Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Back at Montreat

So, here I am again, almost fifteen years to the day of when I first passed through the gates of Montreat. I am certain that others have places in their lives that have affected them as much as Montreat has me. Yet, every time I reflect on how my life has been changed by the times I have spent here I am still in awe. That sense of being awestruck only increases when I realize that I am not the only one whose life has been changed by this place. My husband's certainly has, as well as two of my closest friends. What is it then that changes us? Surely the picturesque setting plays a role. The mountains speak to God's inventiveness and creative powers as few things can. The cool, crisp air definitely inspires one to be in God's creation more than muggy, hot days.
But it is more than that. I know that having worship and keynote times catered to the interests of younger folks definitely plays a role. So infrequently are we allowed to laugh when we think or talk about God. I think that is a sin. I know that my God has a sense of humor and that that God wants us to laugh with one another. So, when we can worship with a sense of humor, I feel renewed.
But still, it isn't just the tailor made services that create the life-changing force that Montreat can be. Ultimately, I think, it is the people who are gathered in this place. We may not be the most diverse group; for sure, we are pretty white, pretty Southern, and pretty middle-class (by US standards...crazy rich by worldly standards). And by no means are any of us as individuals perfect, much less perfect as a group. Yet, something happens when we are here. We are inspired to be better people. We applaud with sincerity and grace when people bring their gifts to their table, regardless of the success or skill of those gifts. We applaud when people with physical or mental disabilities succeed, people whom most of us would ignore or treat cruelly in other venues of our life. This is a community of God's children who, for a moment, remember that their Father in Heaven is God, the Creator of all that is! What good fortune I have had to be a part of the story of this place, and to have it be part of the story of me.