By Pastor Antonee Aguilar
One of my passions in life is going out in nature, smelling the fresh air, and connecting with people while meditating on the goodness of God. I also enjoy riding my bike or any two wheels. Three weeks ago, while exploring mountain bike trails around the area, an unexpected teaching moment happened to me on the Sandy Ridge Trail System¹, just 13 miles from our church, which gave me a powerful reminder about community and unity.
After doing intensive research that evening, I downloaded a 30+ miles route on my TrailForks app² and planned on doing some hill climbs to technical downhill routes; after mapping everything, I did my evening prayers and went to bed. Morning came, so excited. I loaded my bike and headed to Sandy Ridge Trail. Usually, before each ride, I typically check my mountain bike - brakes, seat posts, tires, chains, pedals, bike shoes, and other little things that need to be tightened to ensure they are working correctly. But on this ride, I was just excited to go out and explore the trails, forgetting to prepare the very thing that would make my ride fun.
I unloaded my bike and took the first climb, heading to the summit. While trying to catch my breath on the hill climb, I noticed something was wrong. As I pedaled, I clicked my shifters, and it wasn’t responding. My rear derailleur³ wasn't working properly because it was dependent on a battery that had died. As a result, my bike ride was cut short after 5 minutes, and I was slightly disappointed because I had everything planned. I was still motivated to do some workout, so I plugged into a power outlet in my car and charged the battery so I could ride again, even for a few minutes. As I waited for the battery to have some juice, I looked at my bike – and at that moment, it pointed out a valuable lesson and reminded me about the importance of being in one.
Yes, this minor inconvenience made me ponder the critical concept of unity and community. I realized that just one small, malfunctioning part of my bike significantly impacted my entire ride. This moment of reflection drew a parallel to the broader idea of unity within our church community. At that particular moment, I could hear clearly that the Holy Spirit was talking to me, telling me that each individual plays a crucial role in the functioning of a church community, much like each bike component contributes to a successful, fun ride.
It reminded me of Apostle Paul’s metaphor of the church as a body with many members.⁴ Just like a bike cannot function properly without its tires, seat, brakes, handlebar, chain, and others - so do with a church also needs each member as they have different gifts that God wants them to use to build up the body of Christ.
As I tried to connect the dots, it pointed out the importance of every individual within our church community. Paul's teachings highlight the significance of utilizing our gifts to aid and strengthen one another. Therefore, we are encouraged to embrace the unique gifts that God has given us and collaborate for the common good. Every individual is vital and has a role to play in our church. He reminded the Christian church in Philippi, where he spoke about Christ’s “body” and his people.⁵ When we function as one, we reflect Christ’s love to the world around us.⁶
The lesson from the bike experience that day was made very clear to me- we must come together, bringing our God-given gifts to achieve the church's mission. It is not about personal achievements but collectively serving others and spreading love, kindness, and the truth we hold dearly as a church. Let us strive to work together, supporting one another with the gifts we have been entrusted with, to fulfill our collective mission to proclaim to all peoples the everlasting gospel of God's love in the context of the Three Angels' Messages.
Yes, just like a bike. Everything, every component, is IMPORTANT! We need each other as we continue to wait for Jesus soon coming. As your pastor, I might be a handlebar or any part of the bike metaphor, but being a handlebar doesn’t mean anything when we talk about unity and community. This means that we need you, including our precious children and young adults, who attend our Sabbath school. They are not just the future of our church; they are an integral part of our present (now). They could be the essential links in our journey, just like the vital parts of a bike chain. Every part is DEPENDENT on every other part; if one part is missing, we must find it (them) with the help of the Holy Spirit.
You are IMPORTANT to Christ’s body and VITAL to us. YOU ARE PART OF US. Please never forget this.
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1. The Sandy Ridge Trail System is one of the crown jewels in the Pacific NW. More than 125,000 mountain bikers visit annually, which is excellent for any biking enthusiast; featuring flowing loops, technical downhill sections, and climbs that will test your endurance and stamina.
2. Trailforks is a trail database & map with over 650,000 trails worldwide.
3. A rear derailleur is a bicycle component and part of the drivetrain. It is a mechanism used to move the chain from one sprocket to another, allowing the cyclist to change the gear ratio of a bike.
4. Romans 12:4-5 (NKJV) 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
5. Ephesians 4:16 (NKJV) 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
6. Ellen G. White, in her writing, Testimonies for the Church (Vol. 7, p. 174), affirms that God gives people special talents/gifts to advance various aspects of His work, which aligns with His plan. Each member should focus on contributing to the health and welfare of the entire body. God’s plan is cooperation and unity, not consolidation, rivalry, or criticism. When the body is joined together, and each part works effectively, it grows and builds itself up in love.