A LOT OF FOLKS on the Appalachian Trail come out here to escape something: a failed relationship, they got fired, they’re going through cancer, or they’ve recovered from cancer. They’ve gotten out of the military. You name it. We wanted to bring the church from the four walls out into the wilderness, to be among people walking the trail who are dealing with all that life throws out. Our parish is 3 feet wide and 2,200 miles long. I started hiking in Georgia and hope to get to Maine by September.

There are nine things I want to do each day: Have fun. Do something invigorating, like jumping into a cold mountain stream. Build relationships with other hikers. Explore. Push through, one step in front of the other, even though it’s hot or pouring down rain. Linger: Today, I’ll be hiking 16 miles. I’ve not seen anybody. I have time to talk with God and let God speak with me. Have adventures—going into town to get a milkshake or climbing a peak to see the sunrise. Then there’s Creation immersion: I’m constantly looking at the trees, the undergrowth, the flowers, the creatures. I’ve been keeping a record of all the creatures I see. I’m up to 105 species. Lastly, I want to enjoy the trip.

“Our parish is 3 feet wide and 2,200 miles long.”

I’m concentrating on Job 37:14 and the song “How Great Thou Art.” If you look at the words of that song and think about hiking the trail, you can see how they match. In Job, he is struggling with why bad things are happening to him. How is he going to deal with all this? He’s told to stop and consider God’s wonders. One of the things that’s bubbled up for me is the majesty of God, the holiness of God, how large God is compared to little old me.