United Methodist Bishop, Robert Schnase, tells of his hobby as a "serious runner." He reports that people often ask him how to get started on a running program. He recounts the usual practice of people trying to become serious about running. The typical start date is January 1, as part of a New Year's resolution. The resolution holds fast for the first week, with an early rise and an eager first few jogs. The problems pop up "during the second week when the alarm screams them awake at six, they tell themselves, ‘There's nothing wrong with running at seven rather than six,' and so they sleep another hour." Before long the running turns to walking and then fizzles out altogether by the second month at the latest. Bishop Schnase compares this fizzled running program to our attempts to become serious about reading the Bible.1
Vowing to read the Bible all the way through each year is only one way that we attempt to deepen our spiritual lives. We have to admit that, when it comes to our faith, most of us are like the runners that Schnase describes. We start well, but we fade over time. We may not completely drop out, but we don't push ourselves. We too easily become content with the level of spirituality, the Bible knowledge, the prayer life, the justice-seeking, the mission commitment that we have.
This passage from Hebrews specifically calls us to seek a deeper level for our faith, to push ourselves, to test our limits. Using specifically the language and imagery of running a race, the passage calls us to perseverance. Nurturing our faith is a distance run, and Hebrews calls us to pace ourselves, not to give up, and to run with all that we have.
The problem for most of us is that we are not much up for a distance run. Let's face it, we live in a world of instant gratification. We can communicate across long distances in a flash. The cable channels practically report the news before it happens. Food pops out of our microwave in no time. Television conditions us to believe that every problem can be solved in an hour. We don't know much about endurance anymore. We know from other realms of life that perseverance pays off. If we want to speak a foreign language, we must keep at it. The pay off comes when we can converse with a native on our vacation. If we want to play an instrument, we must practice our scales. The pay off comes when beautiful music flows from within us, brought to life by the instrument we have mastered.
True faith needs perseverance. When we look at our own spiritual lives, we may be attracted to the high points. Maybe we can look back at a time when we felt God's presence in a strong, clear, unmistakable way. Maybe we experienced that when we first joined the church. Maybe it was a particular worship service. We remember a special Christmas program or a children's cantata. Perhaps, at some point an indescribable joy washed over us. We wish that feeling would last forever. Such feelings don't last. We look back and wish they would come again. When that feeling doesn't happen for us all over again, we need perseverance. We have to keep our faith going for the long haul.
Hebrews tells us that in this distance race, we need to lay aside every weight. Often that is our problem. No one would try to run a race carrying a weight. Yet, life weighs us down in our race to a strong faith. We could each name our own weights. Sometimes the joyful experiences of the past seem too long ago, with too much time in between. We may look at our past and see mostly times of hurt and brokenness, disappointments, rejections. Stress weighs us down. The craziness of the world weighs us down. We look out at the world and it seems as though things are not becoming any better. That can affect our faith. Arguments and disagreements in the church can weigh us down. At some point in the church, something or someone will hurt our feelings. It is hard to build our faith with all of these things weighing us down. We have trouble running with perseverance. We need a faith that sustains us. We need a faith that doesn't fade away in the middle of the race.
Hebrews assures us that we do not run this race only on our own power. We have help. Throughout chapter 11, the author of Hebrews recounts the stories of the heroes of the Old Testament. He includes the most obvious examples, Abraham and Moses. For these two prominent figures, the author gives brief descriptions over a few verses. At the point where our passage starts today, he picks up speed. In rapid-fire pace he tells of some of the lesser-known characters in scripture. Each incident receives only one verse. He condenses the entire exodus event into one verse about the people crossing the sea. The walls of Jericho fall; Rahab was obedient; then comes Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, and Samuel. After the names come the deeds: administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions.... He goes so fast, we do not even know if the lion story refers to Samson or Daniel. He does not even bother with names after that. He simply recounts these wonderful faith stories. By the time he is finished, we are overwhelmed with what faith has done in these heroes. We don't have time to think about one deed before the next one flies at us. Just look at what faith can accomplish! Faith can quench fire, endure torture, hold up under mocking, and survive poverty. By the time he finishes in verse 38, we realize that faith can do anything!
These heroes of the faith are our inspiration. They hammer home the message that nothing the world can throw at us can get us down. Whatever we go through, these heroes have been through worse. Their faith held up; they persevered. We can persevere, too!
These heroes are more than just a distant inspiration for the author of Hebrews. They are with us now. The author presents a wonderful image beginning in chapter 12. We are in the stadium, about to begin our race, the long distance, grueling race that will require a persevering faith. We are at the starting line; the gun is about to go off. These heroes of the faith are there in the stadium with us! The author calls them a "great cloud of witnesses." Where are these heroes of the faith? They are not dead and gone. They are in the stands, cheering for us! We don't run this race alone. Abraham, Moses, David, Samuel, and even Rahab the redeemed prostitute, are rooting for us to keep going. I've talked to people who run the Susan Komen Race for the Cure every year. Cancer survivors will line the streets cheering for the runners. Those who run the race tell me that it really does help. So, if our faith is flagging, let us look up in the stands and see who is cheering for us.
Perhaps even these heroes of the Old Testament are not enough for us. We may need some modern day examples. One of these surely would be Patty Waterman, a United Methodist pastor from Illinois. In her mid-forties Waterman answered the call to ministry. Shortly after she began the process leading to ordination, she discovered that she had ovarian cancer. She undergoes chemotherapy once a month, sapping her strength. Nevertheless, she does not let the flu-like symptoms keep her down. She does her pastoral work with joy and grace, despite her cancer. That's perseverance. We cannot all be superwoman and maybe we shouldn't try. But, we can draw on the faith that doesn't let cancer win every battle.
If Old Testament heroes and modern day heroes are still not enough, Hebrews has one more example. Hebrews has many ways of describing who Christ is for us. He uses again one of those ways here. He calls Jesus the pioneer of our faith. Hebrews has been clear that Jesus has gone through the temptations and trials that we face. Jesus has run the race of perseverance. A pioneer is one who goes first, who cuts the trail, who hacks through the wilderness to make a path where there is no path. Jesus is the pioneer of our faith. If we go to a place we think no one has been before, Jesus has been there.
For what things do we need the perseverance of faith? Do we have intellectual doubts that nag us? Let us hang in there and have faith even without all of the answers. We can still trust God. Have our bodies begun to turn on us, causing us pain, leaving us weak? Let us persevere in faith, knowing that our spirits can transcend our bodies. Are we disappointed in ourselves, not seeing the spiritual growth that we wish we could see? Let us not despair. God is still at work in us. Are we weary of the hassles of the church, have our feelings been hurt, do we grow tired of committee work and bickering? Let us not give up. God still works through the church in spite of all of its problems. Let us persevere. Let us keep going. Are we ready to give up in the fight for justice? Does it seem as though we never get anywhere trying to help the poor and make our world fairer for all people? Let us not throw in the towel. Justice is God's will as well as ours. For the long run, nothing can thwart God's will.
We are running our faith race with a great cloud of witnesses cheering us on. We run with the inspiration of others who have faced the same problems we have. As we are running, we may find that our energy is low, and we want to drop out. If our feet are weary, our sides are aching, and we are gasping for breath, let us look up. Just ahead of us on the track is one who has run this race before. He is the pioneer of our faith. He is leading the way. If we look to him, we can keep putting one foot in front of the other. Amen.
1. Robert C. Schnase, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations (Nashville: Abingdon, 2007), pp. 66-67.