Andy Cornett | living in the new creation

endlessly captivated by the person and work of the resurrected Jesus

10 things I (re)learned in the wilderness

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looking SW over Lake Tahoe

looking SW over Lake Tahoe

Ten days ago was I was exhausted and near the end of a 6-day route to complete the whole Tahoe Rim Trail. The trail itself snaked through state parks, national forests, and federal wilderness areas and covered a remarkable variety of terrain.

As awesome as the outward journey was (and we will write it up soon), the inward journey was just as interesting and fostered plenty of reflection.

So here goes – 10 things I (re)learned in the wilderness:

  1. You could go it alone, but go with a good friend. Adam and planned this for months and committed to doing it together. I probably would have quit after day 3 if I didn’t have a friend who believed in me and was calmly urging both of us on. We shared the work, the load, the struggle, the long conversations, and the joy. It was a richer and deeper experience as a result.
  2. Signposts matter. Not so much for route-finding, but for situational awareness; signposts and trail makers give confirmation that you are on the right road … or warnings that you’re off-route. The complete lack of them gets frustrating.
  3. What goes up must come down. And what goes down will (frustratingly) eventually go up again. It’s unrealistic to expect a level path. The net elevation change doesn’t matter near as much. It’s the gross total that gets you. Day 4 was over 5000’ of climbing. The good news? I was ready for it.
  4. It gets better. Hurting is often the beginning of the story, not the end – endure and it gets better. (Or at least, something else will start hurting more and make you forget your current problem).
  5. Not all pain is a sign of damage or genuine hurt. Some is simply your body protesting: “you are making me seriously uncomfortable here!” Discomfort, aches, and stress are not in themselves always bad things.
  6. The wilderness and the trail give you a “new normal.” I ran with a friend who’s a veteran of many long endurance races, and each time I encountered new difficulties (this or that foot or leg issue) he calmly assured me “that’s normal.” Broadly speaking, there are realities you encounter out there that you simply must accept and embrace. You can’t keep comparing your experience to life as you know it. You adjust to a new normal.
  7. You are capable of more than you dream and far more than you usually think. Part of the reason to go to the wilderness is to push your limits, to eliminate distractions, to test your resources, to be forced to dig deep. Day 4 was a dig deep, 34-mile push to a prize: sunset camping at Lake Velma.
  8. Attend to the fundamentals. When the stuff hits the fan, necessities of food, water, shelter, warmth take priority. Getting down is more important than getting ahead. Sharing the load with another person helps you consider each other’s needs and not miss warning signs.
  9. Fear and adrenaline make you do things you normally wouldn’t or couldn’t do. Our last (late!) 14 miles of day 3 came trying (unsuccessfully) to outrun a thunderstorm. Instead we ran our fastest miles of the trip through hail and cold rain to get off the mountain. Awful? yes. Exhilarating? Without a doubt.
  10. Patient, matter-of-fact truth-telling is ten times better (and more compassionate) than any false praise. Being willing to give a truthful analysis of a situation (or hear one) is necessary before you can take that imaginative breath to see the way forward.

While these come directly from the trail, I trust there are some pretty keen parallels to ordinary life. Use your imagination, and never stop exploring.

One more: Don’t try out there what you haven’t first tried at home. That goes for equipment, food, nutrition, etc. I never should have bought that buffalo jerky bar last-minute…

on a new assignment

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Part of the reason it’s been so quiet here is that I’ve been preparing for a big change. Last Sunday, May 6, I made a big announcement to our students and leaders at SoulStation and to our church at all three worship services: it’s time for the Cornetts to take a new assignment. Here is an edit/excerpt of what I got to say personally to our church (Curt’s sermon that morning was 1 Thess. 1 and faith, love, and hope):

“My heart is too full to say this well, but the time has come for me and my family to leave. I am stepping down as Assistant Pastor for Student Ministries here at New Hope in order to take a call as Assoc. Pastor of Youth and Family Ministry at Signal Mountain Presbyterian in Signal Mountain, TN. For ten whole years you have been gracious and kind to me and my family, allowing us to live among you, serve with you, love you, and grow with you. You have encouraged my faith even as I have worked to strengthen yours in Jesus Christ. You have been a shining example of a church that hopes in Christ, a local church that represents that hope to its community and each other. And finally, we love you and we know you love us. Together we have lived out what 1 Thessalonians 2:8 says so well: “we loved you so much that we delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our very lives as well.”

It has been my great privilege to get to know you and lead you (mostly in student ministry) as together we followed Christ and asked him to lead our church and its ministries where he wanted them to go. And now it is clear to me that, in asking God to lead us, He is leading me away from here and to a new work at a different church. Last Sunday, on April 29, the congregation at Signal Mountain voted to call me to their church … and I accepted that call. That set in motion a careful process. On Monday this past week I told our pastoral staff; on Tuesday, I shared the news with the elders on our Session and the Personnel and Christian Ed Councils; and on Wednesday, the staff. They all kept their word and sealed their lips until I could tell you all face to face this morning. (Robin and I told our own kids last Sunday night – and Michael, Caroline, and Elanor – I am so proud of you for honoring your mom and dad and keeping the news to yourself for a whole week).

