Last weekend, we were at the Regent College Annual Retreat. For me it is a big improvement over last year's. Perhaps I was not as anxious to know as many people as possible, as I decided to take it easy and spend good time with a few instead of short moments with many. Much more meaningful when I am enjoying the conversations instead of trying to meet a certain 'quota'.
Dr Iain Provan was the main speaker. The theme was "Stories of Faith". It was about travelors together in a strange land. The first day, we heard the message about Abraham, who was depicted as a man of faith, that Christians often look up to in terms of a model for building faith. The second day we heard about Jacob, seen like the other extreme of human nature. Jacob was depicted as one who schemes, tricks his brother Esau and of course a wrestler with God. Two seemingly different persons but both under the same God. Despite the flaws of Jacob and Abraham, God's grace was consistent. Finally, Dr Provan presses home a simple message to bring the theme together in Psalm 23. He encouraged all of us as fellow travellors in a strange land of Vancouver, that our God will lead and guide us. Our God knows our needs and we need to learn to trust him. All of us at Regent has a story to tell. A story of personal sacrifice to come to Regent. A story of being a stranger in a strange land. A story of different personalities and cultures coming together to a place called Regent College. It will be God who will hold all things together. Living in Vancouver as strangers reminded us that we are in a real way, strangers to this world.
Our whole family enjoyed the time of rest, play and fellowship. We tented this time, and saved some money. The nights were extremely cold and there was a family who decided to move into a warmer cabin on the second night. Brave people we are, as one of the very few families with children who tented. It was fun (for the kids I mean).
kianseng
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