On the weekend after Easter many of us gathered at Morrow Mountain State Park for our first church camping weekend. This event was sponsored by the Adult Ministry Team with the goal of providing rest, renewal, and fellowship. The trip provided this and more to the children, youth, and adults who attended.
After we settled in on Friday some of us dined on lasagna, artisan bread, and a delicious salad. If that doesn’t sound like roughing it, we followed dinner by gathering around a campfire (built by Ash) under the stars, telling stories, and sharing many laughs. Our dessert included S’mores around the campfire. Who knew leftover Easter Peeps make such good S’mores?
On Saturday morning some “day campers” joined us for a group hike on the Sugarloaf Mountain Trail. We walked and talked and took in the beauty of the Uwharrie Mountains, some of the oldest mountains on Earth. Following the hike, some of us ventured into the town of Badin and enjoyed coffee and desserts. That night we gathered at the vacation cabins for a feast that included bison kabobs (Jen for the win), steak, roasted veggies, and much more. Over dinner around a fire we reveled in Russell’s reflections on biology, virology, and all things science.
On Sunday morning we worshipped on top of Morrow Mountain singing hymns accompanied by my ukulele. Joanne and Matt read the Emmaus Way text in Luke, a text fittingly focused on what happens when people of faith walk together and dine together. Sometimes Jesus shows up.
It’s interesting how Jesus’ interactions with most people in the Gospels took place outdoors or around a table. I once read a Wendell Berry essay where he comments that scripture is more believable when read outdoors. I’m not sure if this is scientifically verifiable, but it certainly matches my experience. The Emmaus Way story reads differently when much of your weekend is spent walking and eating and talking outdoors. After walking and dining with Jesus, the two characters recognize that it was Jesus all along and together ask the question: “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”
In this age of endless distraction, being in the natural world still resonates. Walking and dining with others resonates too. And if you pay attention, Jesus still shows up too.
– Pastor Kyle