February 2025

Eric’s Ethereal Cereal

Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God… Hebrews 12 MSG 

I remember, vividly, a committal service I was leading one afternoon in a cemetery that happened to be adjacent to the local county high school. The cemetery abutted one of the school’s athletic fields. Imagine being there to say goodbye to a loved one when, out of nowhere, there is the sound of applause and cheers. The sounds came from an athletic team finishing up their practice nearby, but the irony of hearing cheers and applause while celebrating someone’s hope of resurrection wasn’t lost on me. The passage from Hebrews immediately came to mind. 

As we enter this new year full of committee transitions, new leadership responsibilities and new ministries awaiting their genesis, it feels like two runners on the same team, engaged in a relay, working to pass the baton without dropping it. In truth, I’m thankful for those living in the here and now and those who have joined the great cloud of witnesses, who are cheering us on in this moment, encouraging us to keep running, to persevere, and to keep our eyes on Jesus. In fact, the key comes in keeping our eyes on Jesus; it is the glue that links us all, past, present, and future. With much appreciation and admiration, I give thanks for my all my faithful friends here at Spindale UMC, who are beginning their own leg in this race while they serve as a reminder through their faithfulness that we should all continue to keep our eyes on the prize … Jesus!

Blessings and Peace!

Pastor Eric Marshburn