2012 Faithful Gathering

         We’re back and we’re together!! 2012 Faithful Gathering

 What you are looking at in the above picture is unbridled joy on the faces of people who have been resurrected together by the faithful love of Jesus Christ.

The weekend was truly remarkable. It began when approximately 42 or so... old, battle weary and committed friends arrived at the beautiful Paris Landing State Park Friday afternoon. We were all surprised by the gorgeous wooden villas nestled among the wooded hills. 


There they stood, fixed on the edge of a big beautiful lake where we would be spending the next few days and nights together. When we drove up the villas felt so inviting, it was as if they were calling for us to come inside. Maybe they knew what was going to happen.

Over the next few days our Father in heaven would cause the weather to go against the earlier forecast of rain and become beautiful full moon nights and perfect weather days.

Each night the full moon would rise and shine on the lake throwing its shimmering silver pathway across the face of the lake as if to say… come be with me. Every morning the Sun would rise across the lake and burst into our living rooms filling our houses with warm golden sunlight. It was as though all creation was trying to help us to find our way back to each other.

Our first night we talked of what we wanted to happen during our stay. How, for such a long time, we had felt distant from each other and somewhat confused by the intensity of the spiritual war we had been fighting …. Especially for the last 5 years.

Yet as we looked in each other’s eyes and listened as each one began to speak, a growing expectancy begin to swell inside our hearts! Here we were together, together still, after all those difficult years, here we were… still friends, still loving each other, still wanting together to do God’s will, and still ready to fight the good fight.  Suddenly we realized that despite all that had happened to us, despite all the discouragements, despite all the ‘hits’ and despair; our love had actually grown for God and …each other.

I will not begin to try and describe what took place in our hearts during those next few days. I can only tell you it wasn’t a pep rally or an emotional plea for unity. It was the people of God speaking the truth to one another and seeing in each other’s eyes the One who loves them most. If you want to know what happened… ask each one that was there.

I will tell you that whatever happened has not stopped and is continuing even now with people who couldn't come. Should you find that hard to believe, just ask Jeshurun’s household what happened at their house last night. 


They say a picture is worth a thousand words.... the one below says it all.