802.725.8094
  Furnace Brook Wesleyan Church
  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Are >
      • What we believe
      • Our Team
      • Our Building
      • Membership
      • Our Story
    • What We Do >
      • Worship
      • Children's Ministry
  • Give
    • Give
    • Volunteer
  • Grow
    • Discipleship and Small Group
    • Prayer Requests
    • We Care
    • Sermons >
      • Archived Sermons
    • Blog
    • Resources >
      • RightNow Media
      • Facility Use
  • Contact Us
    • Contact Us
    • Stay up to date! >
      • Meeting Minutes
    • Need Help?
  • Events
    • Events
    • Calendar
  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Are >
      • What we believe
      • Our Team
      • Our Building
      • Membership
      • Our Story
    • What We Do >
      • Worship
      • Children's Ministry
  • Give
    • Give
    • Volunteer
  • Grow
    • Discipleship and Small Group
    • Prayer Requests
    • We Care
    • Sermons >
      • Archived Sermons
    • Blog
    • Resources >
      • RightNow Media
      • Facility Use
  • Contact Us
    • Contact Us
    • Stay up to date! >
      • Meeting Minutes
    • Need Help?
  • Events
    • Events
    • Calendar

On a plank, or on a hike?

7/8/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Earlier this week, Lucy and I went on a hike. We did a section of the Long Trail taking us to the summit of Bromley Mountain. It was a lovely day and there were no bugs and I was in high spirits but early in the hike I slipped on a wet rock in such a way that I really hurt the heel of one foot. It hurt badly enough that I thought about abandoning the hike and returning to the car. Lucy, who is an awfully good girl, would have been disappointed, but she would have been supportive. Still, I decided to soldier on. 
But each step was painful. And at one point, as we were balancing across some planks keeping us above deep, muddy places, I realized that I had a choice. i could either be painfully on a plank or cheerfully on a hike. The hard part was that, because of the nature of the path, I had to keep my eyes on the ground the whole way, which made it hard to keep my mind on the summit. 
But I resolved to keep my mind on the summit and the summit ahead of me had an effect on the trail beneath me. The prospect of a grand arrival rendered all the slippery rocks and gnarled roots and narrow spaces into a ribbon of adventure threading its way through a lovely forest. 
I'm glad I kept hiking.
And, of course, the preacher is making a point. You might feel like you and your church are on a plank in the wilderness with an aching heel, but I am eager to lead you on a hike and to have you join me at the summit. In his second letter to the church at Corinth, Paul writes, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
We are making good use of the Marble Museum and the internet and we are doing really good work at the Pittsford Food Shelf. The board is being wise and strategic about finding our path forward. And the mission of making more and better disciples for Jesus advances. And we are not the turning back type. 

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Furnace Brook Wesleyan Church Blog 

    Furnace Brook Wesleyan Church, Pittsford VT


    Author

    Pastor Joel Tom Tate 
    ​Leads Furnace Brook Wesleyan Church and thoroughly enjoys life in the most un-churched state in the Union.

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    September 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    April 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2013
    April 2013
    April 2012
    March 2012

    Categories

    All
    Belief
    Chittenden
    Church
    Doubt
    Evangelical
    Family
    Palm
    Pittsford
    Prayer
    Resurrection
    Rutland
    Sermon
    Sunday
    Thomas
    Wesleyan
    Worship

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly