C. Gene Wilkes's Blog, page 2

He is our Peace

<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>The recent and continued racial strife in our country has deepened the division and separation among our citizens that has existed for years. As followers of Jesus, we must speak and act in ways that bring reconciliation and redemption out of the strife, not add to the disruptions. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What is our narrative in days like these?</b> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paul, a Jewish religious leader who Jesus called out from among his people and sent him to all ethnic groups beyond the tribes of Israel, faced similar racial divisions as he carried the good news of Jesus to the global mission field. Many of the issues in the movement of Jesus centered on social and racial issues like who could share a meal with whom and who belonged and who did not by the religious rules they kept. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Paul addressed the corrosive issue of race and its attending social practices </b>when he wrote to Christ-followers in Ephesus<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span class="text"><sup><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">14 </span></sup></span><span class="text"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For he himself is our peace</span></b></span><span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility</span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span class="text"><sup>15 </sup>by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,</span> <span class="text"><sup>16 </sup>and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. (Eph. 2:14-17; ESV)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/f6/bd/70/f6..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="It really amazes me that racism still exists in the world today, at least on such an overt level. And it’s not just in the US, people in Europe throw bananas at opposing black soccer players (even though many players on their team are black, also). I don’t understand how anyone thinks it’s funny or cute to treat people poorly based upon the color of their skin. I like to think of myself as an example of how skin colors can work together. ~ Raj Sivaraman Part Time Genius." border="0" height="244" src="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/f6/bd/70/f6..." style="border-radius: 8px; border: 0px none; display: block; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 626px; opacity: 1; position: relative; transition: opacity 0.04s linear 0s; vertical-align: middle;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Christ alone</b> is the way for warring, prejudicial groups to become a community. Jesus’ death on the cross <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">abolishes </b>racial and social “dividing walls” that create “hostility.” A relationship with Christ <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">creates</b> “one new man…so making peace” from those who were separated by prejudice and pride. Christ <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">kills</b> the hostility between God and people brought on by our sin-filled egos through his sacrificial death on the cross and victorious resurrection from the dead.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Followers of Jesus</b> no longer use labels like “strangers and aliens,” but we are now in reality “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/... 2:19</a>) All people are made “citizens” and family members—no matter their racial, social or ideological origins—through a relationship with Christ. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The new community of the church should be an example of reconciliation and hope where we live, learn, work and play.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>New-creation people who are gathered and scattered as the church should be the pacesetter in demonstrating the suffering, sacrificial love of Christ toward others in our neighborhoods, schools, and in the marketplace. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Confess</b> your “citizenship is in heaven” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/.... 3:20</a>), which is made possible by Jesus, the Christ. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Live</b> like you are truly a member of the household belonging to God. You live to honor your Father in Heaven and to respect those who are members of that household. Doing so will free you to hold loosely those external things that identify you and will help you see past those same things in others. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We are to treat all who trust Jesus as one of the family—no matter who they are—and all others with respect and as potential family members who can accept their adoption into God’s household at any moment.</i> I believe, if we do these things, all the other issues that fill the news and social media will find their proper place in our cultural dialogue with others.</div>

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Published on August 31, 2017 10:23

Mt. Belford, CO "It's really steep."

Erik, Rebecca and Jeff at the campsite about .25 mile beyond the trail head
Monday, June 26, 2017 Erik and Rebecca Skogsberg and Jeff Byrd and I left the headed for Mt. Belford and Mt. Oxford. This would be Erik and Rebecca's 2nd 14er, Jeff's first, and my 7th. Sunday afternoon several hikers came down from the peaks saying they could only do Mt. Belford and couldn't make Mt. Oxford. They all described the trail with one phrase, "It's really steep." Of course, being optimistic and overly confident, we collectively thought they were weak and that we would easily knock out both peaks per the plan. We would eat our words for lunch on Monday.

Approaching Mt. Belford via Missouri Creek TrailThe weather was ideal, and the first leg is in the forest along the creek. The issue is that the steep part begins immediately as you cross the creek at the trail head! The 8-mile, 4500 ft. elevation gain, Class 2 Moderate trail creates a tough day for flatlanders like us. However, spring had hit the mountains and flowers of all kinds spotted the trail and gave us hope as we climbed slowly up the trail.

