In a long-distance race, the gun is sounded twice: once at the beginning of the race, and once to signal the last lap of the race. The gun lap is the end of the race, when the racer is tired, when every second counts, and when the finish line is in sight.
Robert Wolgemuth has written a book called Gun Lap: Staying in the Race with Purpose. As far as I know, I’m not quite in my gun lap yet, but it’s best to prepare. It’s got me thinking about the importance of finishing well.
But it’s also got me thinking about another subject: the gun lap of a pastor.
I met a friend while walking the other day. “How’s the course you’re taking at seminary?” I asked. I knew she’d signed up because the professor, a retired pastor, is well-known as a sage. “It’s amazing,” she said. She spoke mostly about the professor’s character, not the course. Although the man is retired from his pastoral role and is in his senior years, he still repeats his ordination vows every day.
This Fall marks 30 years that I’ve served as pastor. I’m pretty sure I’ve made almost every mistake along the way. One of the most humbling parts of pastoring this long is that many who started the race have dropped out. I have friends who used to pastor alongside me who’ve disqualified themselves. Some of them deconverted.
I’ve also seen some continue in pastoral ministry but get distracted by other topics. Some become Christian life and leadership coaches. Other take up politics or other causes. I no longer take finishing the race for granted, for myself or anyone else.
I used to think that pastoral ministry was about doing great things for God. Now I define great things differently: as staying faithful to the end.
I know someone who’s in his early 70s. He stepped down from his pastoral role a short while ago. He reminded me of Caleb: “I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then” (Joshua 14:11).
He’s still running. He no longer has a formal role as lead pastor, but he’s just taken on another role. As God gives him strength, I expect to see him continue his ministry for a long time still.
The early laps matter, but my focus is increasingly on the final laps. What use is a strong start followed by a stumble close to the end? When the finish line is in sight, it’s time to draw on that last reserve of energy and cross the line with nothing left in the tank.
Pastors of all ages: aim to finish strong. Keep running, even if you’ve been at it for a while. One day we’ll be able to say with Paul, “I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).
