversary

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Carolyn and I at our son’s wedding in 2011.

Today is the 35th anniversary of my marriage to Carolyn McCrary Keller. We met in college, at the Haverford-Bryn Mawr Christian Fellowship, near Philadelphia. I always joked that she came from “Tea” with the President of Bryn Mawr, dressed to the nines, and I showed up in overalls and a backwards baseball cap. I was a senior bouncing around in my manic way greeting all the newcomers. Carolyn was with four or five other first year women from Bryn Mawr.

When Carolyn said that she was from Kansas City, MO, I told her a story about a prayer experience I had traveling through Kansas City. The story was short and not particularly profound, but Carolyn later wrote about it in her journal. The story had given her spiritual comfort as she was missing her Bible study group in Kansas City and wrote that my way of praying was similar to hers. The friendship and then the romance grew from there.

We were married by Carolyn’s father, a Presbyterian minister. His only premarital advice to us was, “You can walk down the aisle on your wedding day, fall flat on your face, and still pick yourself up and have a good marriage.” However he made sure Carolyn did not fall by proudly walking his oldest daughter doing the aisle of his Kansas City church and then turning around to preformed the wedding. It was all a blur to me, except for gazing at his beautiful daughter.

Robert C. Roberts thinks the best example of the spiritual virtue called perseverance or steadfastness is marriage:

When two people marry, they make an extraordinary commitment, a promise not just to stick together until death do them part (that in itself would be bold enough) but to love one another than long.

The marriage service warns that some of the bumps this love may encounter along the way: for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others . . . . But these words are only slender indicatory beams of light pricking the darkness of the future. When we commit ourselves to married love, we have only the dimmest intimations of what will threaten to break commitment down—boredom, disappointment, inattention, work, sick children, changes in personality and interests of one or both parties—and the list could go on.

Like every married couple, Carolyn and I have our list. I have never embraced her love of opera; she has never backpacked in the mountains with me. We disagree on where to live in our metropolitan area. Still we remain steadfast in our love for one another, trusting in God’s grace and power to keep us together.

Last night we celebrated by going to the Guthrie Theater for the production of Roman Holiday. It is a romantic story of a princess who escapes her royal confines for 24 hours to experience Rome as a private citizen. She meets an American reporter who first tries to turn their budding friendship into an exclusive news story. As the day progresses the friendship turns towards romance, but the duties and obligations of the princess pulls them apart. It is a bitter-sweet ending.

What a contrast to decades of marriage. Yes, there can be many moments of Holiday bliss, but marriages persevere because husbands and wives stick to the duties and obligations of marriage even when bliss is hard to find. I am thankful that Carolyn has persevered in her love for me and pray that together we will experience many more years of marital joy.  I still like holding her hand when we pray together in our own way.

Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of marriage and for your steadfast love.

Father’s Day.

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My son (now 25) posted this picture on Facebook tonight. He was ten years old and we were backpacking in Olympic National Park, near where my father had introduced me to the love of camping and hiking. My father had died the year before, but his memory is strong in this picture and in both of our lives.

Riding My Emotions

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I have been writing recently about spiritual emotions. Today I rode my bike to church and with the ride came a variety of feelings.

First came the excitement of doing something new. I had talked about making the 28 mile trek from home to Resurrection all last summer, but never did it. This year I felt this internal drive to make it happen. So as I prepared my water bottles and look over the route, I had a mixture of joy, anticipation and excitement.

The joy and excitement stayed with me during the first twelve miles of the ride. It was a beautiful morning, cool with a slight overcast. Part of my journey was along a paved state trail, a converted railroad bed, that was sheltered and tree-lined. I felt like a kid set free.

Then at twelve miles, a new feeling rose up within me. I could feel my back tire going soft and disappointment crept into my heart. “No, Not a flat tire.  Not today! Not on the way to work,” I thought. And I simply panicked. Even though I had changed my bike tire, it had always been with more experienced riders who could assist me. Thinking I could not do it on my own, I phoned my wife and asked her to rescue me.

While I waited, I decided to work on changing the tire. And within fifteen minutes, I had the flat fixed. Now my emotions shifted again, from disappointment to that of satisfaction. “I can fix a flat!” But my wife was still on her way and she was not answering her cell phone. So I waited, impatient and also apologetic. When she arrived, I was feeling a bit embarrassed that I had called for her assistance. When she arrived she responded graciously and I felt some relief and peace that I could complete my ride.

The rest of the ride went smoothly except for one instance. As I entered Woodbury proper, the traffic increased and I had to be quite mindful of various cars and trucks at intersections. Approaching one traffic light, a male passenger yelled something at me through an open car window. I felt this immediate irritation at being accosted. I believed that I had every right to be there. The car had stopped at the intersection and I bicycled by it. As I passed, with irritation I said to the passenger, “I have every right to bike here.” He just gave me a strange, disgruntled look and I rode on.

