Gratitude and Faith Through the Years by Rick Hill

The Gold and the Flame: Lessons from Children

I have always loved helping with children’s sermons at church. Children ask honest questions. Sometimes one simple question can teach more than a long sermon. I remember one Sunday when I was talking about rainbows. We have a picture of our church with a rainbow ending right at the front door. I told the children, “Good things happen at the end of the rainbow.” Then a young boy named Christopher looked at me and asked, “But where’s the gold?” Everyone laughed, and I laughed too. I said, “The gold is out there in the pews!” But later I kept thinking about his question. He was right. The real gold is not money hidden somewhere. The gold is the people of God. It is their love, their giving, their service, and their faithfulness. Without the people, the church building is only wood and stone.

Another children’s sermon has stayed in my heart for years. I lined up several children and lit one candle. Then I used that candle to light another, and another, until the room was full of light. The first candle did not lose its flame. It only shared it. I told them that God’s love is like that. The more we give it away, the more it spreads. God never runs out of love. That lesson has guided me through hard times. My faith is simple. Love God. Love your neighbor. Jesus said these are the greatest commandments. I try to build my life on them.

 

Roots of Faith: From the Farm to Mt. Chase

I did not grow up in a family that was always in church every Sunday. I grew up on a farm. Life on the farm was busy and demanding. Cows needed to be milked every day, no matter the weather or the holiday. Christmas morning, Easter Sunday, birthdays—it did not matter. The work had to be done. But my mother believed faith mattered. She made sure we went to Sunday School whenever we could. One person made a deep mark on my life when I was young. Her name was Mrs. Palmer. She was our minister. She was a big woman with a big heart, and she drove a tiny Volkswagen Beetle. Every month, she came down our dirt road to visit my mother at our kitchen table. She did not wait for us to come to church. She brought the love of Christ to our home. That taught me something I never forgot: Ministry happens when you visit, listen, care, and show up where people are.

In 1976, Sara and I moved to this beautiful part of Maine. She was expecting our first child, Julie. We came because we had the chance to run Mt. Chase Lodge. That began a forty-year adventure for our family. The lodge welcomed hunters, fishermen, and guests from many places. It was exciting work, but it was also nonstop work. Guests often arrived on Sundays, so church was hard for us. Sunday was one of our busiest days. Even in those years, God did not leave us. We had our children baptized. In the winter months, when business slowed down, we returned to church whenever we could. Looking back now, I can see that God was always there. Sometimes we were the ones who were distracted. God was patient, waiting for the right season in our lives.

 

Stewardship and Strength through the Storms

Later, people in the church helped me find my place again. One of them was Irene Bradford. Many people in town knew Irene. If someone had a burden, they could sit at her kitchen table, have coffee, and talk. She served faithfully as church treasurer. After her came Rodney Harris, then Sheila, who served for many years with great dedication. Somewhere along the way, I was asked to help with church finances. It just became part of my calling. As finance chair, I saw many needs. The roofs needed repair. Bills needed to be paid. But I also saw miracles. I saw how ordinary dollars became ministry—heat in the winter, food for families, and a place where people could worship.

The hardest season I remember was the COVID pandemic. When the church doors closed, I worried deeply. There were nights I could not sleep. Then I came to a turning point. I realized this church belongs to God, not to me. I had to let go and trust Him. Once I did that, peace came. And God proved faithful. People kept giving. The building stayed open. Soon after that came another trial when Pastor Dan became ill. But again, faithful people stepped forward. Mary Miller, Paula Lilley, and Kathy MacLachlan helped lead worship and keep the church strong. I call people like that angels among us.

 

A Living Legacy: The Kingdom Today

Today I still see God at work in simple ways. One example is Bone Builders, an exercise group that began during the pandemic. It started small in a garage. Now people gather regularly in the church hall. They come to exercise, but they also come to care for one another. It is more than exercise. It is a community. The same is true of the food pantry, which helps many families. It is true of every quiet act of kindness that happens here. This is how the Kingdom of God grows—not always in big dramatic moments, but in everyday faithfulness.

I am thankful for all who serve now, from our treasurer, Raye Porter, to those who work behind the scenes. Every person matters. Whenever I speak about gratitude, I like to ask people to look at the person next to them. They may be the reason this church is still standing. Churches are not built only by pastors or committees; they are built by generations of faithful people who keep loving, serving, and trusting God. When I look back over my life—from the farm, to the lodge, to the church—I see one truth: God has been faithful. His love is still like that candle flame. It keeps burning. It keeps spreading. The gold is here. It is in the people of God. And the flame is bright.

Amen.