Category Archives: Running

Running and Prayer Update

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Running with son

A couple of weeks ago I wrote that I have been unable to run pain-free since last spring and that I started a new round of physical therapy at Focus Fitness. (see MAT to PAT http://wp.me/p1e1iu-6A ).  Their staff is helping me to address the muscle imbalances I have developed by a series of exercises that activate weak or inhibited muscles.  Every day I attempt to do these awkward exercises, concentrating to keep the right form and to activate the appropriate muscles.  It is a definite mind-body exercise and I feel very foolish as I do them. 

Of course, last week, I had to try a short run to see if these exercises were having any desirable effect.  I hopped on to a treadmill and started first with a brisk walking pace and then pushed the pace higher to a slow jog.   I quickly discovered that my left IT band and right hamstring continued to complain.   I backed off the pace and stepped off the treadmill, disappointment hanging from my shoulders.   I had hoped for some instant relief.  But instead of running, I am back to the awkward exercises every morning and evening.

I continue to think there is a spiritual lesson for me to learn.  How often do I treat prayer as an instant relief button, hoping that God will magically answer my wish?  How often do I trust the process of praying patiently for God’s will to be done as I keep my focus on Jesus?  How often am I disappointed when things do not turn as quickly as I envisioned?

Also I know that many people feel awkward when they try to begin a spiritual discipline of prayer or scripture reading.   They are unsure whether their prayers are having the desired effect in their life or if they understand what they are reading.  Just like I needed a therapist to help me identify and work the weak muscles, a small group or spiritual mentor can help us begin a new spiritual journey. 

Is your spiritual journey flourishing, struggling or maintaining?  Where do you discover Jesus?

Walking with Jesus in Jamaica

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Someone once asked me , “Do you enjoy running every time you go?”   I had to stop and reflect for a moment.  My answer was, “No, not every time.  In fact there are many runs that I don’t enjoy at all.  But there are enough moments of joy and peace that I continue to lace up my running shoes and head out.”  And now, as I struggle to complete my physical therapy and watch the snow melt, I especially miss the joy of heavy breathing and quickly moving feet.

I believe the same is true for our walk with Jesus Christ.  Not every moment is filled with love, joy and peace.  In fact our connection to Jesus will also connect us to the suffering and pain in the world.  I don’t think God calls us out of the world, but to deeper life in the world, the world he created and redeemed.

Learning to be patient with my Jamaican friends

For the past ten springs I led a mission trip to Jamaica.  Yes, I would spend some time on the beach soaking up the sun and enjoying the surf.  But Jamaica is a very poor country and I invested more time in parts of Jamaica that the tourist rarely see, helping to build  Habitat for Humanity homes.  The work certainly had moments of frustration and discouragement.  “What is one house among so many needy people?”  Still I knew from years of experience that one house, one life, one testimony can bear witness to the transforming love and power of Jesus.  As I listened to Jamaicans, I discovered their patient faith and joy. And those moments of joy keep me going through the tougher times.

Even as I struggle in the present with my lack of running, I am hopeful for the future.  I am confident that I will run again with Jesus.  I am confident that new international mission trips lie ahead for Resurrection Lutheran Church.  Patient trust in God’s mercy will provide the way. “You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11 

 What has struggle taught you in your relationship with Jesus?

MAT to PAT

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To Run is to smile!

This week I started a new physical therapy session to see if my running injuries can be corrected.   In spite of eight months of rest, stretching and joint manipulation, I continued to have nagging muscle pain whenever I tried to run.  So after consulting with my doctor, I set up appointments with Fitness Focus in Mahtomedi.   There Shannon Maxiner and her team use Muscle Activation Technique (MAT) to address physical rehab.  To quote a MAT web site,

MAT looks at muscle tightness as a form of protection in the body. Weak or inhibited muscles can create the need for other muscles to tighten up in order to help stabilize the joints. MAT gets to the root of pain or injury by addressing muscle weakness rather than muscle tightness. This helps to restore normal body alignment, thereby, decreasing pain and reducing the risk of injury. http://www.muscleactivation.com/main.html 

I will keep you posted on my progress with this, but the therapy got me thinking about a spiritual form of muscle activation therapy.  Is it possible that we develop a spiritual form of muscle imbalance when we over or under commit our time and energy?   Do we over commit to congregational, community or work activities and neglect the compensating activity of prayer, reflection and conversation?  Or vice versa?  Would a lack of spiritual joy, passion and hope be a sign of this imbalance?  Could there be a Prayer Activation Technique (PAT)? 

