Journeying into the Unknown

by John Eiselt

I don’t particularly like backpacking in the mountains.

Journeying into a difficult season of life or into a “land” unknown is not unlike the fear and anxiety I felt as our group headed out to hike to San Luis Peak (14,022'), the highest summit of the La Garita Mountains range in the Rocky Mountains. It's beautiful, but there are so many unknowns as you head out on a multi-day trek into the mountains.

Don’t get me wrong, some of the most transformative moments in my faith have occurred while on literal mountain tops.

And I love everything about being in the mountain--the scenery, the wildlife, the air, and the escape from the everyday routines of life. I even like the way my hiking boots sound against the rocks and gravel on the trail.

The part I don’t like is the number of variables that are out of my control when it comes to a multi-day backpacking trek. There are forces of nature that, while part of the adventure, create an element of risk and danger, all of which can lend themselves to stress, anxiety, and even fear. 

When we face circumstances that cause us stress, anxiety, fear and even suffering, we often feel enslaved spiritually and even physically by the source of the suffering.

This feeling of enslavement often leaves us feeling abandoned, or forgotten.

It's time like these that most commonly lead us to doubt and wonder if God is there, if he hears us, if he sees our situation. We wonder if he cares enough to help, guide us, or save us. 

This week, we begin our journey through the book of Exodus, perhaps one of the greatest stories found in the broader story of God delivering his people and making good on his promises.

This the beginning of God’s people journeying into the wilderness to the promised land.

SPOILER ALERT! God is going to rescue them.

More important, though, is what is revealed to us in the way God responds and in the way he reveals his glory to his people in their times of great suffering and need.

When we journey into a difficult season of life or into a “land” unknown,  and we wonder how we'll get through it, Exodus teaches us that “Who” is the answer to “How.”

Recapturing the Glories of Christmas

Christmas is such a glorious time when you’re a kid. You don’t have to do anything to enjoy Christmas. You don’t have to work at it. You just love it.

I’m not sure when it happens, but at some point, as you get older, you start having to work at recovering the glories of Christmas.

And we need glory. We need awe and wonder in our lives. Studies show it makes us less selfish and more connected to others. 

We spend a lot of time during the Christmas season trying to recover the glories of Christmas past because we need glory in our lives. But the true glory of Christmas isn’t found in Christmases past; the true glory of Christmas is found in Christmas’ Christ. 

What is it about Christmas’ Christ that evokes awe and wonder?

Angels announce his coming…
He brings salvation. God wins, we win, everybody can win.
He is the eternal king.
He is the culmination of a long story, the story of God. 
He is God, taking on flesh and blood and moving into the neighborhood!
Enough wonder and awe in all that?

How can we experience his glory? It starts by finding Christ and then focusing on Christ. But ultimately the experience of his glory is on him.

A couple of weeks ago my son from Louisville and his family came to my Saturday hangout, Black Sheep Coffee Cafe. Like most Saturdays, a blue grass group was playing. Each time they finished a song and people clapped, my granddaughter would look up with a big smile, thinking everyone was clapping for her. 

Ultimately the experience of Christ's glory is on him because he promises to share his glory with his followers. He, in his glory, gets all the applause; we get to bask in his glory.