What a Journey

Dear Sutton and Savannah, 

There is only one 14,000 foot peak that I have summited twice. It has a very unintimidating name: Mount Sneffels. It sounds like a Sesame Street destination, but it is actually a strenuous climb. The summit itself is rather small, with only enough room for four or five people. Though the view is beautiful from the top, I have far more pictures taken on the trail; the four-wheel drive to the trailhead, the meadows, the slide, the saddle, boulder alley, and the key-hole. The summit is the destination that creates the journey, but the journey is what holds the adventure, the challenges, stretches the imagination, and taxes the resources. I have taken hikes where I have not reached the summit. But I still treasured the journey.

-Dad

Inside Out Lectionary Letters

Year A - 6th Sunday of Easter (Texts, Art, Hymns)

Readings for Sunday, May 10, 2026

Acts 17:22-31 / Psalm 66:8-20 / 1 Peter 3:13-22 / John 14:15-21

Summary of Psalm 66:8-20

This is a psalm of thanksgiving that moves from communal praise to personal experience. The journey described in this hymn is filled with pressure, exhaustion and feelings of being overwhelmed. But it also describes times of spaciousness, prosperity and gratitude.

Scripture as a Mirror of the Soul

The outward journey can often include pressure and exhaustion. So can the inward journey. Fear, anxiety, confusion and anger can feel like immoveable obstacles to any type of happiness or peace. Pain and grief can keep us from moving in any direction, and the inner landscape can feel like it has turned into a desert. The landscape may seem frighteningly spacious, while the soul seems to shrink and struggle for breath.

There are parts of us that want integration without work, transformation without confrontation or healing without vulnerability. However, what constricts us can also uncover us. The things that pressure us reveal the crutches to which we cling. The storms reveal our propped up identity. The obstacles reveal our lack of resilience. And the harsh conditions often reveal our resentments, wounds and protective strategies. There are lessons that can only be learned in the desert.

Maybe the psalmist is inviting us to recognize that the obstacles are not hindrances to the journey, but are actually the journey itself.