At approximately the age of 7, I was dragged up a mountain into the arms of my father. This makes for a tidy metaphor—that I’ll get into later—but it’s also entirely true.

My one and only time “skiing” coincided with a trip out west to Colorado with my parents and my older brother. We visited family outside of Denver and Boulder, and went to a mountain named Sunlight (near Glenwood Springs), where my brother and I, flatlander Hoosiers both, would get our first taste of a bona fide set of ski slopes.

My athletic father had skied when my parents lived in Colorado “before kids” so he was taking charge of me, the wobbly-kneed youngest, swaddled in wooly layers and a snow suit. At the pomalift, he showed me what to do, then went up the slope first. I was to go next, followed by my brother and my mom. Not surprisingly, my attempt went horribly wrong. Within seconds, I was flat on my side, gripping the post, dragged up the slope, my ascent pillowed by my mother’s excellent outfitting.

The worker staffing the lift cried out, Let go, Little Girl! Let go! But I only had eyes for my father who I spied up the mountain, waiting for me with open arms. Snow in my lashes, snow piling into my scarf socks and hat, I could hear the whirr of the machine while my father called down for me to Hold on! Almost there! When I finally reached the summit, he scooped me up and brushed me off. And, of course, I felt safe again. In my father’s arms.

While my memories of that day’s skiing are scant, the slow ascent clutching the pomalift, skis plowing a path behind me, remains vivid, a comforting memory of a father who I still dearly love. It reminds me, as well, of the single-hearted focus of a child with her eyes fixed on someone she trusts and loves above all else, despite how long ago that seems.

These days, in a whirlwind world that wails for my attention, I struggle to keep my eyes fixed in the right direction. A well-tutored student of this tech-saturated, consumerist culture, my distractible eyes track back and forth as I click through apps, swipe right or left, find the best sales and the best buys. I am hustling through my to-do list; I am raging through the news; I am keeping up with the trends. Buffeted by social media and blasted by emails, my emotions bob through FOMO and doubt, ambition and exhaustion. I need. I want. I fear. I despair. Over. And over. And over again.

But then there are Sundays, the pomalift to my toppled soul, dragging me trembling toward safety, reminding me to keep my eyes fixed on the one who can scoop me out of mess after mess of my own making. There are readings to ground me in my values; community to comfort me; wise words to right me when I’ve fallen—again and again. While the world cries out to “let go” and give in to its siren call, it’s the community of faith that urges me to hold on, to fix my thoughts on “what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable,” and to “Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (Philippians4:8 NLT) And it is this community that gives me the strength to hold on.

Sometimes, for all of us, the journey of faith can feel a bit too much like being dragged up a mountain in your snow suit, holding on for dear life, wondering if you’re headed in the right direction. There is debt and dashed dreams. Sickness and sadness. Grief over what’s lost and what’s broken in the world. But there is also hope—and joy ahead. I suspect that the metaphorical lesson learned by that 7-year-old those many years ago still holds true. Keeping my eyes fixed on the father, what’s good and what’s true, this bumpy journey will ultimately take me toward peace, toward safety, and into loving arms that will make all things right again.

Beth Haymaker

Rev. Jen has set her office drop-in day as Wednesday of each week from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. for anyone who would like to stop in and visit. You are always invited to make an appointment for a time convenient for you. Mondays are her Sabbath day. Rev. Jen will be away at Waycross June 23 – 28. She is available for emergencies during her time at Waycross.

NON-FOOD PANTRY MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES

July 23 & July 24, 2025 Volunteers needed to sell State Fair tickets during “Fairs Care” at the Putnam County Fair. The Putnam County Pantry Coalition splits the profit from ticket sales with participating pantries. Last year our portion of the proceeds was able to pay for two months of NFP lunches. Please contact Fred Vallowe, (618) 927-6703, for sign-up details.

TUESDAY BIBLE STUDY

The Book and Bible Group has begun again, meeting at 4:30 p.m. most Tuesday afternoons with Evening Prayer celebrated at 4:00 p.m. The next one will be Tuesday, July 1.

ALTAR FLOWER CALENDAR

An altar flower calendar is posted in Hamilton Hall. Sign up to sponsor the altar flowers to commemorate a birthday or anniversary, remember a loved one, or in thanksgiving for an important event. We ask a donation to help offset the cost of the altar flowers and other worship expenses. Be sure to tell the office your dedication so that it can be printed in the bulletin. Please make checks payable to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and in the memo field please put this information: Altar Flowers, person’s name, occasion, Sunday date you’d like for the flowers to be on the altar.

VESTRY MEETING MINUTES

If any of you are interested in what your Vestry is doing, there are two copies of each month’s minutes on the top of the piano in Hamilton Hall. Feel free to read and return!

SHOPPING LIST FOR NON-FOOD PANTRY

Please add razors, shaving cream, and underarm deodorant to your shopping list for the NFP for the month of June. If you are donating adult pull-ups/briefs, they should be the ones without tabs. Meals and conversation in Hamilton Hall are going well. Patrons are now able to pick out items they most need. Your contributions help our budget go farther in helping meet the needs of those in Putnam County. The next Non-Food Pantry will be Saturday, June 28 from noon – 2:00 p.m. If you can help with this ministry in any way, please contact Harriet Moore or Fred Vallowe.

KROGER COUPONS

If you have any unwanted Kroger coupons, please bring them to Hamilton Hall and place in the window ledge near the “Little Library”. We would like to make them available to our Non-Food Pantry recipients so that they might be able to take advantage of them to help extend their food budget. Thanks in advance!

FREE DAILY DEVOTIONAL

We have some large print Day by Day daily devotionals in the sanctuary that you are free to take home for your personal devotions–and if we know that people would like copies, we can order the right amount. Many of you may also appreciate the on-line version of Day to Day. Click here.

ON-GOING COVID PROTOCOL

We continue to respond to both our county’s current CDC designation and to the current variant. Masking is optional. Decisions on COVID policy have moved from the Reconvening Committee to Rev. Jen and the Wardens.

We have heard that the daily reflections and scripture readings provided during Lent were appreciated. The meditations are written by persons from Gobin UMC and Beech Grove UMC. They will be in the newsletter each week. Whether you enjoy these every day or as the Spirit moves you, may this resource continue to bring you spiritual food for the journey. Blessings!

Click here to view the readings and accompanying links.

Your prayers are asked for: