Walking Up To The Cross

This weekend I'll be taking about 30 senior high youth up to Jumonville for our annual Winter Retreat. It is a spiritually rich time when the youth turn off their iPods, TV's, cell phones (at least most of the time!), and try to focus on the still, small voice of God. In spite of the fact that I'm currently suffering from some kind of bronchial infection, I still intend to be the bravehearted youth pastor and spend an incredible weekend!

For the teens, the highlight of the weekend is when we all walk up to the big cross at the top of the mountain. Whether in the daytime or close to midnight, the spectacle is truly amazing. Hopefully it will not be too frigid or windy up there....

I love the imagery contained in the Jumonville cross, especially at night. At night, it is a solitary light amongst a sea of darkness. Anyone who drives down S. R. 119 at night can not fail to see it, and it is therefore a powerful, wordless witness of Christ's presence there.

In the daytime, from the cross you can see in the distance 3 states and 9 counties. You can see city life and country life, factories and farms, automobiles and trees. Taking that sight in, I always recall the magnificent Christological statement in Colossians:

"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation. Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see...Everything has been created through him and for him. He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together...He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross."

I thank God for providing a wonderful place like Jumonville where my youth can reconnect with God and each other, and at least for a time, remove themselves from the multiple idols that dominate our culture. Please pray that God will use me as his instrument in speaking words of truth and love to these incredible teens!