A look back into the valley from the shoulder leading to Mt. Belford

Mt. Belford Summit, 14,197'

Coming down via Missouri Trail
The trail is well kept and traveled with measured switchbacks on the saddle. Above the saddle sections of loose rock make the steepness of the trail even more difficult to manage and added to the effort to reach the top. With a few stops and many calls of encouragement, we made the summit. That's why we do this, and I am grateful to the friends who work so hard to share these moments.

We were too tired to make Mt. Oxford. We ate our pride along with trail mix on the summit as we reflected on the confessions of the climbers the day before. A younger, stronger climber returned to Belford while we were there to report that it took him an hour both ways to Oxford, and the climb back to Belford almost did him in. We had already decided we did not want to go back down the slick, steep Belford trail. Fatigue and terrain would surely result in an injury.

We chose to go back down the Missouri Creek Trail toward Missouri Peak from the Belford summit. It was a more gradual slope and connected with the main trail above the tree line. It did have some snow packs and creek crossings that got our feet wet, but it was a better choice. The path did add hours to our day, but we were pleased with our choice in the end. It was an 11.5 hour-day but worth every step.

Next to Mt. Rainier, this was the hardest climb of a 14er for me. If I ever seek to knock off Mt. Oxford, I'd approach from the valley to preserve my legs for that summit. Until then, I'll be satisfied with the Belford summit and the great memories I share with my friends.

Climbing continues to be a metaphor of life and ministry for me. Life and ministry are hard, and there are many times along the trail you want to quit. It's not so much your will to finish that gets you to the goal as it is the fellowship and encouragement with friends and the certainty of God's call on your life to do what you do. The pain of persistence is what brings you to the summit views that you cannot see any other way. Few get to see the world from 14,000 ft., and I am blessed to be able to do it from time to time. Don't fear the heights or the pain it takes to get there. You'll see things you never dreamed of seeing!

We took a travel break on Tuesday, and Jeff and I tackled San Cristobal Trail #78 on Wednesday. You can read about that hike here.

The team at the end of the trail!

Considering what to do Tuesday--We chose to break camp and go get pizza

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Published on July 06, 2017 07:44

Mt. Belford, CO "It's really steep."

Erik, Rebecca and Jeff at the campsite about .25 mile beyond the trail head
Monday, June 26, 2017 Erik and Rebecca Skogsberg and Jeff Byrd and I left the headed for Mt. Belford and Mt. Oxford. This would be Erik and Rebecca's 2nd 14er, Jeff's first, and my 7th. Sunday afternoon several hikers came down from the peaks saying they could only do Mt. Belford and couldn't make Mt. Oxford. They all described the trail with one phrase, "It's really steep." Of course, being optimistic and overly confident, we collectively thought they were weak and that we would easily knock out both peaks per the plan. We would eat our words for lunch on Monday.

Approaching Mt. Belford via Missouri Creek TrailThe weather was ideal, and the first leg is in the forest along the creek. The issue is that the steep part begins immediately as you cross the creek at the trail head! The 8-mile, 4500 ft. elevation gain, Class 2 Moderate trail creates a tough day for flatlanders like us. However, spring had hit the mountains and flowers of all kinds spotted the trail and gave us hope as we climbed slowly up the trail.

A look back into the valley from the shoulder leading to Mt. Belford

Mt. Belford Summit, 14,197'

Coming down via Missouri Trail
The trail is well kept and traveled with measured switchbacks on the saddle. Above the saddle sections of loose rock make the steepness of the trail even more difficult to manage and added to the effort to reach the top. With a few stops and many calls of encouragement, we made the summit. That's why we do this, and I am grateful to the friends who work so hard to share these moments.

We were too tired to make Mt. Oxford. We ate our pride along with trail mix on the summit as we reflected on the confessions of the climbers the day before. A younger, stronger climber returned to Belford while we were there to report that it took him an hour both ways to Oxford, and the climb back to Belford almost did him in. We had already decided we did not want to go back down the slick, steep Belford trail. Fatigue and terrain would surely result in an injury.

We chose to go back down the Missouri Creek Trail toward Missouri Peak from the Belford summit. It was a more gradual slope and connected with the main trail above the tree line. It did have some snow packs and creek crossings that got our feet wet, but it was a better choice. The path did add hours to our day, but we were pleased with our choice in the end. It was an 11.5 hour-day but worth every step.

