Rough terrain - Pastor's pen for 7th September 2025

Karangahake panorama

People we know and love are going through things all the time, although there seem to be a lot of challenges at the moment, in family and congregational connections. A lot of these things can be age related, but not exclusively. How do we face them?

Going for a run used to be the mechanism I had to process all the problems of life, gather my thoughts, expecting that maybe a good ending to a sermon would pop into my head along the way. These days it seems the run itself is one of the problems of life, requiring a thorough warm-up, inducing niggling pain along the way in various parts, and so on. This is a small thing, compared to what others have to deal with.

I still hope to be able to navigate the rough terrain of tracks in the wilderness, whether it be running or walking. Nature challenges us, and provides wonder and blessing at the same time. Life is a bit like that, and we hope that our faith in God is robust enough to get us through, and even that this faith might be strengthened by the rough terrain of life. We hope for wonder and 'God-moments' along the way.

In John 6 Jesus brings a challenging teaching that doesn't sit well with many in the gathered crowd. Hangers-on begin to disappear because of it. Jesus turns to the twelve, asking; "‘Do you also wish to go away?’  Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.  We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.’"

We can guarantee that at some stage there will be 'rough terrain' ahead. There will be challenges to our faith when nothing seems to be fair, or to make sense. Continue to trust in the 'Holy One of God', Jesus, along the way. He has the words of eternal life. Shalom