C. Gene Wilkes's Blog, page 5

A Summit With Friends

Our Goal from the Road into Red RiverOn Wednesday, July 17, three friends and I hiked out of the Middlefork trailhead parking lot to camp at Lost Lake and then summit Wheeler Peak the next day. This would be my fifth or sixth summit of Wheeler Peak and second year in a row to camp overnight at Lost Lake.

Jim and Sara Craig drove in from Santa Fe to join us. This would be Sara's first hike and overnight camp out. She is a marathoner and triathlete, so she was definitely strong enough to make the trip. Jim climbed this trail and summit with two other friends and me last year, and he made the summit of Mt. Rainier that same year. My son-in-law, Graham, rounded out the band of hikers. This was his first summit of Wheeler but hiking and camping is part of his premarital and child-filled days.

The weather was ideal and the trails were in good shape from the trailhead to the lake. The trail (#91) to Lost Lake is more scenic than either the East Fork or Middlefork trails, in my opinion. We made good time to the lake with two stops and no physical issues.

Along the Lost Lake TrailSurprisingly, NO ONE was at Lost Lake when we arrived. (The same was true the next day at Middlefork Lake. And, those at the Peak were all but one group from Taos.) This is high season for hiking and camping in the region. Where was everyone? My hunch is that hiking and camping is too hard and troublesome for most folks. Goose Lake, which is open to four wheelers and jeeps was packed. That sort of trip fits our lazy, mechanized American lifestyle. I prefer the motor of our bodies and exhaust of our breathing to get us to where we are going in Creation.


We set up camp, recon'd the lake, chatted on the shore, gathered wood, cooked our freeze-dried dinner, built a fire, assembled s'mores, and crashed in our tents by 10 p.m. Mountain goats, squirrels, a rabbit, and chipmunks invaded our site looking for handouts, which we refused to give them. Their presence added to the wildness of the setting. The night was cold and as clear as the lake during the day.
Sunrise at Lost Lake

We rose at sunrise to a windy, crisp morning. We boiled water for coffee but did not eat freeze dried goodies that morning. We broke camp and headed to Wheeler Peak. 





Graham at Horseshoe Lake
I told Kyle Knighton (see my previous blog post) what we were doing and invited him to catch us on the trail to the peak. We left the lake at 7:20, and he left the trailhead at 6:45. He caught us just above Horseshoe Lake for a break and then trotted off to summit and wait until we got there. He's got the trail running bug, and I am pleased he will carry the mantle for that generation of the Red River Gang.

Jim, Sara, Graham, Kyle, me
We made the summit of Wheeler by 10:00, took pictures, ate some snacks, and headed back via the Wheeler Peak Trail #90. You are on the ridge that separates the Taos and Red River slopes on this trail, and it  added to the beauty and experience of the hike. 
Finding the trail to Middlefork when the clear way takes you to Bull-of-the-woods is hard to find. Ask Kyle. He missed it and added several miles to his return home. While we stopped for lunch we eventually found the trail and continued our descent through fallen trees and unmaintained trails. Blazers and strips tied to trees by Kyle's father was the only way we found our way down. Those conditions only added to the adventure of it all. 
This was a great hike, and I recommend the trails and loop we took for a day-and-half hike. Sara finished well as she does whatever she chooses to do. Hiking with Jim is always an adventure in thought and relationships. Hiking with Graham was an honor, and I can't wait to hike with his children some day. 
Mt. Rainier is my next climb (August 11, 12 with Jim), and this hike was the perfect prep for that. 

Ditch Cabin Run

Got up this morning and met Kyle Knighton at the family cabin in the Upper Valley of Red River. Kyle is new to trail running but he is truly hooked on it. He has run trails in Italy and Switzerland, but has not finished a sanctioned run yet. He and his wife Emily live in Waco, and he got the bug while running in Cameron Park. He signed up for his first ultra, The Rough Creek Trail Run (40 miles), September 19 in Glen Rose, TX. He will do great. 
We headed to the East Fork trail head and walk/ran for an hour on the East Fork, Sawmill Creek, and part of the Sawmill Park trail. We reversed our run and got back to the car in half the time. 1.5 hr run at altitude. 
It rained, and the trail had several washouts and fallen trees. Altitude was a problem going out (Ditch Cabin is 9,730) but coming back was ideal. Cool, soft trails, and my breathing fell back in pace. 
Kyle ran ahead and turned back to check on me a couple of times. I soon learned I have not trained adequately for downhill running/hiking. Will need that for Rainier for sure! Got some work to do there. 
I enjoy running with Kyle (when he slows down) because we can talk theology while trail running. He's working on his MDiv so he keeps me on my toes both on the trail and my take on current theological trends.
Still grateful I can do this and that another generation of runner is on the trail with me. 

