I have a reputation around my house for not finishing what I start. It is an ill-deserved reputation, for I carry out a lot of projects faithfully to completion. The problem is, I do not finish some, and that is what people seem to remember. I have been accused of not finishing the kitchen floor project. Now, it is finished mind you. The base- boards in the laundry room are a separate, non-priority project. I did 3/4 of the project immediately, but it did take a short while (not more than a year) to do the last 1/4. But it is finished, it looks good, and I saved a bunch of money. I have not finished the paint job in Emily’s room, because I only wanted to paint two walls to see how I liked the colors over a period of time. And you know what? I don’t like the color, so its good thing that I did not paint those other two walls.

I asked my family last night at supper to name three projects that I haven’t finished, and they could only come up with the aforementioned two examples, which I have just explained very clearly the reason for the apparent leisurely pace. But I do know people who are great starters but lousy finishers. I had a pastor friend some years ago, who was a big dreamer, and started many things that some one else finished. For example, he was one of the people that started Federal Express, but bailed out when the company had one plane and 25 employees. He had a reputation for starting churches that he couldn’t pastor once he got them going. He was late to his own wedding because on the way he saw a deer, so he grabbed a rifle and jumped a fence to chase it, but ripped his tux on the fence. I am not AT ALL like that guy.

But I guess if I am to be honest, I do loose interest and my enthusiasm wains for certain projects that I involve myself in, for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, the best laid plans never come to fruition. Some of the best ideas I have ever had, some of the best work I have ever wanted to do is left undone. I am not alone in this, it is to some degree human nature. Finishing anything is tough. Except for the simple projects, most things take commitment, take dedication, and often takes hard work and sometimes sacrifice. These are qualities that are in short supply, for most of us do not have an unlimited supply of energy and personal resources. We do what we can when we can, and we long for the day when we have the time, energy and resources to make our dreams reality.

Both of my kids are finishers and that’s why they are so successful in school. So if I am not one, maybe they took after their mother, who is a finisher, but doesn’t know when to . . .well, never mind! Emily of course, runs cross-country. Most athletes will tell you that they admire these runners the most. The ancient Greeks pleased the gods through their athletic endeavors, especially the running events. The training and the running for these cross-country races are grueling, as her five- mile runs through Hillcrest at 5:45 AM soon to be five days- a- week attest. And the races take a lot of heart and a lot of guts. These highly conditioned athletes all but pass out and even become ill to finish the race. It’s not about winning in cross-country, its about finishing the race. And the speedsters who come in first are there to cheer the very last runners on to the finish line. I invite you to one of Emily’s Saturday morning meets, and you will understand the metaphor that the writer to the Hebrews uses in verse one of chapter 12. He explains faith by using the metaphor of a runner finishing the race, and having the perseverance to do so.

It seems that faith, the right kind of faith takes tenacity, maybe a little stubbornness, or perseverance. And there are many things that hinder us, that keep us from running a good race, from being finishers. We think that because we are on the church role all of our lives, that we are finishers in our faith. We may have Sunday School pins for perfect attendance, we may come to church three times, uh excuse me, every week in our case, and we may faithfully teach or sing or serve or attend or participate over the long haul. But most anyone can do that. Oh sure, there are people that burnout or otherwise dropout, who feel beaten-up, used-up, and drained dry by church service. I know many people that this has happened to, including myself. But for the most part we finish up our walk on this earth being somewhat faithful to our church to the end. And that is commendable, I suppose.

But I don’t think that this is what the writer to the Hebrews is talking about. It is much simpler and much more profound at the same time. He is talking about a faith that endures. A living faith that manages to not only survive but to thrive through all life’s ups and downs, through all life’s hardships. A faith that overcomes the obstacles, a faith that endures, a faith that runs and runs and runs until the race is over. It is a faith that helps us to shed everything that hinders us, every encumbrance that keeps us from finishing. And I’m here this morning to tell you what you already know, that there is a lot of things that hinder us.

