Spirit's Pavilion 1

Follow along for a few weeks?

Billions of places.

The mind roams, “rolodexing” through all the places that you might consider being. Some you’ve seen. Some you’ve only heard of. Predictable places and ‘off the beaten path' ones. Paris, under that tower at night (place 17,689,423,112). That one little nook in the Colorado Rockies where the water drops from one rock level to the next, down 8 or 9 levels (place 126,717).

And all the billions of places that your eyes have never touched for that place to even be imagined in your mind. Never seen by you. Never imagined by you. There's that oft bantered question. If a tree falls in the woods and no-one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? My eyes not touching a place yet doesn't mean extraordinary life isn't already being lived there.

Or about to be lived.

Never seen by you. Never imagined by you.

Until…….

Tucked in the East Tennessee mountains at the southern end of the Cumberland Plateau near Walden's Ridge, Signal Mountain rises 1700 feet above Chattanooga. Each of these spots one of those billions of places strung together in a region. And up on Signal Mountain is the Bible Church. Place 4,223,637,012. Quiet, humble beginnings in 1985 led to a bit of earth on Shackleford Ridge Road in 2003. A new house of worship. Lovely, understated, purposeful.

In the early autumn of 2017, a pavilion was being constructed at the Bible Church, nestled behind the original building in the edge of the mountain woods. Late one morning, the unfinished pavilion met a big gust of wind from a Hurricane Harvey remnant. Blown down. Collapsed. Disappointment. Setback. And resolute. The insurance settlement led to a new and improved plan. In the first half of 2018 a beautiful, inviting pavilion was completed and dedicated for blessed use on Signal. Place 37,219. Beautiful and inviting whether eyes are touching it or not.

My eyes had never touched place 37,219 for that place to even be imagined in my mind. Never seen by me. Never imagined by me.

Until....

Spirit's Pavilion....

There's more.