The Parade

On a hunch,
I turned off an asphalt path
to descend into a Kentucky creek bed
that wandered through a grove of trees.

October had announced the change of seasons
and trees displayed their mustard-brown, golden fashions.
Earth tones would be "in" again this year.

I stopped on a slope, and
overheard applause in the treetops.
Trunks stood at attention during the ovation
while others bent in awe of the Passerby.
Laser-like rays of sunlight pinpointed the forest's floor
through stained-glass patterns of leaf and limb.

Wind gained momentum from the far end of the tree lined corridor
like an ocean wave mounting an attack upon the beach.
Leaves clapped in crescendo at center stage.
As if on cue, tree after tree cast down golden, orange, and brown
pieces of their best artwork
like the followers of Jesus at his Triumphal Entry.

The air was supercharged with falling color;
A brisk autumn breeze bounced off rock, tree, and stream.
Branch beat against branch, barking out the sound of marching drums.
Trumpeting birds and meandering deer joined the passing song.

Who was the center of this celebration?
Who commanded the honor of this grove?
Who called for this display of high fall fashion?
What deed elicited the admiration of all Creation?

Wind made its way through the crowded grove past where I stood.
Clapping leaves calmed to children's chatter.
Sunlight sparkled on the freshly decorated forest floor.
Clouds suspended movement overhead.

A breath of Spirit touched my face.
Then I knew.
I had chanced upon Creation's ticker tape parade for her King.
I had seen a Psalmist's song to the Creator.

In their final days of summer growth,
before each plant rested from its labor,
this village of elm and oak and maple--with aid from wind and sun--
orchestrated a parade to praise and honor
the One who brought them life.

I took off my shoes...and joined in the praise of our Creator.

On Remembering Legacy

Sunday was my last day as Senior Pastor with the people who are Legacy Church. They blessed my family and me beyond what we deserve or expected. My oldest daughter reflected on the event and her time at Legacy. I'll let her tell you...

On 
Remembering 
Legacy...
by Storey Wilkes Cook


Sunday, June 2, 2013, served as a beautiful tribute to my father on his last day as Senior Pastor of Legacy Church after 26 years. I was four years old when my daddy stepped into the position, I have witnessed changes, stretching, and growth of this body throughout my life from a front row seat. A constant I have observed through the years is the unwavering character and dedication of Gene Wilkes, my remarkable father, and his steadfast and supportive partner, my mom. Thank you, Greg Sankey for dubbing my daddy as ‘remarkable’. It is a befitting and well- earned title.

Kendall Brown is a man who has weathered storm upon storm with my dad and has remained by his side. It is fitting that Kendall opened our final worship service with an arranged tribute of music and familiar faces. After beginning solo on his drum, he paused mid-beat admitting it would probably be better for him to have some accompaniment. He invites old friend, Daniel Fermaint, to the stage. As the two played a familiar tune, a familiar voice was heard. Kristin, Kendall’s daughter, made her way through the crowd, microphone in hand, to join the stage. Slowly, more familiar faces joined the stage, each creating deeper emotions and requiring more Kleenex. Just when I thought my sentimental being could not handle any more nostalgia, Kris Koenigsberg appeared on the stage, her presence receiving immediate applause. Seeing Kris at the piano brought a flood of memories of many nights spent at the Koenigsberg house, an unnatural love of the Simpsons, and a hilarious red-headed boy whose life was cut short by cancer. Not to mention, Kris was the only musician I wanted at my wedding. Kendall and the all-star team had assembled a ‘mash-up’ of sorts of songs sung at Legacy throughout the years, including songs from both Wilkes girls’ weddings. In that moment, I tried with all of my might to permanently etch the experience in my mind- the sounds, the tears, the sight of my parents holding tight to each other while simultaneously singing and sobbing.

