BY REV. PETER GAUGHAN, ASSOCIATE PASTOR
This past weekend, I ran the Dopey Challenge in Walt Disney World. That means over four days I ran a total of 48.6 miles! Each day I woke up at 3 a.m. and made my way to the race, participating in a 5k, then a 10k, then a half marathon, and finally on Sunday finishing with a full marathon. It feels great to be able to write about accomplishing the goal that I set for myself before even finishing seminary!
When I told people about my dream to participate in the Dopey Challenge, many folks thought I was crazy. Others were excited for me, while others still wondered if such a feat was possible and wondered how I could prepare for such a thing. As I was running my last race, I began to think about what my next goals would be. A marathon is a long race (very long when you run at my pace) and so there was time for my thoughts to shift from my athletic endeavors to thoughts about dreams and goals in general.
The Kingdom of God is the dream and goal that God has for all God's children. We recognize that no one person or church will ever single-handedly achieve God's goal. We each play a role in bringing about that beautiful kingdom. I wonder what will Broadmoor United Methodist Church's part be in 2016. What goals and dreams has the Holy Spirit given to us about the future of our church? What will the Year of Love reveal about the coming Kingdom and how do we share that story with the world? What dreams do you have for our church? Start thinking about those dreams. This year is the perfect opportunity to discover what God is calling our church to do and be. We may discover God has given us a challenge far greater and more rewarding than running 48.6 miles. Some may find our goal crazy, others may be excited and inspired, and we all will take part in the process of figuring out how to accomplish BUMC's calling. Whatever that dream, whatever our new goal, I am confident we will glorify God as we build the Kingdom together. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
Grace and peace,
Rev. Peter Gaughan