Parable of the Hiking Father & Children

One of the things I love about living here is having the opportunity to hike. But something that makes life even grander is when my kids express that they want to hike with me.

While the last couple of weeks have been quite hectic, with tornados and all, I did find time to go hiking with my kids on two separate occasions. First, a few weeks ago, Liam and I were itching for some alone time together, so when I mentioned that I was going hiking Monday morning, he asked in his 2-year-old voice, “Can I go hiking with you, Da?” How could I resist?

Liam and I parked at the Overlook Parking Lot, and hiked about a mile up the PMT and back. He did really well for a 2-year-old, and I only had to pick him up and carry him about a half a mile back. Hiking with a 2-year-old on your shoulders is no small feat, so I got quite a workout. He and I ended our trip with a picnic. The benefit of doing this is that when I got him home, he was exhausted and slept for 2 hours! Read more

Photos from Nature Walk

We had a great time on the Nature Walk on  August 27th! Here are some photos from our adventure!

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Adult Formation Class- Nature Walk

On August 28 at 9:45am, John Brent will lead the Adult Formation class in a Nature Walk around the property of St. Nicholas.

Please wear comfortable clothing and shoes. Lynn Hall will bring the bug spray!

This Past Weekend In Pics

There was a lot going on at St. Nicholas this past weekend. Luckily, we had some cameras handy and captured some shots.

First, on Thursday evening, Sheila Dixon invited folks over to her house for a delicious dinner and some Lobsterfest preparations. The group made hand fans to hand out at Lobsterfest in case it gets hot, which is has the last few years. It was a great group who engaged in some great conversation as they worked. Many hands make short work, so before we knew it, we were done! Another group wrapped silverware on Saturday at the church, but we didn’t get any pictures of them. There has been a lot of hard work that has gone into Lobsterfest, and one of the best things is the new friendships that have been made! Thanks to Lynn Hall for these pictures, and for everyone who came out to work on the fans and the silverware.

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Youth Group Hike at Providence Canyon

Our next youth event is September 12th right after church! We’re going hiking in Providence Canyon. This will be a 3-4 hour hike and it may be pretty hot so bring a water bottle. Make sure you wear hiking-appropriate clothes. The hike is free but bring $10 for food as we may grab some dinner on the way back depending on what time we finish. Please RSVP to youth intern Cami Fanning at cameran.fanning@gmail.com by next Wednesday, September 8th! Feel free to bring your friends and encourage your fellow youth members to sign up! We’ll be leaving around 12:30 or 1:00. Adult drivers are needed, so if you can help out, e-mail Cami.

Thank God For Camelbaks!

It’s been a while since I posted about my weekly hikes. With the exception of vacation last week, I have been diligent in my weekly discipline. I still am amazed at the beauty of our Pine Mountain Trail and how much fun it is to hike on it, while at the same time, serving as my de facto labyrinth path on which I pray regularly.

Today I went on the 3 1/2 mile trek around the East End Loop, which starts at the Rocky Point parking lot and includes the White Candle and Beaver Pond Trails. It’s a great hike with a great overlook called “Odie’s Overlook.” This was after an early morning in Columbus at TAP, which I’m doing all week. Today we learned about prayer in the Hindu religion, how to make challah from the Jewish tradition, and banged on drums, as we focus on being “People of Peace.” Even on the first day, you can see the children laughing and playing, creating new relationships and learning about the cultures and traditions of one another. Read more

The “Staycationing” Priest

The week after Easter has traditionally become the “week off” for many clergy. This guy is no exception. When I was the Assistant Rector at St. Peter’s, Savannah, I usually had to defer to my rector Sam so he could have that week off. But thanks be to God, since I’ve been at St. Nicholas, I finally get this luxury. The season of Lent was particularly busy and somewhat harrowing. Lots of people were sick and in the hospital. We have a fantastic Lenten Series, but one that required a lot of work. Then Holy Week came and while I believe those liturgies are central to our lives as Christians, they are emotionally stimulating and rigorous. Finally, the big day of Easter came, which brought 221 people into the doors of St. Nicholas–a new record! Thanks be to God! Read more

The Hiking Preacher Part 10

Wolfden Loop Part 2

WJSP Tower Parking Lot to Mile Marker 20 and back: 6 miles, 3 hours 15 minutes

This is the tenth in a series of posts about my weekly hikes on the Pine Mountain Trail.

I’ve got good news and bad news. The bad news is that this is my last Hiking Preacher post. The good news is that I’ve gotten such a great response to it, that I decided to rename my blog The Hiking Priest! I changed it to “priest” because, even though I am a preacher, priest encapsulates more of who I am. This will definitely not be my last post about hiking, however, as I will continue my weekly hikes in preparation for my sermons. Today concluded my second trip on the PMT, and it’s definitely become part of my spiritual discipline. In fact, I can always tell if I’m having a bad week and directly connect it to the fact that I didn’t spend time with God on the trails.

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The Hiking Preacher Part 9

Wolfden Loop Part 1

Rocky Point to Mile 20 & back: approx. 4 miles, 2 hours
Rocky Point to East End Loop & back: approx. 4 miles,  2 hours 15 minutes

This is the ninth in a series of posts about my weekly hikes on the Pine Mountain Trail.

Today I’m posting about two separate hikes. Last week, I just plain ol’ ran out of time and couldn’t get my act together to write about the first chunk of the Wolfden Loop. Wolfden is the longest loop on the trail, at 6.7 miles. I haven’t hiked the whole loop at one time, but I’d like to do so someday. Instead, I have broken the loop into 3 hikes which are all very manageable if you don’t have a lot of time. You can hop onto these trails really easily from the Rocky Point Parking Lot, whereas next week’s section will require going all the way over to the WJSP Tower and starting there.

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The Hiking Preacher Part 8

Dowdell Knob Loop

Approx. 4.3 miles, 2 hours, 15 minutes

This is the eighth in a series of posts about my weekly hikes on the Pine Mountain Trail.

This week, Dowdell Knob was open! I went on Tuesday rather than Monday because I had to get the bulletin and newsletter ready before Thanksgiving. It wasn’t quite as beautiful a day as it was last week, but it’s hard to mess up the view at Dowdell Knob! I really needed this hike after a stressful couple of days. I found myself getting grumpy and down, and once again I find that if I feel myself getting this way, it’s time to lean on the spiritual disciplines we have for ourselves. In my case, I had to get out on the trail, do some praying, and even write some thoughts down in my journal.

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