Easter Mountain-tops

Last week I was on a few days of post-Easter mayhem study leave up in VA and spent some time in the Shenandoah National Park doing some hiking. I love to hike. I love to be out in nature—mountains, waterfalls, dunes, forests, lakes. I love it all. First Pres is gorgeous, but it just doesn’t touch the outdoors as a sanctuary.

I ended up chatting with a few backpackers who had just finished a five-day wilderness excursion. They were reflecting on what a spiritual experience their travels had been (one of them was headed to seminary this coming fall), especially having hiked along a ridge on Easter morning.

Hiking on Easter morning! I confess sheer covetedness to my very core. There are things I love about ministry, but hiking on Easter is a treasure I will likely never collect.

In addition to our weekly encounters with God in the community of fellowship, may we also be seeking God outside the four walls of church.

Happy hiking,
Jess

I believe in… the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

Well, I’m a week late on this one (although I’ve been inconsistent enough that I wonder if I’m only writing to myself anyhow?) but how could there be any more appropriate part of the Apostles’ Creed for the day after Easter than to remember again that we are forgiven, resurrected, life-filled Easter people.

May your week be filled with reminders of all that is the grace and love and joy of Easter morning!

Peace,
Jess

I believe in… the holy catholic church, the communion of saints...

Here’s one that confuses a bunch of Reformed folk—members of First Presbyterian confirming week after week that we believe in IHM out on Johnson. Sort of, actually, but not really. Yes, we love our Catholic brothers and sisters at Immaculate Heart of Mary; and yes, we do know they are a Catholic church of High Point. But what we affirm on Sunday morning when we say we believe in the holy catholic church is that we are ALL part of the church—the Church universal. Catholics, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Methodist, Baptists… and so the list goes. We affirm in one Church established through Jesus Christ.
And we follow that up with the belief in the communion of saints—that we as brothers and sisters in Christ, part of the holy (set apart) church universal and gifted for service to others, are bound to one another in fellowship.

Reflecting on the one holy catholic church is a pointed reminder that in all things we are to love one another and to share with the world our unity as the body of Christ. May we be strengthened by the Holy Spirit to do so in our one-on-one relationships within our own congregations as well as the church universal.

Grace and peace,
Jess