“Are we rowing for shirts, coach?”

As a sophomore in College, I decided to try my hand at rowing on crew, and quickly discovered that this was more than a total body experience.

Rowing begins with understanding that the lightweight, narrow rowing shell will easily flip- if the team does not work together, and that if you do not row cleanly, your oar may pluck you out of the boat! So by beginning with using only arms, rowers learn to move the shell by adding more and more muscle groups to pulling the oar- until they approach mastery of full pressure, slide seat competitive rowing.

But rowing is not an individual experience, and strength and skill alone will not win races, for all eight oars must catch, pull, release, feather and recover in one graceful and balanced yet powerful motion for the shell to gain sufficient speed to win. The rower loses oneself as he or she synchronizes every thought and sinew with the other seven rowers; and kinesthetic poetry whooshes across still water.

“Are we rowing for shirts, Coach?”

There is a cost. When I was rowing, confident men’s teams would bet their jerseys on their races, so a victory on the water gained each of us as many as five opposing team’s shirts, a loss cost us our shirts.

Coach always had the same answer to our question: “Are you kidding? Of course you’re racing for shirts!”

When you just might literally lose your shirt, it changes motivation and calls all manner of questions into play – Have I prepared for this? Do I really have what it takes? Are my teammates committed too? Can we endure the suffering we all know will come? Will victory justify the sacrifices?

Jesus challenges us in this week’s lesson (Luke 14: 25-33) to consider how much this discipleship race will cost us. How committed are we to this following Jesus event? Why are we on this team to begin with? Are we allured by the handsome company, the calm and misty waters of dawn workouts, the adrenaline rush of divine presence, the beauty of worship and the cool feeling we get among Christian friends? Do we want to be part of a team at all? . . .

. . or is there more: are we on this team to win shirts?

Winning shirts takes total commitment and stunning focus. Winning rowers fix their eyes on the neck of the rower seated before them, breathe deeply and pull; they do not allow their eyes out of the boat once the race is on, even for a moment. What has distracted your faith, your leadership, your mission, your church? Maybe it’s time to let it go. Then Focus! Breathe! Pull!

Jesus asks us this week for an attitude check. “Are you with me?” he asks. “I’m going to lose my skin and win the world in this race.”

Carrying this cross of discipleship behind Jesus costs everything; and wins more.

Peace, perseverance and divine focus be with you this week!

-PC

Note: This posting was originally composed for the Oregon Synod Book of Faith website. Go visit for other great devotions!

Luke 12:49 fire

I rejoice!

I rejoice in the hard work of the the christian* church this week as we feel the fire of grace, mercy and forgiveness burn and divide!

I rejoice with those whom we no longer circumcise before we call them "Brother" or "Sister" or "Sibling" in Christ.

I rejoice with those whom we have learned foreign cultures and sub-cultures to hug.

I rejoice with scholars who think and wonder and caution and dare!

I rejoice with pray-ers who pray and parents who weep!

I rejoice with those whom proud and wealthy institutions have called "unclean" and sent missionary teams to "help.." but whom we have now learned to cherish as equally God's work, then

I rejoice with those who scratch their (our) collective theological minds to deal with our own digestion issues.

I rejoice that the gospel burns, terrifies and divides, then reconciles even you and me!

I rejoice with those learning to un-circle wagons and roll new places with courage and cost.

I rejoice!

I rejoice with God who is huge and absolutely sufficient!

I rejoice!

Sing, Good-News christians* around the world, sing and dance!

*intentionally neither capitalized or capitolized...