Listening to a message this morning on my walk presented by Dave Shields at Menlo Church, I was enlightened to consider missions and church attendance in a new light. As a person who relishes practical and applicable sermons, this morning’s epiphany was extremely relevant even though it was not the main theme of the presentation. Because Shields provides such a clear visual of something pertinent to my life, participating in a Fun Run, I admit to listening a little closer to his analogy.

For anyone who has ever participated in a race, whether it be a 5K or a longer distance, you understand what is meant by a Water Station. If this is an unfamiliar concept, well-organized races typically erect some type of system to hydrate participants along the race route. Whether the Water Station is a portable table covered in small paper cups, the tailgate of a pickup truck with a cooler, or a firetruck spraying from a hose, the idea is that racers receive replenishment to continue competing. Now, some of the best races, in addition to a Water Station, have chocolate stations; I’ve definitely registered for a few of those! Believe it or not, I’ve witnessed stations for beer and stations for blessings by a priest in one Sunday race. People can be so inventive!

Returning to Shield’s message, he shares, “The weekend services, to me, are kind of like a water station in a race…About two kilometers into the 10K race, I noticed a table in the middle of the road with cups of cold water and smiling, friendly people who weren’t running, but they were there to encourage the runners, to cheer them on and to refresh them. There was laughter and joy and peace, and no one at that first water station was sweating at all. I took a cup and kept moving, but I kind of looked back with a little bit of sadness, knowing that I already missed my new friends at the water station. The point of the water station, though, was not to live there and celebrate all the joy that is water to our souls, but the point of the water station was so I would be refreshed to continue and eventually finish the race…but the most important part of the water station was leaving the station and joining the race. I think you know where I’m going with this, don’t you? This gathering is a “water station” moment. We first drink this water, the water of the Word, so we get refreshed, but the second step is to move away from the station and into the race.”

Moving away from the Water Station, our church gatherings, is an important step in our journey to becoming a Good Neighbor; but it’s important that we don’t diminish the relevance of the Water Station either. As a result of social isolation in the spring of 2020, I think many of us can associate the importance of both issues-refilling at the Water Station (whether that be a church service or Scripture) and then moving away and into the communities where God is sending us. Because we are unable to gather in groups, we miss the replenishment that being with other believers provides, but also understand that the building in which we gather is only one location for our ministry to Christ.

Amidst the social isolation period when we cannot gather, what if we utilize this time in different ways to replenish us? Our Water Stations may just look a little different but serve the same purpose. In a recent conversation with Julie Bradfield, Senior Director for University Ministries & Director for Student Mobilization at Union University, we discussed the challenges for students not being able to participate in the annual GO Trips because of travel restrictions; however, Julie made a valid observation that I connect to the concept of Water Stations. Even though we might prefer to be doing something missional, perhaps God can use this time for extended prayer and Bible study allowing this to be our Water Station for now. The opportunity to replenish exists even now, allowing us to be better prepared when we can travel, or if we are required, to navigate a different approach to ministering from afar.

I have been challenged to replenish at the Water Stations in my life, but then to consider where God may want to use me once that replenishment is complete. How can I be refreshed now to finish the race set before me?

Reference:

Shield, D. (2018, September 2). Belong | Go. Menlo Church. Retrieved from https://menlo.church/series/belong#/modal/message/4548/mlo