Hi First Presbyterian Church,
It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! I am still relishing the joy of Easter Sunday. I hope you are, too! Did you know that Easter is not just a single Sunday? Easter is a season often called Eastertide, which lasts from Easter Sunday until Pentecost Sunday (which is June 8 this year). I encourage you to continue to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus this Sunday in worship and all throughout Eastertide!
Today is Day 227 of our one-year Bible reading journey! In addition to it being Eastertide, it’s also a great time to be a sports fan. The NBA playoffs are underway. (I’m personally rooting for the Bucks!) We’re a month in to the MLB season. (My Orioles are off to a bad start!) And the Buffalo Bills have reported for voluntary offseason training!
Have you noticed that the apostle Paul likes to occasionally use sports metaphors to describe the Christian life? In our reading today from 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, he uses running and boxing to illustrate the importance of spiritual disciplines. He writes: “[Every runner] who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever” (v. 25). And again: “I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (vv. 26-27). Runners may spend hundreds of hours training for weeks leading up to a marathon, with the goal of finishing first or, at least, beating their previous record. Boxers may spend over twenty hours per week training before a big fight, with the goal of actually landing their punches and not, as Paul said, “beating the air.”
Think about the countless hours you’ve invested in growing your professional skills to become an expert at your job or honing your craft to become proficient at a hobby. We shouldn’t expect to grow in maturity at anything, without putting in time to train. It is no different with the spiritual life. There is a reason that for thousands of years Christians have dedicated themselves to spending time engaging with spiritual disciplines like prayer, fasting, Bible reading, Sabbath-keeping, generosity, service to those in need, or gratitude.
Lent is often a time to focus our attention on engaging in spiritual disciplines. But the Christian life is not seasonal; it is perpetual and ongoing and all-encompassing. I encourage you during Eastertide to continue to focus on spiritual disciplines. Try one the following:
Set an alarm for yourself at specific times of the day to remind yourself to pray.
Set aside time when you wake up or before you go to bed to read the Bible.
Come to worship on Sundays and reflect on what it means to keep Sabbath.
Commit to putting a few dollars in your pocket every day to give to someone in need.
Set aside 15 minutes during lunch to do nothing but reflect on all the ways God has blessed you and express your gratitude to God.
Commit to skipping one meal a day and, when you feel hungry, tell God, “I need you more than I need my next meal.”
Spiritual disciplines are not easy to follow. That’s the point. We grow through the struggle. Let me or Pastor Erin know if you want help or guidance on practicing a spiritual discipline, and encourage one another in your pursuit of growing into the “full stature of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).
Blessed Eastertide,
Pastor Aaron