Next to Mt. Rainier, this was the hardest climb of a 14er for me. If I ever seek to knock off Mt. Oxford, I'd approach from the valley to preserve my legs for that summit. Until then, I'll be satisfied with the Belford summit and the great memories I share with my friends.

Climbing continues to be a metaphor of life and ministry for me. Life and ministry are hard, and there are many times along the trail you want to quit. It's not so much your will to finish that gets you to the goal as it is the fellowship and encouragement with friends and the certainty of God's call on your life to do what you do. The pain of persistence is what brings you to the summit views that you cannot see any other way. Few get to see the world from 14,000 ft., and I am blessed to be able to do it from time to time. Don't fear the heights or the pain it takes to get there. You'll see things you never dreamed of seeing!

The team at the end of the trail!

Considering what to do Tuesday--We chose to break camp and go get pizza

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Published on July 03, 2017 16:03

San Cristobal Canyon Trail 78 New Mexico

Jeff and I at the top of Trail 78On Wednesday, June 28, 2017 my friend, Jeff Byrd, and I climbed the San Cristobal Canyon Trail 78 on our way to Lobo Peak. We had both climbed Wheeler Peak out of Red River so we were looking for a new tail. This trail is hard to find, less traveled, but one of my favorite trails now in the Red River/Taos region.

The trail head is off CR B-009 in San Cristobal (turn left coming from the north just after the San Cristobal Post Office onto Comino del Medio go about 3 miles through town past the San Cristobal Academy entrance to the trail head. High clearance vehicle recommended.)

The trail follows the San Cristobal Creek and is shaded most of the way. We counted about eighteen (18) creek crossings. We easily managed most of them, but we had to build up one to get to the other side. Less snow fall and later weeks of summer will lessen the flow of the creek and the number of crossings.

The 3,100 feet of elevation gain over the four miles to the intersection of Lobo Peak Trail #57
was made enjoyable by the shade of the forest and accessibility of the creek. The slope of the trail was moderate, but above the meadow the trail turns steep with switchbacks and moves away from the creek and becomes hard.

Cairns mark the high trailWe were grateful for the cairns people had placed on the trail above the meadow. Without them we surely would have wandered around the hillside for a while...or longer. The less-traveled trail and the meadow foliage made the trail hard to find in places.

View toward Highway 522 from Trail 78 before the switchbacksIt took us about 8.5 hours round trip, and we did not make it to Lobo Peak. The late start in the morning along with fatigue from climbing Mt. Belford in Colorado two days before left us with energy enough to return to the jeep parked at the trail head. We guessed it was another 1.5 miles to the Peak. (Anyone know for certain?) We brought a filter to pump water from the creek, and we were glad we did. The day was hot, and we needed the extra hydration.

View toward Taos Ski Valley from the top of Trail 78 If you are looking for a shaded, creek-side mountain trail that pauses in a mountain meadow and throws you out on a ridge that gives you the view of two valleys with the possibility of a NM summit, this trail is your choice.

View from Trail 57 back toward Taos Ski Valley

Trail intersection sign

Shaded trails along the creek made the afternoon descent bearable

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Published on June 30, 2017 14:19

Cycling To Work (and back home) in DFW!

I have officed in Las Colinas for about two years. Before then the B. H. Carroll Theological Institute offices were in downtown Arlington. Living in Plano, I assumed I could never commute on my bike to work. The distance and with city streets 99% of the way, it would be too risky and the traffic would be horrendous at rush hours.

Thanks to my friend, Jeff Holder, who cycles to his office frequently, I experienced a relatively safe route to work on my bike; 100% pedaling with no public transit assistance.

My ride to the office (minus the ride from my house to where I met Jeff) began at 0500 at my house. I have a Urban500 bike headlight, and it worked well. Only drawback was it has a 1.5 hour rechargeable battery that lasted until daylight but would not be helpful beyond that time limit.

Traffic was light (surprise!) until we got close to the Valley View/635 interchange about 0645 or so. But even then Jeff had steered the path through parking lots and less-traveled roads to get me to my office.

