Having said that, I still think the race is a great idea; there just needs to be a little more thought about how not to impact places of worship. In these hard times. when government safety nets are losing funding and failing, what faith communities are doing for the unemployed, homeless, uninsured, and mentally or physically ill is critically important. We don’t want to accidentally cripple them.

What if church goers could take the occasion to be inspired by another church’s service– as individuals or as entire congregations– to make it a true day of community in the very best sense of the word? And Dave’s hope for choirs to participate along the race route is also a good one. Choirs would inspire many runners. (And spur the atheists to run even faster! )

For those of us who believe in a spiritual power greater than us, we know that there’s always an interested presence watching to see how we respond when the path isn’t the easy, familiar one. And cheering all of us on!

It needs to be in the early morning on a weekend day, and both are religious days, so what can we do?

I was disappointed that there was no choir section singing hymns at the historic Decatur Frist Methodist building, as there was last year. While I was filming runners coming around the corner from Fillini’s Pizza last year, to hear hymns, it made my eyes water, because it was so beautful.

If the event has to be on Sunday morning, the churches along the route should (IMHO) embrace it and use it as chance to witness to the runners and cheerers.

Jesus didn’t preach from inside a beautiful building at a set time and day of the week. He went where the good people and the sinners were.

Surely Our Creator smiles whenever folks reach out in support of one another—whether in the streets or in the churches. Give praise & know that He hears us everywhere!