The service was filled with many more touching moments such as this, honoring my dad’s service to Legacy and even granting him the title of Pastor Emeritus. A couple of videos were shown, allowing members and friends new and old to share how they have been touched by my dad’s service as pastor. It was beautiful to hear others recognize what I as his daughter have always known. But then—in the middle of the meaningful sentiments came the best 4 minutes of possibly my entire life—the greatest, most accurate roast/parody/satire of my father by his executive team. They nailed it all- from his posture and use of his hands, to his affinity for sneaking sweets and love of all things Greek. As I mentioned before, Gene Wilkes is a remarkable man. Any reminder that he is in fact, human, is welcomed. The group led by Markus Lloyd gave us just that- swimmingly, I might add.

A reception was waiting for us after the close of the service, where hugs were given and goodbyes were said. Just when I would think I had it together, another face would catch my eye, and the mascara would once again be smeared. I should have known not to wear make-up that morning in the first place. My sweet mother had a line separating her blush into two distinct sections on each cheek. I stood in the sanctuary, soaking in the final moments of this chapter of my family’s life in a place I grew close to my husband, wept at funerals of individuals who left us too soon, and remembering notes written with Sharpie on the beams hidden within the walls as the lights were dimmed into darkness. Step one was to exit the darkened sanctuary. Leaving the actual building was a whole other story. I could not hold back my tears or what could only be described as extreme emotions.

This place has been a constant in my life as far back as my some of first memories, only after getting in trouble for getting too cozy with a boy at FBC Richardson Preschool and learning to cope as my sister destroyed whatever I was playing with at our house on Barclay Drive. My childhood was shaped at Legacy. My most awkward years were spent at Legacy. My hormone-tainted years were made less miserable because of Legacy. I never found a church that filled Legacy’s void while in college. This church supported our family as my parents gave away two daughters and welcomed first grandchildren. I have enjoyed bringing my children to “Lolli and Pop’s church” and watching the pride Cambell Grace feels about her Pop being pastor.

My dad moved through our last moments of this chapter with an unacceptable lack of emotion, according to his overly sentimental firstborn. He loves it when I make him stop and really feel the moment. Did I say loves? I meant tolerates, sometimes rather impatiently. I forced encouraged him to walk to his office with my mom and savor their final exit from Legacy as pastor and wife after more than a quarter of a century. But- we all know this is not really the end. He is Pastor Gene, Pastor Emeritus, and his influence on the church that is Legacy is a legacy (pun intended) that will be felt indefinitely.

I am thankful to call Legacy home and for the family of its members who have helped to shape me through their wisdom and stability. I’m so thankful to have grown up at Legacy and look forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for their next chapter.



The Spiritual Daily Dozen

[image error] I am preparing again to summit Mt. Rainier. I gave it a go in 2011 but turned back on the top of Disappointment Cleaver. 
This year my plans are to summit on August 12, my 60th birthday. I'll keep you posted and share the results, but I wanted to share some of the training I am doing to prepare for the climb and how that relates to my life-long spiritual training.
I am climbing again with the best guides on the mountain, RMI Expeditions. As part of their support, they offer a 16-week training program to get you ready for your climb. 

The foundation of the program is what they call, The Rainier Dozen. 
Here's the list:

1.  Steam engine
2.  Three quarter squats
3.  Turkish Get Up
4.  Lunge
5.  Arm extender
6.  Triceps Dip
7.  Deep squat
8.  Steam engine laying down
9.  Mountain climber
10.  Push up
11.  Ranger crawl
12.  8 Point Body Builder

These exercises can be done in about 15 minutes, and they engage every part of your body. Add cross-training exercises to these over a 16-week period, and you are on your way to being strong enough to complete the climb.
I am always looking for ways to connect physical exercise with spiritual exercise. Since we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, (Mark 12:29-30) I believe we need to exercise all four aspects of who we are to love God completely.
I couldn't help but wonder if there was a "daily dozen" to strengthen us spiritually. In my book on the Beatitudes, A New Way of Living, I offered ten spiritual exercises to enhance the spiritual conditions Jesus blessed in his inaugural address as King. (You can find them all in the Appendix of the book)
Building on that list, here are what I call The Spiritual Daily Dozen that you can practice to get you growing spiritually.
DISCLAIMER: Spiritual training is unlike physical training. Your soul/spirit requires more time for development. Racing through these exercises in 15 minutes WILL NOT strengthen you spiritually like physical exercises will build muscle. However, exercising these throughout the day/week/month/life CAN strengthen your love for God and others in every arena of your life. 