My Route to the Office from Plano to Las ColinasJeff has showers and lockers at his office. I don't. It was a relatively cool day so a spit bath and change of clothes in the restroom sufficed. I had several meetings at the Carroll Center that day and no one asked, "What's that smell?" I guess I was fine. However, carrying a change of clothes and shoes in a backpack does add to the weight and heat of the ride. I've got to figure that one out. Any suggestions?

My ride home was solo. I had to leave the office earlier than Jeff to make a dinner appointment. I was able to retrace my tracks by memory. (My cycling friends would be surprised that is possible, since I tend to get lost on trips I lead with them.) Traffic did not get bad until the last legs in Plano. Only one jerk needed to let me know I was not welcome on his street.

My Route Home from Plano to Las Colinas

I will commute to work again on my bike. It may be when the temps go below 90 again, but it is possible to safely commute on a bike from Plano to Las Colinas. If you have any other routes or ideas, let me know...and, I'll see you on the road!

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Published on May 24, 2017 19:34

Gene's Urban Adventure

I recently watched the documentary Cars vs Bikes on Netflix. I used to compute sometimes to the church on my bike, and now I take the DART Rail Orange Line occasionally to the B. H. Carroll's offices in Las Colinas. So when my riding buddies said they were riding Gravelthon! on the levees of the Trinity River and the subtitle of the event was "adventure in the heart of the city," I thought I'd join them and add to the adventure by seeing if I could go from my home in Plano to the event in West Dallas and back riding only a bike and public transportation.

Image may contain: 5 people, people smiling, outdoor and nature

Image may contain: 5 people, people smiling, outdoor and nature

The gravel grinders on the Trinity River LeveeThe adventure began when I rode my bike from my house to the first bus stop. My last post told about the gravel grinder that turned into a cycling tough mudder. The road crude clogged up my freehub, and the cassette would not engage with the axle. Basically, you spin your pedals forward like you would if you were peddling backwards. Since a little WD-40 had loosened the pins enough to ride after this happened last time, I decided to get on the bus anyway and find a bike technician at the event.

(Clearly, I'd rather risk having things resolve along the way than to get my bike repaired intentionally. It's a personal issue, I know.)

DART buses and trains are bike friendly, and the ride to Parker Station held no incidents. The train ride to West End Station was also uneventful, and I met a couple of other cyclists who were taking the train. One to work, the other to an electronics swap meet. He was taking his DIY electric bike to get new parts.

When I got to West End Station, the DART App told me to find Bus 59 to make it to the race start. I eventually found the stop at Rosa Parks Plaza with the help of a DART employee. When the bus arrived the driver told me there was no way to get to the Singleton start address because of all the detours. The event had blocked my way to the event! Another DART employee said I could ride my bike to the start and gave me a route to take. I took off on my bike to my destination.

Remember, I have no propulsion by peddling my bike at this time, but I had to get to the start to find a technician. So my bike became a push bike down Lamar Street in downtown Dallas and across the Ronald Kirk pedestrian bridge to the start of the ride. The good news is that there are some downhills to get to the bridge.

Image result for trinity river levee trail

Trinity River LeveeI rode immediately to the REI tent to find a bike technician while my friends rode the parade lap across the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge. Thanks to Ashley, the REI bike technician who cleaned the freehub as much as she could, the cassette engaged enough for me to make the 20-mile loop along the river levees. It was cold and windy, but the city planners have done a great job on the trails on the levee tops and along the river. Get down there and ride them some time.

We enjoyed the ride and our company, and were happily headed to the finish...

...when I got a flat!

I rode as long as I could on the flattening tire, stopped, changed into my running shoes to run my bike to the finish. (We were less than a mile from the start/finish, and I didn't want to take the time to put in a new tube and use up a C02 cartridge. I'm cheap, too.) Amy came to my rescue and let me use her pump. I got enough air in the tire to get me back to the REI tent and air pump without running it it. Ashley and team were tearing down the tent, but she stopped what she was doing to pump up my tire. (It was a Slime Self-sealing tube and held the air. They don't always do.) I told her 25 psi was enough since I only had to get to the train. (That was a tactical error I will discover later.)

I rode on a low tire through the streets of Dallas back to the West End Station, boarded the train, and enjoyed my ride back to Parker Road Station in Plano. My adventure was almost over...

...except the buses on my route only leave on the hour on Saturdays, and it was 2:15.

