Close Encounters
May 2025 - Bruce Fairbairn, Elder
Barb and I have hiked numerous times throughout the U.S. and Canada. We love experiencing God’s magnificent creation up front and personal—the mighty mountains, towering trees, raging rivers and wild animals in their natural habitats. You may remember my message several months ago about our close brush with a grizzly bear. We’ve had many such close encounters with animals large and small, meat eaters and vegans, friendly and not.
On the same trip where we encountered that grizzly, we met this male deer (pictured above) hiking in the Canadian Rockies near Waterton. Our friend Gary, Barb, and I were hiking along a narrow ledge trail with a steep drop-off on one side and the mountain rising straight up on the other side. Suddenly, we met the buck walking toward us. We all stopped and stared at each other for a while. He then lowered his impressive antlers, clearly telling us, “You really don’t want to mess with me, do you?” In response, we humans plastered our bodies as close as possible to the side of the mountain as he sauntered by us just two feet away and continued on down the trail.
On our first trip to Glacier National Park in Montana, we encountered this quizzical-looking mountain goat (picture following). We were on the Hidden Lake Trail, where you are practically guaranteed to see dozens of (mostly) docile mountain goats munching grass or lying in the cool shade of trees. This big guy walked by and then turned his head for one last look at us. I nicknamed him Bobby DeNiro, since it reminded me of his signature line in the movie Taxi Driver: “You lookin’ at me? You lookin’ at me?!”
It’s wonderful to see God’s creatures face-to-face in the wilderness and marvel at how He equipped them all with individually tailored traits, instincts, and survival skills, enabling them to not only live but to thrive in their respective habitats. Just think how much more God has given us. In Scripture, we are called “masterpieces” and “made in His very image.” Songs by the Christian group “Casting Crowns” remind us that “we were made to be courageous” and that “we were made for so much more than ordinary lives, it’s time for us to do more than just survive. We were made to thrive.”
So, what does this all mean for communion? I believe that our lives indeed thrive as we are infused and guided by the indwelling Spirit. And while we can certainly enjoy a close encounter with Christ at any time, it seems like, during communion, Heaven bends just a little closer to earth. We gather around Christ at His table to receive the new covenant in His body and blood. Hope to see you all for a close encounter with Jesus this and every time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper!
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