Christ Church Weekend Away at High Leigh

Once again I was driving the minibus. It seats 15, but was used for some people, and some equipment. We picked it up on Thursday night as before. High Leigh is near Hoddeston, and is a Christian conference centre. It's about an hour from home.

Many things about the weekend evoked memories of last time:

• As you walk through the main part of the house, up to the kitchens there is a faint smell of the diesel engine, presumably the one used to heat the house.

• Sitting looking out to the formal garden (that once was) and the ha ha beyond to keep the cattle out (or the people in), is a lovely sight, and very relaxing.
  

This time Jo came too, so it was very different. Other differences were that all the building work from last time is now completed, there is no longer scaffolding, or any restricted access.
The accommodation is all very comfortable with proper en-suite hotel style rooms. They also have Internet access almost everywhere, though I did not have a laptop.

I did not remember to tell them that I have a restricted diet, so the 'traditional English' food was a bit of a problem. I am not allowed such delicacies as bacon, sausages, eggs, & spotted dick, so I had to choose carefully from the very limited selection.

Friday
The first session introduced the theme for the weekend - Rev 7:17 (Jesus the centre). Our speaker for the weekend was Roger Matthews. He is a very good straight forward speaker. I particularly liked the way he incorporated things that were going on around him into his talks.

Saturday
There were a further two sessions on Saturday Morning, then some free time after lunch. In the free time about 9 of us went to visit the mill which had been restored a few years ago. Saturday teas time brought workshops to prepare things for worship, or sleep for me. I was exhausted.
In the evening there is the entertainment, where various members of the church take part in entertaining the rest of us. This varies from poetry readings through dances, singing and even reaches to stand up comedy. It is always very enjoyable. Jo and I took part for the first time ever. We sung 'Young Ones' and were delayed by a technical glitch, which took the focus and pressure off us. I'm told they couldn't hear me - they don't know how lucky they are! Some of the church folk are genuinely talented, most are just enthusiastic amateurs, but every body gets good applause - its a real family atmosphere. High Leigh now have a bar, and there was just time for a drink before bed.

Sunday
After a late night on Saturday, there is another teaching session on Sunday morning, then after lunch a communion service.

Teaching
I can never be sure how important the teaching is on a weekend away. I think that the weekend must have the family occasion feel to it, and must provide the opportunity for people to focus on God, listen to His promptings, and to learn directly from Him. Nevertheless without a teaching program - why would you go, and how would you create the right feel. We get to hear another voice - someone who we are not used to, someone who's personal agenda doesn't involve our church and its direction. So from that point of view it is very helpful.

There were points in the teaching where I took particular note and learnt things.

"What will be the sign for you that Jesus is at the centre?" we were asked, and the supplementary questions to help us were:

• Where do you ache?
• What do you long for?

Unless you already have that ONE thing, those are quite difficult questions to answer. I'm really still not sure. I'm not even sure that it helps me to get to the answer - there is SO MUCH.

We talked about the things that control us:
Who are the people you HAVE to do things for when they ask?
Work
Money (or the fear of not having enough of it)
Possessions
What keeps you in one place?
Who has told you (possibly when you were very young) that you can't do something?
What are you ashamed of? (perhaps the strongest one)

There's plenty there to make me think and pray.

We were reminded that nothing we can do (or have done) can take us away from Gods love, and from John 10:10 that Jesus does not condemn us.

We were given the Jesus Prayer "Lord Jesus, son of the living God, have mercy on me a sinner", and the acclamation "Jesus is Lord" to reflect on and pray. I have to say that for me trying this walking through the grounds was not a success.

Session two started with a description of the plastic drums, and the statement that we don't have to understand how everything works - or how God does things.

[The band had an electronic drum set - it looks real, but the drums and cymbals are plastic. It make no physical sound, but generated an accurate drum sound when played.]

The session ended saying that Jesus leads the way, our job is to follow. We do not take Jesus somewhere, we go there in response to His leading.

We are then asked to take Jesus round our home town. I wonder how many lead him round - I certainly tried to. Maybe that experience is for another blog.

Sunday was about vocation and calling. After having written for spotlight this month about my first year as a reader I was left asking "What next?", and "What about the plans that haven't happened?" I don't have answers to these question yet either.

"We should be followers of the moving God who causes commotion by going to the periphery to make it a centre of light" - Kazuki Koyama (I hope). It seems to be the quote for the weekend.