Special events give strength for the journey
Mountaintop experiences spur many a pilgrim’s progress. Young people in particular, it seems, find the daily grind a turn-off and church routines a bore. Special events that combine high-energy activity with Christian teaching take this reality into account and more than a few faith journeys have been launched or energized as a result.
This doesn’t apply only to young people. Most of us need a dose of the extraordinary from time to time to encourage Christian growth. While the ability to discern God’s activity in the midst of the mundane is a mark of a mature Christian believer, conferences, concerts, retreats, seminars or other special occasions often have a momentous impact on a person’s spiritual development. Indeed, special events nurture Christian growth for at least three reasons.
Determine direction. Decisions made at critical junctures establish the direction of a person’s life. Too many people fail to recognize the pivotal moments and simply drift through the circumstances of their lives with little intention or foresight. A retreat or special event at the right time will help people set their sails with a clear sense of purpose. Some sort of interlude with spiritual input helps people sort through their options and decide on wholesome priorities. Special events can provide an occasion for profound self-examination and the impetus for action.
Instill conviction. Progress in the Christian life requires a firm foundation of basic belief. The ability to hold fast to Christian truth is strengthened in special moments when God’s ways appear to be obvious, which often occurs at a special event. Spiritual confidence can grow in the quiet stillness of a prayerful retreat, or in the midst of a multitude lifting rousing praise. Such events enable believers to see themselves as part of a great throng of witnesses through the ages, to know that they are not alone.
Equip for adversity. Highlight events create powerful memories. Lessons learned at spiritual highpoints will doubtless be tested in ordinary experience. When hard times arrive–and they will–the memory of God’s direct action in the past provides hope for the present.
Mountaintop experiences come in many forms–the wailing strains of guitar solo, an artfully delivered insight from Scripture, a vision of the unity of the people of God. Each can be a building stone of enduring faith. God might even use the gift of a gold tooth or two to overcome scepticism and encourage more dependable discipleship.
A word of caution, however. The enthusiasm and wisdom special events generate are pointless if they are not put to work in the world of the ordinary. Mountaintop experiences can be exhilarating, but they do not exempt the traveler from the rough places. The view from the mountain is a but a glimpse of the pathway ahead, a vantage that offers a peek into the dark valleys below and opens the vista of new horizons beyond.
Doug Koop
Editor
