Formation

Has it really been less than a week since I arrived in Southampton?  It feels like I have been here for ages.  The days are sort of blending in together and I am unsure if it is because of the jet lag or because I have done something everyday upon arrival.

Love.  As a leader, I think that sometimes we forget that love is the entire reason we have a relationship with a holy God.  In an abundance of love, He created us to walk along side Him.  When we sinned against Him, He still desired us enough to send His Son to die on the Cross in our place, so that we could be counted as righteous through the blood, death and resurrection of Christ.  These past two days have been excellent reminders that love is at the heart of our ministry, it is easy to begin to see Sunday as another work day, rather than a day to worship and have fellowship with other believers.  I find it fascinating that our ability to love is because He first loved us, so our love for Him is a mere reflection of His love, meaning He gets all the glory and it has absolutely nothing to do with us.  It is all about Jesus.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect Tuesday morning, heading to the Formation conference.  I envisioned team building exercises, and trust falls centering around talks of Jesus.  Yet, what I received was far better.  We arrive to a lunch of hot dogs(more like extra long vienna sausages), nearly fifty other men and women at the camp doing a similar program to Transform in churches all over England.  We get a schedule of the events of the days to come.  It is jam packed from nine in the morning to nine in the evening.  Divided into sections of meals, refreshments, and seminars throughout the day.  Reading the list of seminars, each better than the one previously read.  Into into spiritual leadership, Deepening your doctrine, Growing as a servant. Those are only to name a few.  Everything was Christ-centered.


I met so many great people at Formation.  Everyone got along, mixing and mingling with one another.  The group was so diverse; English, Welsh, Chinese, American(there was a couple from Colorado!), Australian.  Each praising Jesus, thanking Him for the grace we undeserving receive, but gratefully accept.  Despite a wicked case of jet lag, I refused to miss out on the opportunity to have Jesus talks with new friends, often staying up until midnight.  The first night, unpacking what predestination and free will mean, and the impacts either have.  Like many of those conversations, it was left with no definitive answer. The second night, drawing a crude map of the United States and naming off the states with the help of the other American couple.  It's great knowing that God calls so many people to take part of His plan.  We aren't essential, but greatly desired to partake, again what a relief knowing it has everything to do with Him and nothing to do with me.

I don't think there are words for me to accurately sum up everything about these past few days.  I am grateful for the opportunity of soaking up the knowledge and wisdom of more mature Christians.  It was amazing to simply relish in the grace of God, encouraged as each of us embark on a year of reliance and unknown, reminded that God knows the beginning, middle, and end of each story and what this year holds.