TUNNEL HILL 100 MILE RUN

My Belt Buckle

"Sometimes she scrapes," said Lanier. 

He was talking about his RV, JOLEEN, as we gently pull out of his Athens, AL driveway on Friday, November 13, 2015 headed to Vienna, IL for The 2nd Annual Tunnel Hill 100/50 Mile Endurance Run.

She did rock a little, as I recall, as we dipped from the driveway to the street, but she didn't scrape this time. We pulled onto East Washington Street away from the cemetery and up the street on a crisp, Fall Alabama morning.

THE RIDE

My wife, Laura, and our children, Brett (4) and Alex (2) had dropped me off a few minutes earlier. She made sure that I had all my bags and my $5 folding, red chair from Academy Sports that would come in so handy during the race. We ease out of town, and while JOLEEN makes her way down the divided highway, Lanier and I discuss hamburgers and barbecue. He tells me about L & S where he makes a daily trip to get fresh hamburger meat for his restaurant, Dub's Burgers.

I tell him about my semi-catering event for our small church group a few weeks back. 

Pic by Lanier

I tell him I think a business ought to have a process. He listens patiently, especially since he's been running a restaurant for the last 10 years, and I never have.

I'm thankful for this virtue of his.

Lanier is traveling to volunteer at the race and to pace me. I am traveling to attempt my first 100 mile run. Our sunny morning ride progresses up Interstate 65 toward Nashville, and Lanier fiddles with the heat fan while we talk. It was cool to me inside the cab, but only for a few miles. After I bumped my head on the pull out sleeper coming back from the bathroom, I knew I was road ready!

As we ride, I'm content to know that all the talk about my first 100 mile attempt will be over tomorrow. I try to keep my spirits high and reinforced about finishing the next day. I want to be as realistic as possible, but not so realistic that I admit I may not finish. There's always that possibility even for those who have already finished one, but it would be too much stress to think about that now. 

Toward Unity By Sharing Salt at the The Lord's Table and Away From Conformity to a Restricted 'Supper'

The New Jerusalem Bible translates Acts 1:3-4 as:

"While at table with them (sunalidzo), he had told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what the Father had promised…"

The NIV 2011 has "On one occasion, while he was eating with them..."

Eugene LaVerdiere translates Acts 1:3-4 as:

"He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while He was sharing salt with them..."

And, BAGD, the currently accepted standard for first century Greek usages, gives these usages for sunalidzo:

1) eat (salt) together, share a meal with; or
2) to bring together, assemble, come together, or 3) “spend the night with,” “stay with.”

Vincent Word Studies in the New Testament says of Acts 1:3-4:

"Being assembled together (συναλιζόμενος) From σύν, together, and ἁλής, 'thronged or crowded.' Both the A. V. [KJV] and Rev. give eating together in margin, following the derivation from σύν, together, and ἅλς, salt: eating salt together, and hence generally of association at table."

These translations, lexicon usages, and word studies help us better understand first century culture and Paul's concern for unity at the Lord's Supper/Table in 1 Cor. 11:17-34; cf. 10:21, especially when the word Paul uses in 1 Cor. 11:20, deipnon, refers to the evening meal.