We are hindered by religion. That’s right, I said religion. The very vehicle that helps carry our commitments can become a major hindrance. I am convinced that people who are mad at God are people who have been burned by religion. I am convinced that people who are turned off by the hypocrites are people who have been burned by religion. I am convinced that people who are burned -out on God are really people who have been burned by religion. I see people all the time who give to the institution of religion and are burned when it doesn’t turn-out to be synonymous with giving to God like we are often led to believe. Religion is meant to help us in our faith, not to define it, or to create it, or to be a master over it. But all too often the bath water has become more important that the baby, and when we throw it out, we better be sure something important doesn’t go with it down the drain. Otherwise we are left doing church for the sake of doing church, and that doesn’t really appeal to me a whole lot. Yet people live out their lives in service to the church, and have no clue that service to God is something so much more, and requires a perseverance that comes about when we loose ourselves form every hindrance, maybe including the church. There is evidence all over this town that there are people who worship the church. Any of the symbols, vehicles, or icons of our faith can become substitutes for our faith and derail us in the race.

We are hindered not only by religion, but by a lack of spiritual understanding and maturity. Our faith is so much more than institutions created by human beings. I like the quote by Steven Covey that I included in our last church newsletter that says, “We are not human beings on a spiritual journey, but spiritual beings on a human journey. For you see, we are spiritual beings. Always have been. We have that proverbial God-Shaped vacuum that itches in a way that can only be scratched by spiritual means. And yet we are hindered because spirituality for many of us is something you get or posses, instead of something you have or are. Our very essence is physical, emotional, mental, and SPIRITUAL! We have a personal spiritual awakening when we awaken to this fact, that it not something we go looking for, all we have to do is stay home and look inside our own house. But, we can fill our spiritual tanks with a worthy spirituality or we can as the currently in vogue Andrew Weil, M.D. suggest refresh your spirits by picking flowers. Now there is nothing wrong with picking flowers for renewal, for all of creation points to God if we open our eyes. But this is not a spirituality that is going to kick in when life’s race is uphill. For that, we need a spirituality that stems from the living Christ. We need a spirituality that doesn’t exempt us from the real world, but one that is born in the midst of it.

Perhaps, we are hindered most of all in finishing the race by the wear and tear of life. Life makes skeptics of us all unless you are mesmerized by a holy denial. Getting through life with any faith left at all seems like a miracle for some. I wonder how some people who experience so much heartache have any faith left. The patience of Job, you say. Well, Job didn’t particularly like his predicament as far as I can tell, but was merely afraid of God. And besides, he got everything back he lost and more. In fact he doubled his possessions and had ten more kids who were each one all-American types that were the smartest and best and strongest and then most good-looking and the riches ones around Job then lives 140 more years and enjoyed everything in life immensely. Sounds like a fairy tale, because it doesn’t happen this way in real life. The patience of Job you say, I say it takes more than the patience of Job. Everyday I see people who say why me Lord, Why now Lord, How could you Lord, why not someone else Lord. And do you know what? I only hear this from people who love the Lord, because if you don’t love the Lord you don’t care enough to ask these questions. And do you know what else? If you hurt bad enough, long enough, or see someone who is your life do the same you will like me probably say things worse than that. And do you know what else? Faith doesn’t die at these times; it is born at these times.

Because the good news is this according to the writers of Hebrews. It is not up to us.. We can’t finish the race, we will never have enough faith to do so, to fight the hindrances that detour our journeys. But the writer to the Hebrews says that JESUS is the author of our faith but he is something much more important. He is the perfecter, or the finisher of our faith. He carries us when we can’t run another mile or walk another step. His strength is made perfect in our weakness, in our inability, in our fatigue, in our failures, in our stumbling. He finishes what we cannot in no way finish. And when we learn this spiritual lesson, we run with perseverance, and have the endurance of not a man nor of a woman, but of a God. And you’ll never have to worry about a reputation for not finishing what you start.