May Epistle
Get Involved:
WEEKLY: YOGA 8:30am and CHURCH at 9:24am @ 2501 Rudy Lane
-Memorial day: 8am- runPossible 5k & Mayor’s hike/bike at the waterfront
May 29th: 6pm-10pm Jesse DeConto Storyteller night
Thursday’s 6:30pm- Kickball (everyone welcome!!)
Wednesday’s 6am- RunPossible runs!
June 1st: outdoor service!
HYPONATREMIA... WHAT???
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be
made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out
and trampled underfoot.”
Matt 16: 13
Every year around this time we embark on the transition from
spring to summer. It is a time of vacationing and graduations... and
given the heat here in Louisville, it is also a time of sweat! I
things you consume and in what amount), without spiritual fulfillment
we are left with the fatigue and thirst of dehydration.
We at Sweaty Sheep believe there are a variety of ways to get
remember when Camelback first introduced their new, and very
hydrated! Athletically, we are all slightly different in our hydration
abrupt slogan, “Hydrate or Die...” It leaves little to question, but in
needs so there are a plethora of products on the market to address
reality, hydration can be very complicated! Every year countless
that; from sport drinks to salt tabs and even an IV at the finish line of
athletes are forced to drop out of races because of dehydration, but
a big race in case of emergency! The same is true in our faith lives.
that does not always mean that they didn’t drink enough! A condition
There are contemporary and traditional churches of various
known as “Hyponatremia” or “water intoxication,” is also very
denominations (and certain individuals thirst for a God outside of
prevalent in a subculture that does everything (including drinking) in
physical church.) We all need to find balance in our lives and fuel
excess. Not drinking on a hot day (exercise or not,) leads to
accordingly mixing service, play, worship, work, etc...
dehydration and with cramping, fatigue, disorientation, and the like...
Sweaty Sheep tries to provide a variety of spiritual hydration
we get that. Our bodies are composed of 60-70% fluid in an ideal
options; for example: This month we were excited to kick off our
scenario, but maintaining that balance requires 2 things: Water
“runPossible” homeless/addiction recovery training group for the
(obvious) and Salt (or electrolytes in general.) When either is lacking,
community of the Wayside Shelter, and our volunteers have quickly
or too far in excess, our bodies will react and shut down.
found out how much they are gaining by giving their time to walk and
The allusion has often been made, most famously in John 7, to
run with their new, less fortunate, friends on Wednesday mornings. In
Jesus as the “Living Water;” the water for all of us who cannot
addition, we are always thrilled to see new faces on Sunday morning
quench our thirst on our own (reiterating “all of us!”) We can drink all
and hope that you will join us sometime and give our very “unique”
the earthly H2O that our “camelbacks” and sports bottles will hold,
service a try! Some come to church early for Yoga, thirsting for a
but it won’t quench our deeper thirst for fulfillment. We are all thirsty,
reflective time of physical movement and others stick to the 9:24
and we are prone to over-indulge in the worldly waters to address it,
service to quench their thirst with interactive discussion, teaching,
but in doing so we risk flushing our system of all the truly life-giving
music, and worship. This Thursday night (May 29th) we are switching
minerals. I have always found it interesting that the Gospel narratives
things up and will welcome singer/songwriter and author, Jesse
counterbalance Christ as the “living water” using the metaphor,
DeConto, to the church for a night of fun, food, and a great concert!
Jesus as the “Salt of the World.” The waters of this world are
We encourage you to take a moment today (right now) to ask
important, essential actually; and having been given the gift of life
yourself, as the temperatures rise and we drift into summertime,
amongst the earthly oceans we call you to drink them up! To sail and
“What am I thirsty for?” Than, we challenge you to take this summer
surf our shores, play in the rivers, and soak in the beauty of the sea.
to try new means quenching it. Visit a new Church (its nice to mix
At the same time, we don’t want to limit ourselves to the waters
things up and hear new voices), volunteer with a local charity
of the world. We all have experienced the result, and maybe you’re
(runPossible is open!!), take some time to sit and read if you are
experiencing it right now... a constant thirst for something more. No
constantly moving, or get moving if you are constantly sitting.
matter how much of this world we drink up (think about what worldly
Whatever you do, or “drink,” balance it with the Salt of the World and
enjoy the variety of waters the world has to offer! Godspeed Sheep!
www.sweatysheep.com