I put my helmet and cycling shoes and gloves back on. I knew the Chisholm Trail in Plano crossed under West Park Blvd., so I started riding in that direction...on 25 psi in the rear tire!

Kudos to Plano Parks and Recreation who expanded the hike-and-bike trail from the DART Parker Road Station to where it intersects the Chisholm Trail. I rode from that entrance to the trail to my home near Independence and Spring Creek. The extra almost-3 miles on a low tire was a great workout, but not enjoyable.

My Urban Adventure was more than I had planned, but I did enjoy it. I discovered you CAN travel from West Plano to the Trinity River Trails on a bike and public transportation...and it only cost $5.00 for a day pass on DART!

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Published on March 04, 2017 15:50

Iceman's Challenge 2016

My last scheduled event of 2016 was the Iceman's Challenge outside China Springs, TX. You could not have asked for a better course or worse conditions. On ride day, it was raining, 45 degrees, and a northerly wind at about 20 mph. Depending on your perspective, it was either ideal or the worst conditions ever for a gravel ginder. I ride to be with friends and for the adventure, so this definitely ranked high on both meters.

The Peloton: Jason, Me, Erik, Rebecca, Graham, Amy
We had all registered for longer distances, but when we woke up in Waco and it was pouring rain and we saw the conditions as we rode to the starting line, we all opted for the shortest 31-mile distance. That was plenty on a day like this.

Mud, mud, and more mud
Riding was difficult, as you can imagine, but everyone took the conditions in stride and laughed our way through the hills, mud, wind, and rain. You really get to know people when you are on the road with them in these conditions and fun turns to survival as the day goes on. I rode with a quality group of people. This was Graham's first sanctioned cycling event. I hope he will want to try another.

Kudos to the Iceman's Challenge Race Director and crew. They were a great team and supporters, and the tracking app, RaceJoy, they used was excellent. The Bear Mountain was a good pre-race host and support if you needed it, and the post-ride meal was unquestionably the best I've experienced. Give Iceman's Challenge a try if you want a good grinder experience.

I'll go back for this one next year when it's dry--or, ride again in the mud, wind, and rain.

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Published on January 02, 2017 10:42

Devotion

Robert Frost began a poem about devotion with these words:

The heart can think of no devotionGreater than being shore to the ocean.
I read these words while my father and I camped out together between my graduation from college and my wedding day. As we set on the shore of Red Hills Lake in East Texas, I thought maybe Robert Frost was right. Shores lay stuck to oceans,
Holding the curve of one positionCounting an endless repetition.
This endless repetition surely had to be the clearest picture of devotion.
Then it hit me I was about to get married.

Padre Island National SeashoreShores have no choice in their devotion. They are cemented to their ocean partner without the freedom to leave the relationship. Oceans, too, hopelessly pound their boundaries with no other options. A greater devotion, I thought, had to be having the choice not to be devoted to someone but dedicating yourself to that one person with all the other options still out there. Surely marriage was a better picture of devotion than "being shore to the ocean."

Some years later, Frost's poem came to mind as I meditated on Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Son of God, with all that was at his disposal to escape death and suffering at the hands of those he had created, prayed:

If this is what you want for me,may your will be done, not mine.
Jesus had a literal universe of options not to go through with the Father's plans for his death. He had the freedom not to devote himself to His Father's will. But with sweat drops of blood on his brow, he submitted his life to death on a cross as a "ransom for many."
Robert Frost nor I had thought of the ultimate image of devotion. Everything in human experience pales in comparison to Jesus' devotion to the Father's will. Maybe the poem should read:
The heart can think of no devotionGreater than Christ to the Father's Notion.
I'm not a poet, so don't judge me on the verse. However, if you ever wonder what the ultimate expression of devotion looks like, look to Jesus' devotion to God's Plan for his life.
Read Matthew 26:36-46 to recall Jesus' devotion to the Father.
What other examples might you have for the meaning of devotion?

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Published on August 04, 2016 06:50

Four Lessons from My Tough Mudder Experience

A little over a year ago I completed my first and only Tough Mudder event. On May 2, 2015, I joined 14 other members of the Dirty Dozen team led by Paul Wilson, TM vet and Pastor. Paul's and my friend, Doug Miller, chided me to join the team and to get dirty.

