Run Like a Sled Dog
By Ellis White
Senior Pastor
If you’ve never heard of the Iditarod, it’s a legendary 1,000-mile Alaskan sled dog race from Anchorage to Nome, and it officially starts this Monday. This is an endurance race like no other. Inspired by the historic serum run of 1925, when dog teams delivered life-saving medicine to Nome during a diphtheria outbreak, today’s Iditarod challenges mushers and their teams to brave extreme conditions, racing through ice, snow, and wind across the Alaskan wilderness.
A sled dog team isn’t just a pack of dogs running together. Every dog has a role to play. The lead dogs set the pace and respond to the musher’s commands. The swing dogs, just behind them, help steer the team around turns. The team dogs provide the power and stamina needed for long distances. And the wheel dogs, closest to the sled, help with momentum and stability, especially at the start. Each position is vital—without every dog playing its part, the team wouldn’t make it to the finish line.
It’s a powerful picture of the body of Christ. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:12, “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” Like a sled dog team, we’ve each been given a role, a unique way to contribute to the mission. Some are up front leading, some help guide and steer, some bring power and endurance, and some provide the foundation that holds everything together. No role is more important than another—we need them all.
But just as sled dog teams aren’t meant to stay at the starting line, neither is the church. Jesus sends us out into the world to make a difference. In John 20:21, he says, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” Each of us has been placed in a unique context—our workplaces, schools, neighborhoods—not just to exist, but to represent Jesus in the everyday moments of life.
If you’re not sure what your role is—both in the body of Christ and in the world—I’d encourage you to take the Scatter Survey. It’s a tool to help you identify how God has wired you and where he has sent you. If you haven’t taken it yet, you can find it here.
Whether in Alaska or Gig Harbor, on a sled team or in a church, we are all part of something bigger than ourselves. Let’s run this race together.
Pastor Ellis