Camp

200 plus people. One holy book. Time to be 'Hungry and Thirsty for God'. Manna for the soul.

We were blessed over the Diwali weekend to escape from the city and to meet up with our various house-fellowships for a 'family camp' at Khandala.

The venue - a charming if slightly spartan boarding school - mercifully empty other than a series of rowdy simians as seen on the right.

I was totally exhausted the day before going. But we made it there. Our ragged edges showed on the first day or so. But God allowed us a time together and with His people which was very special.

"Be still and know that I am God." How many times I had read this with so little effect. Be still. Quieten down. Acknowledge who is who and what is what (in that order). Allow God to be God. Still. Quiet. In His presence.

Let your Glory fall.

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At the same time we also realise how brittle and frail we all our. In stark contrast to the beauty of God and his amazing love for us - we see our own brokeness and short comings. There were a lot of hurting people there - and not everyone left made whole. The challenge for the local fellowship is to continue to heal our wounds and allow God to use each other to shape and mould us.

Camps are often mountain top experiences. And that is what they should be. Who wants to spend time having a horrible time - though that is of course possible too...

Back here in the valleys we look back on the days together with gratitude - and as a challenge to continue to love each other in word and in deed.

The big lie, however, is that this is somehow a more 'real world' than the one we experienced in the camp. Our challenge is to continue to live out His kingdom and to see that His will be done - on earth as it is in heaven.