SolitudeSilencePrayerStudyConfessionSubmissionCommunityAccountabilityFastingServiceSimplicitySabbath Rest

Give both lists a try and see what happens. You may need more help with the spiritual daily dozen. If so, refer to the primer on spiritual exercises by Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline.

Give me some input and let's talk about this more next week.

I never met Dallas Willard...

...but he changed how I follow Jesus.

Dallas Willard went Home last week at age 77. He touched many lives (including Richard Foster, who influenced me too) through his teaching and writing. Here are a some ways he breathed life into my stale practices as a disciple of Jesus.
Willard taught me that you have to practice the disciplines in order for them to change you. I liked his analogy of thinking I could hit like a big league baseball player if I behaved exactly as my favorite baseball star does in the game. (Spirit of the Disciplines) No, my favorite big league hitter is good because he has been swinging a bat since childhood, and he practices, practices, practices. We who follow Jesus fail in temptation and big-league problems because we think we can just step up and look like Jesus and knock the spiritual ball out of the park while in the game. No, we too must practice the disciplines Jesus taught us daily in order to live like Jesus. We can respond as Jesus would if we live the disciplines everyday and make them a lifestyle, not an add-on for the weekend.
Every author has a book he or she wishes s/he had written. I wish I had written The Divine Conspiracy. In that book, Willard spells out the anticipated life of Jesus' followers. The paradigm shift in my thinking about discipleship came when he said a better concept for disciple was not learner as in the modern accumulation of knowledge, but as an apprentice, someone who is appropriately with another in order to be like them. When I read that and understood Jesus was teaching/training skills for kingdom living and not just filling my head with spiritual knowledge, I was on my way to living as a follower of Jesus in a different manner. 
If you have heard me teach/preach about following Jesus or spiritual disciplines, you have heard loud echoes of Dallas Willard's influence in what I said.
One more eye-opener and faith check for me from Willard was his conviction that Jesus was the smartest person who ever lived. I had never considered that category in trusting Jesus, but as a world-class Philosophy professor in a secular university, Willard challenged his students in and out of the classroom to consider this reality. If Jesus wasn't the smartest person who ever lived, why would you follow him? 
Best question ever.
As with the Home-going of Calvin Miller last year, I will miss the lectures and writings of Dallas Willard, a mentor I never met but who helped me trust Jesus more deeply in innumerable ways.

A Meditation on Psalm 85:10

I love the Psalms and reflections on them. The Psalms are prayers and songs that let us say things we are not sure we can say to God. They guide our hearts into the presence of God, and they allow our emotions to enter the worship chambers of eternity. 
I was reading/singing through them this morning and these stanzas jumped out at me:

Mercy and truth have met together;Righteousness and peace have kissed. (Psalm 85:10; NKJV)

