Pastor's Life - God sustains

God sustains pastors as they do God's work by Rev. Dr. Alice Ridgill While driving on a bright, sunny day a few weeks ago, I crossed a bridge I had driven over many times before. As I approached it, my familiarity made the crossing feel entirely routine. However, what I assumed would be a mundane excursion became a memorable experience. On that unforgettable day, I found myself not only appreciating the parts of the bridge I could see but also reflecting on and appreciating the parts I could not. Although I had crossed that bridge countless times before, it had never dawned on me that what lies hidden below a bridge is far more important than what is seen above. Bridges don’t stand because of what is visible above the surface; they stand because of what is securely anchored below the surface. As I casually drove across the bridge, I realized that it is not the visible beams or cables that enable bridges to endure. Rather, it is pilings driven into bedrock and caissons sunk deeply below the waterline, those unseen foundations, that enable bridges to continually bear the weight of vehicles day after day, month after month, and year after year.

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Rev. Dr. Alice Ridgill is a scholar and preacher with more than 25 years of experience in pastoral ministry and presbytery leadership. She has served as a solo pastor, campus pastor, and organizing pastor of New Faith Presbyterian Church in Greenwood, South Carolina. Most recently, Rev. Dr. Ridgill served as Associate General Presbyter of the Presbytery of Charlotte, where she provided executive leadership to 93 congregations. She currently serves as a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve.

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