I don’t mean to brag, but my younger brother Logan is an incredible runner and athlete. Just a few weeks ago, he came to stay at our house because, “on a whim,” he decided to run the Indy Marathon. That’s 26.2 miles, with a small portion of the conditioning work others had done, “on a whim!” And do you know what he did? He finished in just over 3 hours (which I’m led to believe is a pretty decent time) and then, instead of collapsing into a pile of exhaustion, Logan immediately went to a restaurant to eat and hang out with his friends. To add insult to injury, he said he wasn’t even really sore the next day!
As awestruck as I am by my brother’s marathon time, the event in which I have most enjoyed watching him is the 4×800 meter relay. In Logan’s high school years, he and his team were highly competitive at the state level, so every race was full of thrills. When one of them would fall slightly behind and the next runner would work so hard to catch up, it was fascinating to observe how each moment of the race had lasting effects for everyone involved. The biggest nailbiter of all these moments was always the baton handoff. How this transitional moment is handled can push your team closer to victory or pull you further behind. The handoff is where both the possibility and the drama emerge. (Oh, and did I mention Logan was the anchor in the 4 X 8 and they placed highly in state? I’m a proud big brother!)
In congregational ministry, I think pastors often play the role of relay runner while the churches can sometimes feel like batons. I imagine the majority of congregations would prefer to have a marathon runner as their pastor, the one who stays for 30 years and becomes deeply integrated in the community. There are certainly marathon runners out there, but they are a rare breed.
Increasingly, what I think many churches are experiencing are relay runners, who come to serve for a meaningful, shorter period of time, and then pass the baton to another. And like a relay race, the handoff is so crucial to the flourishing of the church.
That’s why I’m extremely grateful for the way this congregation, together with our presbytery, is handling this transition. The session and I have been working with Executive Presbyter Alan Thames to receive guidance and direction. A clear process of transition (without the need for a time-intensive mission study), as well as more information on future leadership will be announced very soon. Paraphrasing Alan a bit, he said that we don’t want churches losing ground during transition when it’s unnecessary. Amen to that! I’m confident that FPC Connersville is in good hands.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to run my leg of the relay with you. You’ve been such a wonderful baton to help carry. At an even deeper level, I think we’re really just fellow relay runners who came together for a time to carry the true baton, which is God’s love and grace. Both together and apart, we are the body of Christ, the channel of his peace, messengers of the gospel. We are woven together in a tapestry that extends through space and time. We will continue running together toward the destination that is Christ. So, to my fellow relay runners, I love you and I will be rooting for you every step of the way.
Pastor Beau