Hello, dear ones!

Recently, Dar and I went on a site visit to Warren Willis United Methodist Camp and Conference Center, in preparation for our upcoming All-Church Retreat, April 4-6. As we drove up to Barnett Lodge and the lake came into view, a wave of peace washed over me. I even commented to Dar that I felt calmer just being on the property. It is the feeling of a deep, cleansing breath, a contented sigh. . . of walking into your house after a long day and kicking off your shoes, home at last. Part of me wants to say this feeling comes from a spiritual presence at the camp, but I wonder if really, Spirit is always present with us, it’s just that we’re able to sense it better with the absence of so many other external distractions competing for our attention- the endless task lists, due dates, deadlines, and text chimes. . . the compulsive refreshing of our news feeds and For You pages. It’s hard sometimes to even truly connect with one another on Sunday mornings, with the relatively short transitions from worship to coffee time to Sunday Seminars to committee meetings to the next thing, and the next. . . But the noise seems to fade to a whisper when we step into the container of Retreat, where we can hear bird songs and laughter and take time to be present with one another. Retreat always feels to me like UCG at its best, so it’s fitting, then, for this year’s theme to be “In Our Element.”

I am so excited for this year’s retreat to include many our beloved traditions, as well as offering a few elements of surprise! If you would like to offer an earth, fire, air, or water themed workshop, please reach out- there is still plenty of time to share your gifts of time and talent to bring this year’s retreat to life. 🙂 I look forward to a weekend with you cozying up around campfires, making a splash on the camp’s brand-new water slides, taking evening strolls through the woods, and watching the resident eagles soaring through the air.

Blessings,

Tami