Our annual church-wide retreat was held September 23-25, 2016 at Camp Alkulana. Seventy TBC members and friends gathered in the mountains for a weekend of retreat, fellowship, and worship. This year our theme was “Hearing God Through the Psalms.” Over the course of the weekend, we listened for God’s voice in the beautiful nature that surrounded us and through the lives of the people we were gathered with. Corey Williams shares some of his thoughts about this year’s retreat.
I found God in the babbles of quiet streams, boxes of crayons & in faces covered in spaghetti sauce. I felt community in the conversations of 8 AM coffee & by campfires complete with glowsticks, marshmallows & a sky full of stars. For those three days, I connected & rekindled friendships with some of the most incredible people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Ever since coming to Tabernacle almost a year ago, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reaching out and connecting with members of the congregation but there was something different at Alkulana. Fuller, more meaningful conversations. Spiritual guidance. Wide-ranging forms of worship. That weekend, I felt God a little bit closer & heard His voice a little bit clearer.
Tabernacle has a beautiful & unique way of finding people where they are on their journeys & creating safe places for those who need it most. And the retreat I was honored to be able to talk to others about what stages they are on their journey. But the part I loved most was seeing other receive things that they needed for their physical & spiritual voyages. Some needed bread, some needed company & encouragement, and some just needed a time to rest. I’m so happy to be a place and experience a time where people got what they needed.
As we go through our lecture this season and walk the road together. I pray that our loaves of bread go unending and our canteens of water remain overflowing. May our salt keep it savor and lanterns remain burning. Thank you all for the laughs, stories & memories created as we walk together to create new roads.