One thing I have learned after one day of doing these new muscle activation exercises, they seem trivial and awkward.  I need to trust in the therapy and therapist that they will eventually produce results.  The same is true with prayer and other spiritual practices; you have to trust that the seeds you are planting in God will bear fruit for God’s kingdom.  God is good at taking small seeds and creating something new (Mark 4:30-32). 

What small steps have you take to restore spiritual balance in your life?

Patience and beyond

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Pastor John when he could run

 I must confess that I have had trouble keeping up with my running buddies due to my own inactivity.  Over the past several months I have tried a few tentative runs, actually jogs, to see if my hip was better. Each time, the same pain came back and I would stop running and walk. I’ve stretched, I’ve iced, I’ve strengthen, I’ve Ibuprofen, I’ve massaged.  I have prayed.  I have had five appointments with a physical therapist to manipulate the SI joint.  Now I am scheduling an appointment with my doctor to see what options I have.  During this inactivity, several people have told me, “You must be patient.”

I have been hearing that patient word a lot.   As a new pastor in a congregation friends tell me tobe patient as I learn new names, faces, family connections and ministry choices.  At home I am learning to be patient with my siblings as we try to remodel and sell my mother’s home in Washington state.   I know that patience is a part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and it is good virtue to possess.  I just wish that I could be more patient in learning to be patient.   

In my journal, as I wrote about these frustrations, I came to the realization that in the grand scheme of things, a season or two without running is not the end of the world.  I have had other such experiences of inactivity from running injuries and eventually recovered.   In fact, this hiatus may just open me to some new activity of the Holy Spirit.  Like learning to walk in the Spirit of God.  Or cross-country skiing or snow showing or cycling or yoga.

And thanks for your patient listening and prayers for my recovery.

What has been an important lesson in patience for you?

Newcomer or Old-Timer?

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Snow shoes and Sauna mix well

This morning I visited my old running group for their annual mid-winter sauna run and brunch at a runner’s home.  It was my first time back since coming to Resurrection.  After our brief Bible study, most went for a six-mile run, while my friend Tim and I tried some snowshoe jogging on a nearby lake.  Gary, the host, loaned me his new shoe shows to try.  Tim and I weren’t fast, but we had a blast staying upright.   When we got back it was time for sauna, brunch and conversation. 

It was great fun seeing old friends, swapping stories and telling some tall tales.  Many of us have run together for more than eight years, so the stories have gained some embellishment over time.  Who amazed me this morning was a newcomer named Joe.   Tim had invited him after working out together at the Y.  Joe had never run with the group, only knew Tim (who did not run this morning) and had only a vague idea what would happen.   I like to think the running club provides great hospitality, but it always takes courage to walk into an established group, especially on such a social occasion.  Joe ran the six miles, enjoyed the sauna and brunch and smiled as we told our stories.  He plans to be back.

 As a new pastor in a young congregation, I sort of feel like Joe each Sunday morning.  I seek to fully participate, to learn names, and to listen to the stories.  People at Resurrection Lutheran Church have warmly welcomed me, that’s for sure.   I am excited to be with them.   Yet I am still the newcomer, without the history, the mileage that comes with time.  I want to race ahead, but right now it’s learning to be patient and consistently present.    

 I sort of wonder how the disciples felt after their first days with Jesus.  They knew exciting days were ahead, but each day held something of a surprise.  What was coming?   

Are you a newcomer, an old-timer, or somewhere-in-between in your faith community?  How does that affect your attitude and actions?

“I am a Runner” video

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Grandma's Marathon with Son

Today a running buddy sent me a hilarious YouTube video that captures some of the zany conversations I have during my preparation to run a marathon.  http://youtu.be/Cw5MHsO-JI8   Some people see addicted runners as simply crazy.   Perhaps it is fortunate that I have been injured this winter, so the members of Resurrection Lutheran, my new congregation, have not been subjected to this conversation.  But come spring?!

On a more serious note,  I also wonder if conversations about spiritual matters can have a similar effect on the non-believer.  Can someone with a passionate faith in Jesus Christ come across as so weird, that it repels rather than attracts?   Especially if the conversation is so one-sided as this one.  On the other hand, it was the vitality and joy that I saw in so many runners that drew me into the fold.  Isn’t that true for the faithful as well?

Questions to ponder