Celtic Christians used to talk about “thin places.” These were places where the veil between heaven and earth is razor thin. It’s a time when you can get a whiff of the Kingdom of God, and a glimpse of the his glory. These sacred moments are few and far between, but when they come we’reoverwhelmed. The burning bush (Exodus 3), Mount Sinai (Exodus 19), the dedication of the tabernacle (Exodus 33), the transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17), Pentecost (Acts 2)—all of these were thin places where the heaven and earth interlocked and overlapped in a mighty way.

Our Men’s Retreat this past weekend was a “thin place.”

It was one of those rare occasions where I felt the Spirit’s presence pressing down upon us. In the teaching, worship, conversations, and nature—God was strangely present. The theme this year was “fired up” and the passage of Scripture our speaker, Jeff Mazzariello focused on was Matthew 13:44,

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

Over the course of our four sessions together we learned about the richness of our salvation, life with God, and calling. We also learned that even though the Kingdom is rich, it’s sometimes “hidden” like the treasure in the field. It’s difficult to see and this leads to foolish living and disordered priorities.

The battle cry of the weekend was to “go all in” for the treasure that is the Kingdom of God. It was to get our head in the game and get fired up because we serve a Jesus who is worth all we have. Jeff challenged us to get a grip on Jesus and do whatever it takes to follow him. Whatever the cost, however silly we look, following Jesus and waiting for him to show up is worth it!

This simple message gripped all of our hearts and I hope it grips yours as well. I want thank everyone who prayed for this retreat. God surprised us and answered your prayers in amazing ways. If you'd like to find how how ask one of the men in the picture above, they’d love to share more. 

Pastor Brandon