We also come because we know
that a part of being a Christian is spending time with God. We aren’t always sure how, but we expect that
time away from our normal life will allow God to encourage our spirits, to give
us hope, and to rekindle our faith.
God has used a time away to
prepare so many of his servants throughout history, and he does the same thing at
Camp Phillip.
There is a pattern to the way
that he works during a retreat. The
retreat begins with excitement at arriving at a new place, and anticipation of
a new experience. Camp is fun, and new,
and exhilarating.
Sometime later, in a devotion
or Bible study, or in a conversation with another Christian beside the fire,
the retreat cycle continues. God uses
his Word to show us something that we couldn’t see clearly at home. We arrived at Camp, like someone who has
gotten used to a bad smell. There are
things in our lives that we have grown accustomed to, but the time away helps
us get a whiff of the stench of our sin.
The new perspective helps us
shout with Paul, “What a wretched man I
am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24).
The next thing that happens
is that we get to take a deep breath of the freedom that comes through
forgiveness. God uses Scripture,
devotions, songs, and deep Christian friendships to give us a sweet taste of
the Gospel.
So many of us in the Camp family
can proudly proclaim that God used Camp Phillip to introduce us to some of the
best friends we have known. I would even
go so far as to say that I didn’t learn what a good friend looked like until
Camp.
God uses the retreat to give
us a breath of fresh air. He leaves that
taste in our mouths, and he teaches us how to avoid some of the pitfalls that
we had been stumbling into. God has
used the time to plant a seed of truth, and to nurture in us the new creation
he has made.
I pray you are able to join
us for a retreat. I pray the God gives
you many other opportunities to catch your breath. But even more, I ask that “the God who gives endurance and
encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ
Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ.” -Romans
15:5-6
