Newsletter May 2026 - First Presbyterian Ridgewood, NJ
- Bruce Ballantine
- Apr 29
- 2 min read
Dear Friends,
As long as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed walking. Maybe it started when as a young teenager, I hiked in the Grand Canyon and at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico and fell in love with the landscapes of the American southwest. Or maybe it was when, at the age of 17, I ran a half-marathon, found myself walking for about a mile at one point, and discovered that I much prefer walking to running.
It continued in my early 30s, when, as an employee of Mutual of New York in downtown Pittsburgh, I would park at Three Rivers Stadium across the river on Pittsburgh’s Northside, and enjoy a long walk to my car at the end of each workday – a time to decompress. Then, as a student at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, long walks in nearby Highland Park provided time to think and plan the papers and the sermons I was writing.
These days, when walking alone, my walks provide a perfect time to pray. It is a time when I feel particularly close to God. As I talk things out with God, asking for help or seeking guidance, I trust that in the silent spaces of those prayers, the thoughts that come to me and the nudges to risk something new are of God. It’s almost as if I’m living the lyrics of the Charles A. Miles hymn, In the Garden:
And He walks with me,
and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.
When I walk with others, the conversations we have can be meaningful. That has been particularly true of walks with family members and friends. Sometimes, life is so busy that we fail to take the time to talk about important things. But, when we’ve committed an hour to walking together, it’s almost as if the world stands still, and we can be truly present to those walking beside us.
Which is why I hope you will join us for the spring Walk & Talk series – Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. at the Ridgewood Duck Pond, April 30 – May 28. Aside from the obvious health benefits, you will get some fresh air and enjoy meaningful conversations with your First Pres Friends.
See you at the Duck Pond!
Bruce
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