Mercy and truth have met together. They are not strangers no matter how far apart we separate them. They have met like negotiators to resolve matters that could keep them apart and cause another war. 
Truth tells the dark, blatant facts and unassailable realities that reveal our fallen nature and root of evil in our lives. Truth reveals the nonnegotiable facts of life and will not compromise. Truth shines light on reality and does not care to hand out sunglasses. 
Mercy sits at the same table and does not deny the truth but offers forgiveness and hope. Mercy shields us from the glare of truth and softens the edges of the brutal cascade of facts. Mercy absorbs truth in the ocean of love and refuses to keep a log of its missteps.
If they are so different, how did they meet?
On the cross. The glaring truth of reality and the compassionate mercy of God met, negotiated, and left hand-in-hand when Jesus hung between them and brought them together on the cross. The cross is the center piece of history for those who insist on the truth and long for mercy. Truth calls for justice. Mercy supplies it. The cross is where they met.
Righteousness and peace kissed. They did not kiss a sloppy, seventh-grader kiss at a school function. It's more like a Jordanian and Israeli neighbor who greet each other with a kiss at the door of one's home. Who is right, what is just, and how one satisfies a Holy God in a world of war insists righteousness stand his ground and avoid the approaching neighbor because of unmet expectations and sub-par worship of God.
Peace, on the other hand, longs to embrace righteousness for they are neighbors by providence, but his expectations are too high and too many infractions fill the distance between them. Peace cannot come without a price. They agree the price must be paid, but they cannot agree on who pays and what is the amount.
Yet, they embrace. They kiss as men in the Middle East do, and they sit down to eat together. How is this possible? 
The cross. The unaltered, uncompromisable righteousness of God and the compassionate, suffering sacrificial peace of God met on the cross. Jesus' nail-scared hands took the distance neighbors of righteousness and peace and brought them together in a holy kiss as he hung and bled between them. His sacrifice satisfied Holy God's righteousness, and it unleashed a peace that surpasses our understanding. Jesus was the price for peace that satisfied the demands of righteousness.
I rejoice today because,

Mercy and truth have met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed.

I had nothing to do with their meeting and embrace, but I benefit every day because of their coming together on the cross of Jesus. You can too.

A New Adventure

This past Sunday I announced my retirement from the pastorate with Legacy Church.
After 26 years of partnership with the people who are Legacy to help people trust Jesus, I am humbled to step onto the trail with B. H. Carroll Theological Institute in June to equip "men and women called to serve Christ in the diverse and global ministries of His church."
B H Carroll was formed in 2004, and I have been been a Resident Fellow with them since 2005. Soon after that, Legacy partnered with Carroll to join its nexus of Teaching Churches. In 2011, I was elected to the Board of Governors for the Institute.
So, you see, I have been on the journey with them for some time. Their core strategy to return ministry training and theological education to the local church has made it possible for me to equip current and future church leaders while providing biblical and leadership studies for the local church community and the members of Legacy.
Why would we make such a move now? Here are some primary reasons,
First and foremost, Legacy Church is healthy and ready for new leadership. Legacy is united in mission, connected in authentic community, infected with grace, and in love with God and the people in our mission field. Our servant leaders live and breathe God's call on our lives to "help people trust Jesus as the church, at home, and in the world." I am confident of our servant leaders' spiritual maturity, discernment of God's leadership, and sensitivity to the needs of our church. They are ready for a new leader to guide them on the next leg of their journey with the Lord.
J. Robert Clinton has described convergence as taking place "in a leader’s life when giftedness, role, and influence come into alignment with experience, personality, formation, opportunity, and destiny." (Leadership Emergence Theory, 381). I am convinced my ministry with Carroll is a convergence as Clinton describes it. Hopefully, my academic training and teaching, leadership development, and spiritual growth while serving in the local church since 1975 will converge to serve others more effectively. I turn 60 this August, and my prayer is that the next decade of my life (the Lord willing) will be one of global influence that draws upon all God has ordained and allowed in my life for the spiritual benefit of men and women called to serve Christ in his church.
I am convinced Carroll is the next, best model for training church leaders in a global context. The understatement of the century is, "The internet has changed everything." It has changed how we learn, share and access information. The world is flat, and the internet has extended our reach to every major people group on the planet. The Senior Fellows and founders of Carroll have developed classroom (in a local church setting) and online training for anyone, anytime, anywhere. For example, Carroll has students from 26 of our 50 United States with no central, residential campus.
Carroll believes that training indigenous church leaders in their heart language for the ultimate goal of training their peers is superior to English-only, state-side training. This is why we have formal partnerships with churches and learning centers in Cuba, Vietnam, and Russia and students in 13 countries.
The core leadership of Carroll has invested all they are and have to bring into reality a vision God put on their hearts over ten years ago. I want to serve with men and women who have risked their well being and futures to ensure God's vision exists and thrives in their lifetimes. Those are the people with whom I want to make the journey.They are people like the people of Legacy who leave home like Abraham "not knowing where he was going" and trust their Leader unconditionally to take them into a magnificent future for his honor and glory.
These are difficult days emotionally for Kim and me as we walk through the good-byes and hope-to-see-you-later wishes. But, we are convinced God has orchestrated this opportunity and that we are leaving Legacy in God's timing and God's care. 
Thank you in advance for your prayers. I'll see you on the trail!