I like a challenge, and I had never attempted one of the muddy obstacle events like Tough Mudder or Spartan Race or Battlefrog. So, I signed up and began to train with the Plano contingent. You can watch videos of the events (ours was a 10.2-mile-18-military-style-obstacles course), so I won't bore you with my wordy descriptions. I want to tell you four lessons I learned from the event that stick with me a year later. (They also continue to apply to every obstacle-filled effort I seek to do.)

1. Teamwork is the only way to accomplish anything outside your own capabilities. I can run and cycle a long way for my age, but I am a weakling in my upper body. Without the help of multiple team members I would have stood helplessly below several obstacles. When I came to the others outside my capacity I just dropped in the muddy water.
2. Humility comes from reaching your limits. Most of us want to be humble but we don't want to go through the things that make us humble. I have never met anyone who was naturally humble. It's a characteristic chiseled into us by experience and God's Spirit. Until you attempt something you cannot do you will never know how far you can go.

3. Accountability gets you where you want to go. The Plano contingent began training twice a week in January for the May event. Knowing someone was waiting for me to complete the TM training regimen that day got me dressed and on my way to join them. I don't have a team now, and I train at my leisure. That's not good.

4. Pain is bearable when it is a byproduct of reaching your goal. The last obstacle is a shocking 10,000-volts surging through wires as you run, crawl, or dive through a mud pit. You are tired, wet, and you are caked in mud, but you lock arms, duck your head and run anyway. The electricity straightens you up when it hits you, but when you stumble out the other side, it's all okay.

I most likely-99% sure-I won't do another one of these mud-obstacle events, but I will continue to apply what I learned through that event all the time.

Find a team of friends for whatever your challenge may be and enjoy the adventure!

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Published on May 14, 2016 05:00

Church Around the Table

Church Around The TableOne weekend our LifeGroup gathered at the lake house that belonged to one of the members. Not everyone in the group could make it, and it was winter, but water sports and 100% attendance were not our goals.

We just wanted to be together.

Sunday morning we gathered around the table for breakfast. We enjoyed the cooking of our hosts and the warmth of the fireplace on a cold January morning. All the surface talk had been used up in the time we already had together walking, playing table games and watching football. Our guards were down, and we were relaxed to be ourselves.

My wife jumped into some story about our grandchildren and told of a podcast she liked where the host always ended her episode by asking her guests, "What are three things that make you happy now." She thought that would be fun for us to do. (Being an introvert married to an extrovert I have come to expect these conversational invasions into free-flowing conversations I can sit back and enjoy without participating.) The group accepted her idea, and she began telling her three happy things

The rest of the breakfast club shared. Someone said, "This makes me happy!" opening her arms as if to embrace the entire group. We agreed. Someone else mentioned their grandchildren, and another mentioned the beauty of the day and setting of the retreat. We laughed and told stories for about an hour. It was a truly happy time.

We had talked about having a time of worship or devotion that morning. It was Sunday after all, and we were brought together through our shared experience of worship on Sunday mornings. I had been reading and meditating on biblical passages about anxiety. It was my turn to re-direct the flow of conversation. I asked, "What are three things that make you anxious now?" A sort of downer, but as Joy learned in the film Inside Out, Sadness, like anxiety, completes our full range of emotions and are necessary for a full life. Anxieties are also issues we can confess to one another, receive prayer and encouragement and trust to the Lord. Without anxiety what's the point of faith and happiness?

We spoke of our anxiety over our jobs, our finances, our children and their children, the frightening world in which we live, and our illnesses. We were not maudlin about it all, but we spoke in sober tones of things like these that challenge our trust in God and drain us emotionally. Another hour had passed. When everyone had shared, I read without comment Matthew 6:25-34, the Word of the Lord.

We then prayed for each other, got up to clean off the table and returned to our leisure activities. We had just been the church! Church around the table. Like the biblical images of church as home and family we read about, we ate, confessed, encouraged one another, and heard the Word of the Lord for our lives. I thought of my brothers and sisters in Christ in Vietnam, for example, who gather to eat, share their joys and hurts and pray for one another in a member's home.

Church as family. Church is sometimes around the table. Church around the table will take some time, intentional effort, and planning, but give it a try. You may find church is more real than you ever dreamed.

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Published on January 15, 2016 07:36