The Climb

Young at Heart Message
 
​Several of you have asked if I was planning to share anything about my vacation with everyone.
 
I will admit it hadn’t occurred to me, mainly because I couldn’t think of a way to skillfully work it into a sermon and have it feel applicable to the scripture.
 
But, interestingly, I think I can work it in today if you allow me to take a little liberty with the text.
 
Now, to be fair, I do find it hard to work in my actual vacation, because all I did on my week off was take my dogs to a dog sports camp where we did fun things together for a few days.
 
So I’ll share a couple pictures of Lacey and Kanyon doing some Search and Rescue just for those who want to see cute pictures of my dogs doing fun things. 
 
These photos were taken as they found the “subject” they were searching for.

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​There isn’t much more I can say about my vacation that’s relevant, but we did have fun.
 
However, last week I had a busy week and had to work on my usual Saturday off, so I took Wednesday and Thursday off and spent two days in Canmore.
 
What I did while I was in Canmore is what I actually want to talk about today.
 
I intentionally moved our special music to just before the sermon today because when I shared that the theme for today’s message was a play on Miley Cyrus’s song, “The Climb,” Michael told me he would sing it for us today.
 
Perfect. He’s practically preached my whole message in a three-minute song!
 
It worked out so perfectly that I wanted to make sure it was fresh in your mind.
 
“The Climb” is perfect for today’s message because when I was in Canmore, I did something I’ve never done before and I climbed an actual mountain.
 
Those of you who are connected to me on Facebook have already seen my journey, but I’ll share it today for those of you who have not yet seen it because it’s pretty cool.
 
This is my journey climbing the Mount Yamnuska trail.

​So, why share this with all of you?
 
Because Miley’s lyrics ring true for my own journey up a literal mountain, and for so many of us as we journey through life.
 
She sings, “I can almost see it, that dream I’m dreaming, but there’s a voice inside my head saying you’ll never reach it.”
 
Oh, how many times I thought about turning back or wondered if I would make it to the top.
 
She says, “there’s always gonna be another mountain, I’m always gonna wanna make it move. Always gonna be an uphill battle. Sometimes I’m gonna have to lose. Ain’t about how fast I get there. Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side. It’s the climb.”
 
And here is the truth of the matter.
 
The views from the summit of Mount Yamnuska were incredible.
 
I’m proud of myself for getting there, don’t get me wrong.
 
I won’t forget that I got to the top.
 
But you know what I will remember in far more detail?
 
I’ll remember the climb.
 
The Message
 
The Gospels are a bit like climbing a mountain if you think about it.
 
It wouldn’t be much of a story if the writers shared Jesus’ story like this:
 
He was born. It was miraculous. He performed a whole bunch of miracles. He was killed on a cross, and then he came back to life. The end.
 
If this was all there was to it, it seems unlikely that the story would still be in circulation 2000 years later.
 
It also seems unlikely that an entire religion would have been built around that story.
 
Of course, we also recognize that this just isn’t how humans function. We are storytellers at heart.
 
Jesus’ death and resurrection is of little importance without the rest of the story.
 
Certainly, the basis of Christian theology hangs on the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is the climax of the entire story.
 
No one forgets this part of the story.
 
In fact, we have an entire week of the year which focuses on the events leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus.
 
But, we have 51 other weeks of the year which focus on the rest of Jesus’ life and works.
 
In a metaphorical sense, we get an awful lot out of the climb toward the summit of the mountain that is the story of Jesus.
 
Today’s story, for example, includes two miracles that are of incredible importance to his journey.
 
First, we receive the story of Jesus feeding the 5000 (or probably more, because it only mentions 5000 men, but there were likely also women and children around).
 
What do you suppose people who were there remembered about this story?
 
Did they remember the end result of how the food tasted and nothing more?
 
Probably not. They were probably grateful for the food in the moment, but far more inspired for the rest of their lives by the feelings of awe of being in the presence of Jesus and witnessing the miracle that allowed each and every one of them to eat.
 
Likewise, what do you suppose the disciples remembered about their crossing of the Galilee?
 
Do they remember the boat reaching the shore?
 
Again, perhaps in the moment they remember the suddenness of the boat reaching the shore.
 
But once their feet were safely on shore, I imagine they remembered for the rest of their lives being witnesses to watching Jesus walk on water.
 
The point I’m trying to make is that achieving dreams or reaching goals can be an incredible feeling in the moment.
 
But we cannot (and often do not) forget the process of getting there.
 
Imagine our lives being like climbing a mountain, with the summit being the point at which our life ends.
 
If we think about it this way, we can be certain that it isn’t about getting to the top. Rather, it’s the climb that matters.
 
It’s the way we treat people.
 
It’s the way we treat ourselves.
 
It’s kindness and compassion, joy and wonder, pain and heartache, laughter and tears.
 
It’s learning and growing, scraping our knees and hugging our loved ones.
 
It’s connection and community and relationships with other people.
 
This journey through life would not be complete without joy and pain, happiness and suffering.
 
In other words, it would not be complete without the climb.
 
Some parts are easy, and some are incredibly difficult.
 
Sometimes we don’t feel like we have enough to feed ourselves, let alone 5000 or more other people.
 
But, like Jesus, we continue the journey even when we feel like we might not have what we need to reach the top.
 
And somehow, we keep climbing.
 
And, when we do get to the top, we can look back and say “wow, look at how far I have come!”
 
I’ll share one more example from my own life to illustrate that it isn’t about the destination, but about the journey.
 
The example I’ll share is about my ordination.
 
I remember the day I was ordained.
 
I remember that I was surrounded by many people that I love and care about, and who love and care about me.
 
But if I’m being honest, that day was not all that significant in the grand scheme of the journey I was on to get there.
 
I received a call the morning of my ordination that a member of the church I was serving was in the hospital and very close to her final moments.
 
I was asked by the family to come and offer a prayer with them before she passed.
 
So, I got myself ready and dressed for my ordination and headed to the hospital.
 
I offered a prayer with her family and then I headed to church for my ordination.
 
This moment of being with a family as they prepared to lose their loved one was symbolic of the journey I was on, and a stark reminder for me that my ordination itself was not the most important thing to happen in my life.
 
It was a part of the journey – a section of the climb.
 
It felt good to get there, but I learned so much more about myself as I climbed my way to that point.
 
Likewise, when I climbed Yamnuska, I learned more about myself and what I’m capable of on the climb, not at the summit.
 
Similarly, the disciples learned more about Jesus through the act of journeying with him toward his death and resurrection than they did by witnessing his death and resurrection.
 
Of course, these things are all interconnected, and without the summit (the climax of the story), we wouldn’t have a complete story that made sense.
 
But we cannot ever discount the parts of the story that get us to the summit.
 
So, as you leave here today, I encourage you to reflect on your own journeys thus far and appreciate the elements of “the climb” that got you where you are now.
 
Look back on that path that you’ve taken and recognize how far you’ve come, because that journey, that climb, is what makes you who you are today. Amen.
 
Let us pray:
 
Loving God, thank you for reminding us that life is not about any kind of final destination. Rather, it is about the climb - the journey from start to finish, and all that happens to make us who we are along the way.
 
We offer our gratitude today that while we venture on this journey called life, you walk by our side. You are not far away in some distant land, but instead you are with us, among us, and within us.
 
You manifest yourself in ways we would never expect, and for that, we are truly grateful.
 
We ask that you continue walking with us, showing the way when we feel lost or unsure. And, on those occasions when we forget you are still with us through it all, forgive us for not recognizing your presence in our lives.
 
All of this we pray today in your name. Amen.