I then reflected on my feelings of irritation. Was I going to let this one momentary event color the rest of my ride? Would I allow this irritation to grow to full anger? Emotions can be ridden just like a bike. We can brood on some feeling, deepening its intensity, or we can let it go, seeking new emotions to ride.

Fortunately, I caught sight of a unique vehicle, a recumbent bike with a full bright-yellow wind frame around it. With that flash of novelty, I happily finished my ride to church, feeling a new sense of accomplishment.

Now I am wondering, “What emotions and feeling will I have on the ride home this evening?”

Lord Jesus, take the rough edges of my heart and mold them to your desires.

National Running Day

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Today is National Running Day.

Running is one of my passions.  I was introduced to marathon running in 1998 and have finished ten since then. I continue to find the training and mental preparation for a marathon stimulating. Though all marathons are a challenge, some are more than others.

Six years ago I ran Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, MN. It was not a “pretty” marathon for me. Not only did the high humidity and warm temperatures zap the strength of most runners, it also shrouded scenic Lake Superior in fog. The clouds kept it bearable for the first hour, but then the sun broke out and turned the race into a steam bath. I finished in 3:47 but I was not a pretty picture coming across the finish line.

What gave me strength was the community around me. I started off with my friends Steve Libby, Gary Van Cleve, and Bill Treiber near the 3:30 pace group. Steve and I stayed together with the pace group through mile 13; Steve was running strong and hoping to BQ (Boston Marathon Qualifier). I had to drop back at that point due to a four minute port-a- potty break. (I said it wasn’t a “pretty” marathon!) I struggled alone from mile 13 to 22. Then on Lemon Drop Hill, my son Jonathan showed up and ran with me to the finish. His words of encouragement kept my feet moving forward.

In Hebrews 12, the people of God are reminded that we are surrounded by a cloud of invisible witnesses, those faithful people of God who have died and rest with God. They are cheering for us in our life marathon as we race, walk, struggle, waddle, crawl towards Jesus Christ, the race director and pace setter. But I don’t think “cloud of witnesses” is restricted to the dead. Some of those who witness to me are my fellow runners who continue to give words of encouragement and inspiration as I struggle to run life’s course. Many have given me courage and strength. Thank you.

Hebrews 12:1-2
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.

Thank you Jesus for the ability to encourage others.

Changing Moods

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Emotions need to be distinguished from moods. Emotions are often linked to specific events or situations. I am sad when I go to a funeral or I am happy when my team wins. Moods tend to be longer lasting and have a less specific object attached to them. We often say, “that person got up on the wrong side of the bed,” when someone is in an angry or “sour” mood. My angry mood might have been triggered by some event, such as a disappointing or unfair job review, but then seems to spill over into all of my thinking. My disappointment begins to color how I look and react to all of my life. My mood turns “sour” and I seem stuck.

Philosopher Robert C. Solomon in his book, True to Our Feelings: What Our Emotions are Really Telling Us, describes non-clinical depressive mood in this way,

A person might get depressed about his rejection from law school, an emotion about a specific event. But that emotion gains in scope, spreads over other aspects of his experience, and so starts affecting all the things he does, which now seem no longer worthwhile, and his relationships, which come to seem inadequate to make up for the disappointment , and before long he is depressed, not just about something, but about everything. A cure for depression (again not the clinical kind) may be to come to grips with the incident that initiated the depression and come to understand that it is not so serious or life damaging. (p.42)

The book of Nehemiah describes a change of mood for the people of Israel. After the exile in Babylon, many people returned to Jerusalem only to discover the city walls torn down and the religious life in chaos. The priest Ezra and others begin to restore hope in the people by reading to them the book of the law of Moses (Nehemiah 8:1-9). The people are deeply moved by this reading; they realize they have broken many of God’s laws and need to repent. The people began to weep.

Ezra then spoke to the grieving people. “This day is holy to the Lord your God, do not mourn or weep” (Nehemiah 8:9).  He goes on to tell them that instead it should be seen as a day of celebration, of feasting and wine, because God has come in the reading of the word. Ezra’s final word has become a favorite of mine, “The joy of the Lord is your strength” Nehemiah 8:10).

Ezra’s words changed the mood from one of sorrow over Israel’s sin to the mood of celebration because God has come to rescue his people. The law is a gift to guide and assist the people so its reading is to be seen as a joyful experience.  The mood changed to joy.

Have you had moments when your mood has been changed by a new perspective or insight?

Lord Jesus, let my heart resonate with your heart and seek your kingdom.

