Redefining "Possible"

Rev. Molly F. James, PhD

DFMS Noonday Prayer via Zoom

Bertha and Ethelbert, May 27, 2020

May God’s Word be spoken. May God’s Word be heard. May that point us to the living Word who is Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

I have found a line from our Epistle staying with me, “Train yourself in godliness, for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” Particularly the phrase about “physical training” being of “some value.” As many of you know, I do CrossFit, which is an intense exercise program that involves a combination of weights, gymnastic movements and cardio. I love CrossFit, and so I find myself wanting to argue with Timothy about how valuable physical training is. I want to nuance his statement, because I do not think you can separate the physical from the spiritual. 

The most profound lesson I have learned in CrossFit is not just one that can be measured in pounds lifted or time on a stopwatch. The gift that CrossFit has given me is that it redefined my understanding of “possible.” I had bone cancer when I was a teenager, and as a result I had my left collarbone removed. That happens to be a bone in your body that you can function without, so they just took it out and sewed all the muscles together. This means that I have lots of flexibility, but not a lot of stability. If you had asked me before I started CrossFit, if I could ever lift 200 lbs or climb a rope or do a pullup, I probably would have laughed. And yet here I am in the best shape I have ever been in my life. I also see myself and the world differently. I am more open to what might be possible in lots of aspects of my life, because CrossFit has given me a powerful illustration of the very important truth that the limits we put on ourselves and the world are often only in our minds. God is so much bigger than that. 

And here is the other essential thing about CrossFit, I got to where I am, because I have amazing coaches. They are coaches in the best sense of the word. On my own in a gym, I never would have even tried the things I can now do. I made progress because I had support, encouragement, instruction and the safety to do new things. Because I had people who took the time to get to know me, my very particular circumstances, and then to push me (kindly and appropriately) to see what they could see. They invited me out of the limitations I had imposed upon myself into new horizons. 

I think this is another area where our physical and our spiritual lives are intertwined. Or at least where they can inform each other. We need coaches. We need mentors. We need people with expertise who can teach us, who can see possibilities in us that we cannot see. We need people who invite us to live into a new understanding of ourselves and of the world. 

Timothy exhorts us to train ourselves, physically and spiritually. He might prioritize the spiritual over the physical, but I think we need both. I know that I am better able to deal with the mental and spiritual challenges if I am in good physical shape. Now, of course, I am not saying everyone needs to do CrossFit. Although my CrossFit community is full of a very wide range of people. With the right coaching it really is true that anyone can do CrossFit. But however we do it - I do think we need to take care of ourselves. To eat well. Get exercise. Get enough sleep. Take time off. All of those things. We need to care for ourselves as a whole person.  

And we need to take care of our spiritual selves. That doesn’t mean just time for prayer, although that is essential. It means taking time to invest in our well being. It means being open, being willing to learn. It means seeking out people who have different expertise and who see the world differently than we do. It means remembering that there is so much more to God and to the world than our own limited views. There is always more to learn, more to discover. And that new learning does not diminish us or what we already know. It is just an opportunity to expand our vision and to grow deeper in our relationships with God and with each other. 

In the midst of the stress and strain of these days, caring for ourselves, for our whole selves, is essential. And it is important for us to remember that “care” does not just mean rest and relaxation, it means learning and growing. Sometimes that is a challenge, but as Timothy reminds us the fruits of training ourselves are the fruits that endure. Amen.