Page 2 - KOG Glory & Grace, Issue 8, November 2022

FROM THE
Revs
"ARE WE ALMOST TO THE LAKE?"
our nine year old daughter whined as we ascended the trail outside of Bozeman. Our destination (Fairy Lake) promised a place to rest and eat, two things highly desired by amateur
hikers. To pass the time we've learned to have a few tricks up our sleeves, so on this set of switchbacks Cora and I were practicing spelling. Having grown weary of her "are we there yet" complaints, playfully I tossed out a different question: "what if we never made it to the lake?" Wasting no time, she responded boldly, spelling it out letter by letter that this outcome would be a "D-I-S-T-E-R." Gently correcting her, I replied, "actually, it would be a D-I-S-A-S-T- E-R." In my own mind, however, I pondered this. Would it?
I tend to be a destination person, the hiker who is willing to put in the work as long as there is a big, big payoff at the end. While others appreciate the twists and turns of a journey, I just want to finish it (and take the photo to prove it). Pinterest is full of "appreciate the journey" quotes and reminders that how you travel the path is more important than where the path leads. To take the metaphor one step further, life tempts us to believe that there is only one (good? right? authentic?) path for a person. Or that one's identity or worth are found only when doing something that generates likes or followers. So as you venture to "chart your own course" or try to "stay on the right path" the pressure can be intense, not to speak of how it feels when roadblocks or detours pop up along the way. We might ask, "what's the point?"
The book of Hebrews calls God's people "strangers and pilgrims on the earth" (11:13 KJV) and in this issue of we explore some of life's paths and the pilgrims who take them. Inspired by three KOG members who recently completed portions of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage (see page 4), this issue invites us to be thankful for our journey, to receive God's grace even if things haven't turned out as we planned, and to cultivate an inner sense of discovery no matter where the path takes us. Perhaps the point is not where we have traveled, but who we are becoming along the way.
These words, borrowed from an old Celtic Blessing, sum it up quite well:
God be with you whatever you pass Jesus be with you whatever you climb Spirit be with you wherever you stay.
On the cover: Photo from Susan Plath from her Camino Frances journey, Fall 2022.
Pastor Jen
Pastor Ben