Monthly Letter from the Rev. Dr. Stan Sears (September)

“Meeting Glenn Road, Again”
I first met Glenn Road as a high school sophomore. It was an intimidating hill about 2/3 of the way into our cross country course.  All of my worst memories of cross country and track practices are associated with either repeat runs up and down it that gave me shin splints, or carrying teammates up it as “strength-building” workouts that left me with an aching back.  I am not sure that coaches are still allowed to subject adolescents to those workouts anymore, for fear of lawsuits!
On a recent family visit, I decided to run most of the old course.  As I reached the foot of Glenn Road, I thought about how it has served as a metaphor for much of life.
At various stages in our lives, all of us have our own “Glenn Roads” that challenge us. Some may even stop us in our tracks. What matters is that we keep them in perspective. While Glenn Road was intimidating to a high school sophomore,( as well as opposing teams, which frequently described it as “the worst hill in the league”), Glenn Road taught me to keep on going when I REALLY WANTED TO STOP.  There have certainly been other times in the years since high school when I have just wished that I could stop. Running up it this time, I realized that Glenn Road taught me to keep on going; that I was capable of accomplishing more than I believed possible.
Each church year brings its own “Glenn Roads. Indeed, each year of life brings its challenges—many of which dwarf Glenn Road.  We can either stop, or we can choose to keep going. We have challenges to face during this year: integrating our growing numbers of new members, bridging some of our regional issues, and the ongoing search for a home of our own.  Any of these may seem intimidating and foreboding, particularly if we see ourselves acting alone. Let’s keep working together as a team, climbing our own “Glenn Roads.”
Peace,
Stan Sears, Minister