Hello all, I am so thankful to have spent 5 days away in beautiful Banff National Park in Canada. I want to highlight the team of volunteers, our staff, and our session for being so trustworthy with the ministry here at First Presbyterian Church. When people outside our church ask me what I like about First Pres. I always tell stories of how the church is full of people who take responsibility for the work of the ministry. This is due to pastors who have come before me, elders and deacons who serve sacrificially, and a culture where the church belongs to Christ and His people; not the professional pastor. 

Banff National park is home to pristine turquoise lakes, massive mountain ranges, and meadows which belong in a painting. I posted some pictures to Instagram and one person commented, “This looks like A.I.” The setting is so naturally beautiful, it seems it could only be generated by a synthetic computer. One of the reasons we took this trip was because my mother in law, wife and daughter had experienced this before and wanted to share that experience with me and our other kids. Have you ever felt that way too? Something comes along that is so majestic that you want your loved ones to share in that majesty. Usually it comes out, “Oh you should have been there! I wish you could have seen!” When we returned we asked the kids which part was their favorite, Kyria responded, “Eating French toast with Mimi.” That struck me as very gospel oriented. You see, as wonderful as the scenery was, or food for Kyria, it would not have carried the same weight without her family along for the ride. Seeing my family on the canoes in Moraine lake was far more exquisite than just me in a boat on some water. Somehow the turquoise was more vibrant when shared with my daughter. I think this is a picture of how God made us. We were not made to experience all the joys, sorrows, laughter and mundane daily existence in this life alone. God exists in a Trinitarian relationship; Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Because we are made in His image, even the grandest of His creation, Banff National Park, is not the same without our loved ones with us.

Church in all its worship and life, consists of many individuals peering into the beauty and mystery of the person and work of Jesus, together. If you believe that church would happen whether you attend or not; yes, in a sense it will, but you add to the color. Let us pray, sing, learn, confess, be encouraged, together.

Rev. Ben Melli