Dear Rose Park,
This past Sunday I participated in the Steelhead 70.3 Triathlon in Benton Harbor, MI. If you had your eye on the forecast then you know there was a strong possibility for some nasty weather. Due to the strong winds and current the swim portion was actually cancelled. So, instead of a full triathlon it was pared down to a 56-mile bike and a 13.1-mile run. Even though we didn’t get in Lake Michigan, it was still a challenge and a great experience.
The wind came out of the southwest so the first 33-miles of the bike were relatively stress free. You can probably tell where this story is going, but at mile 33 the course shifted. Instead of heading further north, we had to turn around. For the last 23 miles we rode straight south into the teeth of a 20mph wind. It became tremendously challenging once I transitioned from the bike to the run not necessarily because of the wind, but because the sun had decided to come out and the humidity kicked in. I, along with hundreds of other runners, started to pour water and ice over our heads at the aid stations to keep cool. It was at this point in the race I had to remind myself: I signed up for this.
But then I started to smile. I started to think of my kids, my wife, and you all. I smiled thinking of kids running around the sanctuary before church. I laughed thinking of Jim Boeve giving Rog Wolters a hard time. I smiled thinking of my golden-retriever Rudy running to greet Jack Hartman every Tuesday morning. I laughed thinking of Simon asking to eat the loaf of bread from the communion table after worship.
This is all to say, I’m so thankful to be a member of God’s family at Rose Park. I’m so thankful for you all and I hope and pray that you’re thankful for the church as well. I’m also mindful of those who might not have the same experience. Maybe they have a poor history with the church or they’ve never been invited, but I hope and pray that we all can courageously take the initiative to invite someone to be a part of God’s family. Invite them to ice cream on a Wednesday night, to worship on a Sunday morning, to lunch after the tee-ball game, or even to just go for a walk.
I imagine we all desire a greater sense of community and I hope Rose Park can be the kind of place that our neighborhood grows closer to each other as we grow closer to Him.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Mark