Not all rest stops are as intriguing as the artful, waterside, and panoramic ones I described in On Travel Part One. Sometimes the road weary must take what is available when a break is needed. Such was the case when my husband and I ended up in a small, dingy fast-food restaurant in a town that also seemed small and dingy.
I don’t recall if it was fuel or food that demanded our stop, but we found few options as we drove through a depressed main street area. The town lacked charm and energy, but a reputation proceeded it in our minds. Hopewell, Virginia was where Rev. Tim Keller first pastored a church. Keller eventually became the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church of New York City, a renowned preacher, and a prolific author. I dedicated a blog post to his legacy last summer after he died of cancer at age 72. Since then, a new family member carries his name.
Hopewell was an odd placement for a man like Timothy Keller. He was a well-educated intellectual, a voracious reader, and able to comprehend, reason, and expound at very deep levels. He loved academic settings. Hopewell was a blue-collar town. As a young pastor there, Keller had to balance his brilliance in Bible teaching with pastoral care and connecting in community. The Hopewell congregation also “forced Keller to develop his skill for distilling difficult and complicated concepts in ways that Christians and non-Christians alike can understand.” (Hansen, Collin. Timothy Keller His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation, 2023). The Kellers lived and ministered in Hopewell, Virginia for nine years; their three sons were born in Hopewell. One of Hopewell’s congregants gave the eulogy at Keller’s memorial service .
You might wonder why my blog about travel took a detour to a small town, and a pastor’s first start. For me, the Keller years in Hopewell signify how God calls us to be faithful and obedient whatever the task, wherever the task. Sometimes, maybe often, our placements feel like a misfit. I would not extrapolate this to mean, start small so that God will do something big later. I don’t think ministry is ever about size. It’s about faithfulness in the moment.
Personally, I have been thinking about another small start. At my fortieth high school reunion, I reconnected with a classmate. We had not been in touch since the summer after our freshman year in college because my family moved away. Through tears my old friend recounted her memory of “that little church.” During our junior high years, she attended Wednesday night youth group with me. The youth program wasn’t flashy, but there she heard the Gospel, resulting in a lifetime of faith in Jesus for her. Wherever spectacular travels might take you this summer or especially if you remain in your routine place, abound in faithful living. “Therefore … be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15 v 58
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Thank you, Brenda for this second installment. I started reading Tim Keller after I found his book on marriage on the coffee table in your home. Now I listen to many of his past sermons with deep appreciation. I didn’t know he got his start in such a small town. Our area of VT has very few small churches, so Christian fellowship is rare. Thank you for your charge to blossom where we are planted by living faithfully. We anticipate moving here to our rebuilt house sometime in the near future and the idea seems scary and a bit bleak for friendships, especially with believers. I need to give my fears to the Lord and ask Him to fill the empty holes in my heart when I leave the routines, familiarity, and friendships in MA. If you think of me, please pray that the Lord will use me in this environment. Thanks!