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    • Who We Are >
      • Community Sign-up
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      • A story about us
    • Our Photos >
      • 2021 - And so it begins...
      • Photos 2020
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      • Father Phil on the Move
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    • Our History >
      • Frank Hooper
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      • Shawls of Love
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Father Phil on the Move 

The airplane leaves for Kilimanjaro, Tanzania today, Wed July 18. After some acclimation, we begin the hike to summit on 7/28 at 19,2341 feet. Mt Kili is the tallest single mountain and volcano in the world. Many people travel to its peak and I hope to join them, though much may not be up to me. 
Follow Father Phil on his journey!  See his Shawls of Love Video >

Hiking on Kili: Phil, Don’t close your eyes.

8/12/2018

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The main ascent starts just before midnight, that’s how it’s done. After creeping up the mountain for six hours, there comes a sunrise on the top of the world’s largest single volcanic mountain. And yes, it’s spectacular. If you remember it. Some photos, then begins the descent. At that point, if you’re as unlucky as me, altitude sickness will have it’s way with your body. Brain swelling/edema is the biggest risk but for me it was the breathing and beginnings of pulmonary edema. The months of training kept the legs going but no point if there’s no lung capacity. The only medicine is lowering the altitude. But there came the most overwhelming wave of sleep. I cannot truly describe how absolute, all-enveloping and compulsive the feeling. All I wanted was to take a short nap then I’d get up and keep going down. And that would have been my end. My guide saved my life. He wouldn’t let me close my eyes. Now, he had a bottle of emergency O2 but I guess he just went old school on me. It was four hours of “Phil - don’t close your eyes!” 
​
Sartre quipped in typical cynical fashion, “Hell is life without eyelids.” He meant that we ignore the hard ugly and shitty things in order to maintain a pretty fiction. I think the Kingdom of heaven is life without eyelids. Closing our eyes and pretending it’s all ok leads to death. even if it’s hard to look, even when it takes every single bit of energy you have left to keep open, we must do so. We must see. We must act. We must participate. We must keep going. Phil don’t close your eyes. I vow never.
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Church of the Holy Spirit - 3 Haytown Road - Lebanon, New Jersey  08833
908 236-6301  www.churchholyspirit.org

OUR MISSION:
To become Christ as we serve others, proclaim His love, and grow in His Spirit.
ABOUT US
Who We Are
Our Rector
Our Deacon
Our Staff
Our Vestry
Our Photos
Our History
Legacy Giving
Building Use
​
WORSHIP
Visiting CHS​
Sunday Services
Sermons
​Weekdays and Holy Days Services
Music
Baptisms
Weddings
​Memorial Services
FORMATION
​Sunday School
Nursery
Adult Education
Tuesday Morning Bible Study
​"Windows of the Spirit"
SERVING OTHERS
Family
Youth
We Care
Pastoral Care
Country Arch
Culinary Angels
Food Pantry
Prison Ministry
Shawl Ministry
​Good Friday Day of Service