Let me try to anticipate a few questions:

How long has this been brewing?

Answer: a very long time. I had an encounter with God last May that left me very clear that it would soon be time for me to leave New Hope; I just didn’t know when or where. Signal Mountain contacted me in early October, and then I had a series of interviews over January – April.

Why are you leaving?

Answer: For all the good reasons. I cannot say this clearly enough: there is nothing or no one here that is causing problems or encouraging me to leave (and besides, that wouldn’t cause me to go). It’s not you – it’s me. But it’s not really me – it’s God. This is a tremendous church and I have every reason to stay … except the most important one: I am absolutely convinced that God is leading me and our family away. I have prayed long about this and have a deep sense of call from the Holy Spirit to go this new work at a new church.

What is your timeline?

Answer: We will move sometime this summer in order to get settled before a new school year. I have some work here that’s important to me to finish (including our trips) and I want to leave well.

What do you want to say?

Answer: I am so glad you asked! As we have lived and served together, I’ve always tried to point you – and especially you students – to Jesus Christ and following him. He is completely trustworthy, completely able, and worth all our faith and obedience. And when he calls, you have a choice to make. To follow or not. To go or to stay. You don’t know how this step is going to turn out, but you know He’s the Lord and has prepared the way. So take the leap and follow Jesus – go forward!

And finally, thank you – thank you – thank you. It has been such a privilege to serve among you. You have been our church, our family, our home. We love you and we will miss you!”

[As to the longer story and how God has met me in this process, I will tell it on this blog over the next few weeks.]

Update on 5/9: My wife Robin blogged about the move at her business site, and New Hope has posted an official update as well.

one year ago today

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Two pictures from a trip last August with Brad Smucker and Adam Pratt. It was the first full day of a planned 60-mile trip arc from the Ansel Adams Wilderness up through the Yosemite High Country.

morning, Day 1: a full pack and light heart at dawn in Red's Meadow.

evening, day 1: the sharp granite of the Sierras above Shadow Lake, sun sinking behind

Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning
to find out that going to the mountain is going home; that wildness is
necessity.
–John Muir

3 kinds of adventure

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Last week I had the chance to watch the incredible Pixar film “UP” with a whole pile of middle and high schoolers from our church here in Fort Myers. Many had not seen it, so there was tons of laughter, only a few dry eyes, and many comments about how most had thought it was supposed to be “just a kids” movie but now saw otherwise.

Since the viewing and discussion, I’ve been thinking that there are three kinds of adventure in the story … and the same three kinds of adventure in our own stories, too.

Adventure #1: the kind that you seek out

“Spotlight on Adventure … Adventure is out there!” – Charles Muntz, UP
We have a dream. We plan a trip. We have a bucket list of things to do. We know we have a limited number of years here and no one gets off this planet alive, so we go on a quest. We long for more adventure times and days and places. We look around at the mundane stuff and think, man – “real life has got to be out there somewhere!” Some seek it in mountains, some in thrills, some in deals or career changes or relationships. We seek it out.

Adventure #2: the kind that is thrust upon you
“This isn’t my concern … I didn’t ask for any of this!” – Carl, UP
We get interrupted. We’re going for Plan A and life hands us Plan D. Our dreams get frustrated. Our plans get complicated. There’s a loss, a change, a bait and switch pulled on us. Suddenly we’re faced with something that we didn’t plan on but it is right here, didn’t sign up for but is on our plate and staring us down. The only question now is one of will and courage – we will face it? embrace it? or walk away? (Every time I think of this I recall Frodo’s lament – “I wish the Ring had never come to me!”)

Adventure #3: the kind that is there all along
“That might sound boring, but I think the boring stuff is the stuff I remember the most.” – Russell, UP
Like it or not, every single day with every single person is an adventure. It’s not sought out or thrust upon you so much as it is chosen or seen. It takes eyes to see this differently. The same routine of work, the same flow of your day with meals and errands. The similar string of places you go or people you bump into. The little traditions or rituals that you keep. You can see it as boring or mundane or banal, or you can see it as a gift, a grace, a beautiful and brilliant life to be embraced in all its riot of people and personalities and perspectives and possibilities. There is a bigger Story fleshing itself out in your (seemingly) little story. Adventure isn’t necessarily out there. It’s here and now, today, in the faces and places around us. It’s in the soul, in the heart and mind, in the interior life that we ignore or close the door on because we don’t want to face what’s inside, we don’t want to confront the scaffolding that supports our self or the mask that we put on every day.

Sometimes we get to seek adventure out. Sometimes an adventure is thrust upon us. Maybe that will be your story. Sometimes real adventure is never as sexy as the dream. But it has the advantage of being here, now, in front of you, every waking moment. Learning to see this kind of adventure is itself a kind of repentance, a metanoia, a turning around and change of heart and ways (let that be a teaser for another day!). To the one who has ears – hear!

“Now go have new adventures!” – Ellie, UP

morning in the Sierras

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on the Northwest side of Donahue Pass, looking down into Lyell Canyon, Yosemite National Park.

– photo by Adam Pratt (who along with Brad Smucker and myself spent five glorious days on the John Muir Trail)