Blessed are the Merciful

Church Service in West, TXLast week's bombings in Boston and fertilizer plant explosion in West, TX, along with a sudden death in our church fellowship have sent many of us who are Legacy Church reeling in sadness.

Loss is a part of life, but we stagger out of them after events shatter what we think is 'normal' or take loved ones from us. We can't just write loss off as "that's the way life is" or act like they didn't happen. We must wrestle through them, but how we respond to those loses makes the difference in how we live the rest of our lives.
Our natural response to loss at the hands of others is revenge and justice. Innocent people died at the hands of calculating, evil men. We want justice for the lost lives. We want somebody to do something. Now!
In the middle of the loss of innocent life and injustice perpetrated in his day, Jesus declared, "Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy." (Matthew 5:7) Those words seemed as out of place in a discussion of brutality and evil then as it does now. But Jesus knew what we forget: revenge breeds revenge. Justice insists we seek fairness, which can seldom be achieved. 
Jesus told stories where mercy expressed in forgiveness is the way of his kingdom. (Matthew 18:23-35) He gently scolded a religious leader for missing the point of a woman's act of kindness motivated by mercy shown to her by God. (Luke 7:36-50)
Why is mercy so important in our lives and followers of Jesus? I have observed, "Mercy describes the heart of God. Mercy is at the center of the Good News. Mercy satisfies a debt we cannot pay that is forgiven by the One we owe." (A New Way of Living, 156) 
Mercy motivates God to forgive. Paul wrote his friend, Titus, "...he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy." (Titus 3:5) 
Mercy, not revenge, is the way of God. Justice has been taken care of on the cross of Jesus. God satisfies our thirst for justice through Jesus' death on the cross. (Romans 3:21-26) We seek justice on earth as an expression of the suffering, sacrificial love of God--not motivated by revenge or anger.
Jesus blessed the merciful, and he promised that they would receive mercy--maybe not from those they forgive, but surely from the God who has forgiven them. "To show mercy is to receive mercy," I wrote. (A New Way, 158)  
Remember this as you face the loss of these days and want to do something in response to them. Mercy is the Jesus Way.

Boston Marathon Bombing

I have finished the Boston Marathon seven times, and the run down Boylston Street is the epitome of athletic excitement. Whether you are the winner of the marathon or back in the pack with runners like me, the crowds always cheer for you as if you were winning the race and they all knew your name.
The marathon is always run on Patriot's Day, a state holiday for MA, and it seems the entire state turns out for the marathon and Red Sox game. People line the route from Hopkington to Boston, but the masses become ten deep on Boylston. When you turn onto Boylston Street off of Hereford, no matter how you feel, you know you will finish because you can see the finish line and the crowds will make your forget the pain in your legs and body.
Interrupt that idyllic experience with an explosion driving shrapnel into the backs of spectators and concussion-producing blasts.
Whoever did this knew the masses would gather on Boylston because of the marathon and the game. They knew the sidewalks would be packed, and they knew they could cause the mayhem and panic and injuries by exploding their bombs then and there.
Why the description of when and where? It exposes the evil nature of those who committed this act.
We are all infected with sin which can grow into evil, unemotional acts that create pain and suffering and death in others. 
What does such an event tell us about the human condition?Sin and evil are real.Sin and evil create callous behavior like we saw today.Sin and evil drive us all to ask why this sort of thing can happen to innocent people.Sin and evil demand we can't go on like this.Sin and evil drive us to call for justice and someone to change things.The Good News in all of this evil and death is that evil and death do not have the last say in this event or our lives. Justice has been paid on the cross, and our Rescuer has come, and his Holy Spirit is with all who call upon him today.  
This may sound like shallow, religious gibberish to some, but to those of us who have experienced this justice and rescue know it is real and that this IS our only hope.
May God bless those who were injured, the families of those who died, and the runners.

My heart hurts with you for those who were affected directly by the blast and for those who have seen the horror in pics, videos, and broadcasts. It is a sad day for all. 
May the peace of God dwell in their hearts, and may we all cling in trust to the One who has rescued us. (Col. 1:13)