Dear Friends,
We have almost come to the end of a most excellent week away with 37 of the more “Senior” members of our church. We have been on a harbour cruise around Eden, visited a local historic car club, wandered through Burnima, a classic Victorian homestead (think Downton Abbey) and visited the eccentric town of Tilba Tilba. And that’s not even scratching the surface.
But the week away is not really about visiting interesting and historic sites. It’s about relationships. I’ve loved watching people who did not previously know each other gather around the big square tables at breakfast and dinner to share stories and laugh. There is much to share of course, more than just the days activities. I’ve heard stories of moments when life has taken unusual turns. I’ve heard stories of the way Campbelltown used to be. I’ve heard stories of the history of our church and the comings and goings of clergy and people and buildings. Again, I feel like I have just scratched the surface with many but the time together and shared experiences create memories and future opportunities.
I’ve also loved our evening devotions where we have sought to reflect upon our relationship with God and the way we pray. We’ve thought about praying repentantly, praising God, interceding for others and trusting God as we pray. Each day we had the opportunity to reflect together on one of the prayers from the Bible and to write or pray our own prayers in response. It has been great to hear from people about the desire they have to make their prayer life fuller and more robust as they pray to our great God.
Time with other people, getting to know them, encouraging them and learning together with them, is an essential part of the Christian life. It is what Paul instructs us to do:
“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Colossians 3:16
You don’t need to go on a Seniors Retreat to do that. You can do it around the dinner table with family. You can do it by inviting others to a meal at your house. You can do that in your Growth Group. Go for it!
Our next Seniors Retreat will be 2018. If I was you, I wouldn’t miss it!