Sunday I'll be heading to Mt. TOP for our Youth Summer Mission Trip/Pilgrimage. I'm pretty excited. While staying in the Cumberland mountains where we'll be doing home repair, yard work and whatever God throws our way. I'm always frazzled the week before a trip like this but once I get there I"m definitely in my element.
This year I'm taking a book along with me to use as a devotion time- A RETREAT WITH THOMAS MERTON by M. Basil Pennington. I'm seeing the setup of Mt. TOP- a rustic camp, community of people living a shared and common life together, set times of worship/prayer, community, meals, etc... and times of work/service to neighbor, and play- as a monastic adventure. Mt. TOP as an organization does not see itself this way, but there is a remarkable resemblance to monastic community and structure and the structure of a mission trip such as this.
So next week I'll be away, but keep me and my youth in prayers as we head to East TN to take time out to be a lil' bit monastic.
7 comments:
mtn top monastic? haha! you must be kidding me! lol
do your kids see it in the same light?
Monastic: Resembling life in a monastery in style, structure, or manner, especially:
1. Secluded and contemplative.
2. Strictly disciplined or
3. regimented.
4. Self-abnegating; austere.
ok, so contemplative it is not- but it is secluded, strictly disciplined and regimented, and somewhat austere. So 5 out of 6 qualities "ain't bad".
jn
zoom,
we have our preparation training tomorrow and my plan is to work out of that framework.
jn
cool, can't wait to see how the kids respond to it :)
Phransus, may this prayer lift you up on the Mountain, and may the UnCreated Light of God shine upon you.
Lord Jesus Christ, You became poor for our sake, that we might be made rich through Your poverty: Guide and sanctify, we pray, Phransus and all others whom You call to follow You under the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, that by their prayer and service they may enrich Your Church, and by their life and worship may glorify Your Name; for You reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
where is my friend? how long is this camp? i forget what you look like.. do i know you?
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