Transcendence--In All The Wrong Places

Tim Riter September 1, 2014

One of my closest lifetime friendships was forged in high school and college. Ken and I then both followed Jesus, both left, only I returned. Now living in Paris, Ken has trekked the world. His innate curiosity and hunger for knowledge has led him to many worship events, in many faiths. During one of our conversations on his yearly trip back to the states, he offered, “Worship is funny. I visit my parents’ evangelical Christian worship, or that of my Muslim friends, and they all look the same.”

I’ve pondered that a lot, and believe Ken both saw something significant, an outer similarity, but missed on ...

An Antidote to Spiritual Anemia

Tim Riter August 25, 2014

A good friend and fellow teacher who struggles with anemia posted this on Facebook over the weekend, “Why am I so exhausted after only teaching two days? Oh boy.” 2 down, MANY to go, and tiredness has already hit. I understand; I teach also. But a more pervasive issue comes from the spiritual anemia that so infects American Christianity. We lack energy and motivation for the things of God. We care, but not deeply. We serve, but not joyfully. We give, but not sacrificially.

The antidote may be found in a fishing story, and not a tall tail. The above photo may be...

Consequences of Over Confidence

Tim Riter August 18, 2014

In light of how relatively small events coupled with overconfidence can run us off the road, leading at least to embarrassment, I offer the following true confession. Just last June, our Gray Hogs group pulled into Las Vegas with the temp at 109 (this part of the story can be found in “450 Miles of Misery” from June 23 2014), needing food and gas. In & Out cared for the former, Chevron the latter.

Our next stop, Cedar City, lay 180 miles north, then another 130 would take us to Richfield UT to meet the rest of our group. With my ST1300’s tank holding 7.7 gallons and easily averaging 45 mpg, I felt confident I could go 350 miles, and we just had 310. So I passed on gassing up in Cedar...

The Upper Bedroom

Tim Riter August 11, 2014

That day riding along the Oregon combined breath-taking scenery with bone-chilling cold. We’d headed west from Salem to the coast at Pacific City, then we turned north to Tillamook where we had lunch and sampled their world famous cheeses. Well, famous anyplace west of Wisconsin anyway. The beauty of one stretch forced me to shout for joy, with ocean flats on our left as trees formed a canopy over our two lane road. Clouds blocked the sun enough to give a gauzy sense of beauty, but with enough light to see it well.

In all the years of the Gray Hog touring, this road neared the top of the list. But when we turned south, the sun took a nap as the fog rolled in and the world turned gloomy and damp and cold...

Josh, a few years after the story, on Rock Creek

Trout Fishing as a Team Sport?

Tim Riter August 4, 2014

Something unexpected happened when I first held my grandson, Joshua. He adjusted himself into my chest and his hug reached right into my heart. I’ve never been the same since we connected like that. I suppose it’s only natural he seemed to love fishing.

I started him out fishing with an empty line on a Colorado pond. He doesn’t remember it, but he had to fish “like grandpa.”

Later...

God Touches

Tim Riter July 28, 2014

Last week we explored how we need to intentionally evaluate each decision on the basis of being a follower of Jesus. Today, let’s flip the coin, courtesy of an experience with a good friend from years back, Wayne Ragland.

Wayne and I yearned to be the next photo/journalist stellar pair, and headed to Yosemite for material. He’d take the pics; I’d write the copy. You’ve heard of us, right? Yeah, thought so. On the long ride up, Wayne mentioned he saw every scene for its potential picture value. I thought that diminished one’s appreciation of creation’s beauty, so we chewed on it a bit. He didn’t convince me, until I started writing in earnest, decades later.

Sex, Lies, and Thieves

Tim Riter July 21, 2014

Basically, the parameters of my faith were: no sex outside marriage, no lies, no stealing. If I did a decent job on those, I felt fairly successful and had a bit of spiritual pride. OK, a lot. Notice though, I only had three. God had ten primary ones, a much more difficult job, so I created my own Reader’s Digest version. Please don’t try this at home. I made sure they were do-able and I could keep them in mind. You may have your own shortened list, and it may vary from mine. That’s OK, we’re really doing the same thing.

Then I came across ...

Wild Life Detected

Tim Riter July 14, 2014

Naw, this post won’t direct you to wild parties in your neighborhood! Let’s talk about another kind: deer. In 43 years of riding bikes, much in the mountains, I never gave a thought to deer crossing the road and trying to knock me off the bike. Then a year ago, in Libby MT, our group talked to a local who’d hit 23 deer. Killed 17 of them. That gave me pause. Less than a week later on the road to Eureka, a deer bolted in front of Brad on his bike with no chance to avoid a collision. After the life flight to appropriately named Mercy Medical Center in Redding, doctors tended to multiple broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a broken collar bone and shoulder blade, and a number of abrasions. He now has a plate in his shoulder with 9 screws. He still rides, but that incident got my attention.

So I was particularly cautious leaving Pagosa Springs at 5:30 in the morning with a cup of hot coffee in the cup holder.

Unconventional

Old Faith, New Following