Sunday, my friend Rev. Dr. Josh Parrott filled the pulpit for me while I am away with my in-laws on vacation. I’m still in California as we wrap up our National Park tour that included Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon. We’ve seen massive trees, breathtaking landscapes, and checked off a bucket list item for my father-in-law Harry who has been dreaming of this trip for years (big thanks to Tara Hayes for helping plan it).
One of the examples Josh gave Sunday had to do with his own trip out west. He mentioned seeing the climbers in the National Parks he and his family visited. Like Josh, you won’t find me hanging from the side of a sheer rock face any time soon. But, I was fascinated to watch the same thing at Yosemite.
El Capitan, found in Yosemite Valley, is a 3,000 foot vertical rock wall that happens to be the center of the rock climbing universe. As you can see from the first picture above, it is one of those breathtaking images I’ve had the opportunity to visit. After staring at the rock for some time, I realized something—there was someone on the rock! In the second picture you can barely see the person casting a shadow down the rock face. They looked like a tiny ant climbing around the wall of granite.
In climbing, an anchor point is a secure, fixed point used to attach the climbing rope or system. It’s essential for the safety of the climber. It can be a natural anchor, like a tree or a boulder, or a piece of climbing gear. Interestingly enough, one of the common acronyms for climbing anchors is SERENE. A good anchor should be Solid, Equalized (it shares the load), Redundant (able to be a backup in case another point fails), Efficient, and Non-Extending (meaning it can handle the sudden impact if another piece fails). That starts to sound a lot like a serene anchor we have in our faith…
Hebrews 6:19 says, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure…” We can have an anchor for this life. Someone that grounds us in the midst of chaos and confusion. Someone that is firm and secure in an ever-changing world. His name is Jesus. If we try to anchor ourselves on anything but His hope, love, and mercy, our anchor will eventually fail. We must be anchored in His Gospel, for our own sakes.
I pray that we all find our anchor point in Jesus. Let us hold firmly to the One who will never leave us or forsake us. Let us cling to the One who is the same; yesterday, today, and forever more.
Prayer: God, you are our anchor in this life. Help us to cling to You and trust in Your goodness. In Jesus’ holy name we pray, Amen.