One of the questions that the Bike Movement members have been grappling with is, “what is church?” I have been privileged to spend two days resting and two days riding with the group as they ask questions such as this one amongst themselves and in discussions with other people they come into contact with. What I have realized, and what I believe they have discovered over the past four weeks of riding, is that their group and what they are doing is really a micro example of what church is. They are a group of unique individuals, each with a unique history and belief system, and yet they are committed to each other and to the purpose of their bike journey. Their group is a model for what I believe our macro church community should strive to be. They have recognized the talents that each person has to offer, have supported and encouraged one another, and have empowered one another in the pursuit of their goals.

The group has worked to recognize the talents that each person has to offer. One of the questions that was raised by the young adults in both the Cairo and Milford community was, “What is my place in the church?” A particular young adult said that she was committed to the church and wanted to be a part of it, but has found herself

being an observer rather than a participant. She said she felt that she was being called to the ministry, but did not know if the church would be willing to accept her in this capacity, so she has continued to observe, rather than be involved in the church. This story struck me and made me wonder how many others amongst us, both old and young, have chosen to not participate because we do not know what our role is or do not know if our gifts are acceptable. I am inspired by the way in which I have observed the Bike Movement members look past their belief and lifestyle differences and discover ways in which each person can contribute positively to the group as a whole.

They have acted as a support and an encouragement to one another. I rode for the first time with the group from Cairo, NE to Milford, NE. We got off to a slow start in the morning so we ended up biking the majority of the miles in temperatures ranging from 95 to over 100 degrees. The last 10 miles of the trip we all rode in one group because we had to ride right into the wind. The plan was to ride in a single file line so that everyone could get a break from bearing the force of the wind themselves. I had already pushed myself beyond what I had in the past, so when we came upon a row of hills, I did not know if I could keep up. I was at the back of the line of bikers at this point in time, so when we started up the hill, I began to fall farther and farther back from the group. I didn’t know what else I could do because using more energy was not an option, but at about the point when I began letting myself really slow down, Dave Landis looked back and saw me struggling. At that moment, he stopped pedaling and waited for me to catch up. He had stopped riding with the group so that he could break the wind for me. This is what this group does for each other, they are a support and encouragement in time of weakness. This is what I believe Church should be as well. A place where weakness is not an excuse for judgment, but an opportunity to love.

Lastly, the Bike Movement team empowers one another in the pursuit of their individual and group goals. This aspect was demonstrated to me in a simple yet beautiful way while biking from Cairo to Milford. We all ate lunch around 1 pm at the 63^rd mile mark. I had begun cramping up in my quads shortly before lunch and was quite sore when I got back on my bike to ride the last 38 miles. It was at the hottest part of the afternoon when we began riding after lunch, and I was in more pain than I had been in all day. My quads hurt with every push of the pedal and I was thinking about nothing else but the moment I could rest. My brother Drew was riding with me and asked me every once in awhile how I was doing. He could see I was really fading at one point, so he slowed down to ride right along beside me. What he did next, though, was what really amazed me. He put his hand on my back and began pedaling even harder so that I would be pushed along with him while he pedaled for the both of us. He was literally empowering me to keep on pedaling, to reach my goal of finishing. This is what Church should be. Church should be a place in which we not only encourage and support one another, but empower one another so that we can see our journey through to the end. How can we as a church give those around us the tools that can enable them to accomplish their goals?

I count it a privilege and a blessing that I was able to accompany Bike Movement for the time that I did. In their seeking and questioning together they have formed a mini-community, a micro church, an example of what I believe our macro church community should strive to emulate. They have recognized the talents that each person has to offer, have supported and encouraged one another, and have empowered one another in the pursuit of their goals. So what is Church? I believe I have been as close to it in the past four days as I have ever been.

Posted by Laurelyn Foderaro

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 5th, 2006 at 6:07 pm and is filed under Trip06. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.