Central Abbotsford

Last weekend, on the hottest day of the year so far, our family (along with one of the kids’ friends) hiked to Chadsey Lake. If you haven’t been (or don’t know), Chadsey Lake is located on Sumas Mountain, five kilometres up a forest service road after the pavement ends. There are a number of trails that can take you there, but the most kid-friendly one is about 3km through the woods, and is the rare hike around here that takes you downhill on the way in, and uphill on the way out. It is also well-shaded, so even when it’s 35° outside, it still feels pleasant! Also, there is a nice little lake to cool off in, as the name suggests. All in all, it was a very enjoyable (and tiring) time.

But the purpose of this story, as you might have guessed, is not just to tell you about a good place to spend an active sunny day. It’s to take a mundane anecdote and make a theological observation about it!

On the hike back to the car, Andrea and I were walking at the pace of a six-year-old, which allowed the older kids to go a bit ahead. At one point, we noticed that they had inadvertently veered off the trail a little bit, and we called them back. It seems that whichever one of them was in the lead had taken the wrong turn, and the others followed along. As it happens, we had been explaining to Neïva the importance of looking for the trail markers on the trees just before the other kids took their excursion! Sometimes the Lord delivers His own sermon illustrations in life for you.

Chapter 11 of 1 Corinthians starts out with Paul’s call to “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” The King James Version is even more germane to this anecdote with the wording “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” The kids were certainly followers, but in that moment, their act of following led them from the path that was set out for them.

It is good to have role models; people we look up to for wisdom and guidance in life. The Bible recognizes this – Hebrews 11 is often referred to as the “hall of faith”, as it lists a number of women and men from throughout the Scriptural story who received commendation from God for their faith. Yet, as you go through the names listed therein, you will quickly realize that many of them were not always (or even primarily) known for being models of righteous, ethical, or even faithful action. It seems that God wants us to know that our heroes are not perfect, just redeemed.

But this should always give us a healthy sense of caution when we follow the lifestyle of another person (especially if we are only following one person!). Proverbs 11:14 tells us that “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” This is why being an active member of a community guided by the Scriptures is so essential to flourishing in your faith and life! At church, you are in the presence of an abundance of counselors, but you also have the very words of God at hand to mark the path for you, lest you (or any of your counselors) begin to walk astray.

It is my sincere hope that at Central Abbotsford, we are fostering a community that loves and cares for one another; of mature believers who are generous and thoughtful enough to share wisdom and new believers who are bold enough to ask for it. But, even more so, it is my hope that all of this is done in search of God’s truth – His truth about how we are called to an obedient, repentant, and free life in light of how He has drawn His children to Himself, through Christ who He sent. It is Him who has marked out that path, and Him who equips us to walk upon it.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

– Psalm 119:105