Greetings Everyone
Greetings Everyone.
Terri and my wonderful adventure is coming to an end. We have seen lots, met new friends, tired out our bodies, recovered and did it all over again. We have grown and talked and shared and prayed. We have celebrated Terri’s retirement, her 65th birthday and our 20th anniversary. We are ready to come home.
In the midst of all that has gone on (I write this after a full day of site seeing in Rome) we have had some occasion to talk and reflect on what we have experienced. In addition to our life together, we have also been pilgrims (Pellegrinos on the Camino) and tourists. Here are some of our observations.
As Pilgrims we walked between 7 and 19 miles every day. As tourists our longest day has been 6 miles. Even though we walked longer on the Camino, we seem to be more fatigued as tourists. As tourists our pace was slower, we were always starting and stopping, there seemed to be no flow to our movement.
As Pilgrims we seemed to talk more freely with fellow Pellegrino’s. “Bom Camino” in Portugal and “Buen Camino” in Spain was shared many times per day. In addition, conversations would just happen, sometimes very briefly and at other times for hours on end (it seemed the long conversations made the time fly by). We made new friends from around the world. As tourists, we seldom greeted or were greeted. We came to see the sites and not each other. The common goal as tourists was seeing something whereas as Pilgrims it was to share a common experience and goal along the way.
In terms of a common goal and experience, we talked with many who walked the Camino with anticipation that they would have some sort of meaningful experience. It seemed to us that in many cases they were trying to hard to hear God, looking for too many signs that often didn’t come. We spent time with one woman, a teacher from Germany, who wanted direction for a new career. She was increasingly disappointed that nothing was coming to her. But, after we ended our nearly hour long conversation we all began to realize that maybe the conversation itself was a way in which God was speaking.
I wonder if we don’t do the same thing at times as Christians. We want so badly to see God at work, to experience something special, to feel warm inside, hear the “still small voice” as happened with Elijah. Yet, the more we look, the more we introspect, the further such an experience seems to disappear in the midst. I think it profound that Jesus’ invitation to his disciples was “follow me and I will make you…” Our energy, our efforts should focus on walking with him who transforms and not attempting to define the feeling we want to have as he does his work. Stop looking at what has happened in the lives of others like a tourist (oh, the history of Rome and the Vatican) and start walking with Jesus as a pilgrim.
Over the next weeks you will probably hear more from our experiences. We will be processing many things in the weeks to come. It has been a great trip and we look forward to return HOME.
Pastor Paul (and Terri)
News & Events
Monday, October 9th:
5:30 p.m. Handbell Practice
7:00 p.m. Choir Practice
Tuesday, October 10th:
7:00 a.m. Men’s Bible Study and Breakfast
Wednesday, October 11th:
L.A.M.B.S. will meet in Fellowship Hall at 10 a.m.
Bible Babes will meet in Fellowship Hall at 12:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 15th:
11:30 a.m. Fellowship Luncheon, Spaghetti Dinner
Check out the Events Calendar for more upcoming events.
Trick-or-Treat Street will be here soon!
FPC will be participating in Whitefish’s Trick-or-Treat Street again this year. Please consider bringing a bag of candy into the office to donate to this fun children’s event. Volunteers will be needed to pass out candy. There is a signup sheet in Fellowship Hall or contact the church office for more information.
Church Information Class
Sunday, October 22
11:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m.
This class will provide some background on the origins of the Presbyterian Church, a review of its central beliefs, a look at how a Presbyterian Church organizes to do the work of the Lord and a look at our local congregation, its vision and mission. This class, although focusing on information, is also a great step toward membership in this church, making this “officially” your church home.
Please let the church office know by Wednesday, October 18th if you are planning on attending so the proper amount of materials can be prepared. Also, if you need assistance with childcare, please let the office know as well.
Spaghetti Dinner
Sunday, October 15th following Worship Service
The Fellowship Committee will provide a delicious spaghetti and meat sauce entrée for our Fall Potluck Luncheon immediately following our worship service. Please bring an appropriate side dish or dessert.
Thank You
