This scene above is what I and 47 others from our church will be looking at for the next 2 days. Sunday afternoon after church our youth along with several adult volunteers and heading to the Laurel Ridge Camp and Retreat Center in the mountains of western NC. I am really looking forward to it and praying that this be a transformative time for me and all the gang (and yes, the whole family is going!).
Apart from the canoeing, tubing, fishing, nature walks, archery, camp fires and relaxation I will be doing a series of devotionals that I hope tap into the beauty of our surroundings and our God as the Creator of it all. We will open with communion and a few David Crowder Band songs (closing out with “Everything Glorious” before heading out to a bon fire) and then Monday morning I will be challenging them with the Great AH HA! message I blogged about a few days ago. Monday afternoon I will be showing the NOOMA video, Breathe, just before sending everyone out to be silent for one hour – just them and God. I have been on a few silent retreats in the past and although I was skeptical going in I always came out having a profound experience with my Maker. I pray that hour speaks to someone in our group as similar hours have for me. Tuesday we will be heading home and back to reality but not before we put our money where our hearts are and gave a loan to an impoverished family seeking to start a business through www.kiva.org. If you have never heard of microfinancing visit their website and check it out. This is one way our group will begin to care as a church about the things the world cares about. It is all about baby steps – but this is a pretty big and exciting first step!
Needless to say I will not be around much between now and Tuesday. Grace and peace to all of you.
Filed under: Nooma, Theology | Tagged: Camp, Church, Kiva, Loans, Meditation, Nooma, Retreats, Rob Bell, Silence
I remember “Breathe” made a deep impression on our youth group a few years ago. Good call.