We Must Run Together

This picture of the start of the Chicago Marathon takes me back a few years. When I ran the Chicago Marathon in October of 2000, it took me 6 minutes to get up to the starting line after the race began. There were 33,000 runners, and I was probably 150 yards back from the starting line when the starting gun sounded. There never was a time during the 26.2 mile trek when I wasn’t surrounded by other runners or well-wishers cheering me from the street corner. I absolutely could not have made it without the other runners and street-side fans encouraging me to hang in there.

Just this morning I met with about 15 men from the church (men running the marathon called life), and I challenged them in the area of men’s ministry. Just as in an actual marathon, I think in these early days of the 21st century the men of the Vineyard must hang together. No man does well in the marathon of life if he insists on running by himself.

Pray for the men of our church. Life is not easy. Most have many demands on them at work and home, and most really want to be involved in minstry here at the Vineyard, too. They need lots of wisdom and discernment as they make important choices.

I must, say, however, that I had great fun asking the men to dream about possibilities for men’s ministry here at the Vineyard. We talked about supplying labor to build a Habitat for Humanity house, starting a prison ministry, starting an exercise group (maybe even a running club!) and even starting a camping and hunting ministry. I really do believe the sky is the limit when it comes to good ideas.

This I know: God is calling the men of the Vineyard to faithfully run the race. The Apostle Paul once said,

“All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.” I Corinthians 9:25 [NLT]

God forbid that the eternal prize elude even one man in our community of Hope!