One Ugly Row

U - G - L - Y - you ain't got no alibi! You UGLY! You UGLY!!

This is a football cheer that our teammate Beth taught us a few years back. To be most effective it must be shouted several times and immediately followed by raucous mocking laughter at the uglies. That was my boat today, eight uglies and a coxswain who was trying to make us pretty, but to no avail. Sorry, Francis!!

When Kate started the team chanting that cheer about my boat today (ok, I egged her on, but still, they did chant!!), our boat screamed with laughter too. Sort of, with forced smiles. We had just slogged through thirty minutes of the ugliest rowing most of us had experienced in a loooooooong time. No power, oars dragging, crashing back and forth, we were so far behind the other boats that they were getting cold from sitting still while we were still catching our breath. U G L Y!

There were even comments about Jesus walkin' on the water and what was NOT walking on the water today. It made me think of the story of Peter trying to step out of the boat and sinking...that's what we did today...sink!

After practice, we talked about it. Some great learnings were voiced: we pulled it together at the end, we got to experience a dose of humility, we "lost well" (and as I kept pointing out, by a large margin as well!) We went and had breakfast and went our separate ways. We'll meet back up again Monday morning, for yet another practice. Another chance to find the elusive perfect stroke that we are seeking, the swing that we didn't have today. The boat speed. The set. The commitment. The whole enchilada.

That's what practice is about, finding ways to put what we know to use. Together. That is the key item that may have been our undoing today: whatever it was that we were doing, we were not doing it together. 8 uglies instead of one ugly boat. Which created one ugly row for all of us.

As I sit and finish my sermon for tomorrow, I can't help but ponder the Ugly Row in light of the Gospel story of the day, which is the story of Jesus ascending the mountain and being transfigured - mystically changed - in front of the others. To me, the more important part of the story is the going down the mountain, carrying that vision of transformation and holiness with them. There's a glimpse of God's glory that is to be taken down the mountain and shared with others.

In the church, we will speak of the glimpse we have seen and will carry it down the hilltop in various ways. We've all seen the glimpse we need...it's what keeps us coming back for more and more and what keeps us giving, more and more.

At rowing, at least today, the glimpse was evident in its absence. That which we seek, and can't make happen on our own, did not appear today. Perhaps Monday. The glimpse is what keeps us coming back for more and more and what keeps us practicing, more and more.

Until at last we will have a beautiful row...or at least, less U G L Y!