My Joy and My Crown

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Running with Joy is TRUE Running

JOY is one spiritual emotion that many seek. Paul writes about joy in his letter to the church at Philippi.

I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you. (Phil 1:3-4).

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice. (Phil 1:18)

My brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown (Phil 4:1).

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice (Phil 4:4)

Though there are connections, Christians often confuse joy with happiness. There is a difference. Like its root, happiness often depends on happenstance, on the situation. But joy rests in God. Paul was in prison when he wrote his letter to the Philippians, contemplating his possible execution. Yet the letter was his most joyous.

Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you , and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11).   He spoke these words as he ate his final meal before his death.

Frederick Buechner writes,

Happiness turns up more or less where you expect it to—a good marriage, a rewarding job, a pleasant vacation. Joy, on the other hand, is as notoriously unpredictable as he one who bequeaths it. (Beyond Words, p. 204).

However, there are times I  struggle with Buechner, especially his comments about jogging.

 Jogging is supposed to be good for the heart, the lungs, the muscles, and physical well-being generally.  It is also said to produce a kindof euphoria known as jogger’s high.
The look of anguish and despair that contorts the faces of most of the people you see huffing and puffing at it, by the side of the road, however, is striking.  If you didn’t know directly form them that they are having the time of their lives, the chances are you wouldn’t be likely to guess it. (Beyond Words, p. 191)

I will try to remember to smile more when I run.

Lord Jesus, let my joy be ever you.

River Makes Glad

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Water has such a fascination with many of us, especially waterfalls. I have hiked to many spectacular waterfalls in my life; one of my favorites is the Sol Duc Falls in Olympic National Park. It is not particularly large or high, but its setting in a dark green rain forest is impressive.

One of the reasons I admire it is that I have hiked various portions of the river. I have been up on the High Divide where the Sol Duc River starts as a large snow field on the divide between the Sol Duc and Hoh Rivers. Mt. Olympus dominates the horizon.

As a long child, I camped with my family near the river as it meandered through a large forested valley. The rocks and surrounding trees were mesmerizing.  I sat by the river for hours, watching the rocks turn and the tree branches swept downstream.

I have also camped near La Push, WA, where the Sol Duc River joins the Bogacheil River to form the Quillayute River, shortly before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. Huge drift wood logs are stacked along the beach, gifts of the river from the surrounding forest. The Sol Duc is less than 100 miles in length, but it has its own vital story that I continue to learn.

My fascination with the Sol Duc River reminds me of how wonderful it is to be a part of a congregation as its pastor. There are twists and turn, highs and lows, unique paths to every congregation. There are some occasional waterfalls, but mostly the ongoing flow of life. I am so thankful to be a part of Resurrection Lutheran Church as it flows with God’s Spirit.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. Psalm 46:4

Lord Jesus, let me flow with you among the people of God.

Trust Live Serve

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Yesterday was Resurrection’s annual Faith-in-Action day, where over 200 members of the congregation served in a dozen different venues. It is a great tradition that reflects our congregation’s mission to Trust, Live and SERVE.  Last year I was inspired to write about it here.

Yesterday was full of Holy Spirit energy.  Children assembled Birthday Bags for the local food shelf, the puppet team preformed at a homeless shelter, and adults worked on a home damaged by last summer’s tornado.  Families were encouraged to work together so that the children could learn from their parents the value of service.

Several of us went to Woodbury Health Care Center to entertain and interact with the residents. I chose the Care Center because my mom recently became a resident there and I wanted her to meet some of the congregation.  Several of our talented youth and adults played piano or lead singing as together we worked to bring the joy of Jesus Christ into their lives.  Naturally many of them brought joy to our hearts as they affirmed our ministry together.

Service is not restricted to one day of the year.  We serve in our daily life.  When my mother was living in a nearby assisted living facility she was visited by one of our high school student who brought her dog along on Sunday afternoon visits.  The two were a big hit with the residents.

Volunteer service is a vital part of our community life together.  Most assisted living facilities and care centers have well-trained and committed staff who invest their lives in caring for our growing senior population.  The staff often works long hours with frail people who are often forgotten by society.  Serving alongside these professional evoked a sense of gratitude and awe at their daily ministry of caring for our aging parents and grandparents.

Community service helps us connect with segments of society that many of us ignore or forget: the 3M manager who helps stock the local foodshelf, the medical device sales representative who sings for a senior center, or the bank executive who pounds nails at a Habitat for Humanity work site.  Jesus calls us to move outside our “normal” areas of influence and control so that we can discover a different slice of the American life.  Service is not simply a band-aid on society’s ills; it can be an opportunity for education and inspiration for real transformative change.  We are changed as we serve.  Our smiles can grow into the deeper conviction for justice and righteousness.

Lord Jesus, teach me to serve as you have served me.