Be still and know that I am God

The psalmist encourages us to 'Be still and know that I am God'. (Psalm 46:10) Estonian leaders took the opportunity to do just that this week. Our 'Ready to mission' day took the form of a spiritual retreat & quiet day.

Our own camp at Loksa is sadly still out of commission - new water tanks need to be purchased and installed and repairs completed to the balconies before it will be fit for use - so we acted upon recommendation of Christian friends and booked a day at Rabav, a remote forest home owned by Kerlin and Meelis.

They purchased land and property near Ardu (an hour's drive south of Tallinn) around 10 years ago, believing God's vision for them was to create a spiritual retreat centre - a sanctuary of prayer and ministry. During the last decade their vision has become a reality and the lovely home they share with their 3 small children, horse, dog, cat and other animals is now opened up for groups to come and enjoy the blessing of being still and spending time with God.

Lyn planned and organised the day. Materials for meditation were prepared based on the themes of 'pools of provision', 'rivers of refreshment' and 'lakes of learning'. After sharing in worship (and some delicious coffee and home made biscuits) we separated out either alone or in small groups to try and find our own time with God.

I think the concept of a quiet day was a new experience for some, and it was obvious that not everyone found it natural or easy. But it was wonderful to see people praying and meditating, enjoying the sunshine and finding God in the quietness. Our good friend Mikki Chastain joined us as an independent prayer counsellor and some took opportunity to benefit from her prayer ministry,

As we gathered around the firepit before lunch to share on lessons learned from the morning session it was wonderful to hear how God had revealed Himself through scripture.

Meelis prepared a wonderful stir fry for lunch in a huge garden wok (I want one of those!) before leading a number of energetic volunteers on a guided walk and meditation through the forest. Pausing to explain natural phenomenons of the forest he linked lessons from nature with spiritual parables.

The walk was a great way to ease away the effects of the lunch but was also an unusual

form of spiritual learning. I had pictures of Jesus teaching on the hillside, using stories of agriculture and farming to explain truths of the Kingdom.

Gorgeous home made cake helped the afternoon tea break along and after a period of corporate worship we returned to our appointments.

Stopping and taking time out of a busy schedule and ministry programme can sometimes feel a little 'indulgent' but we believe time with God is essential if we are to maintain the spiritual resources necessary for ministry and leadership.

We thank God for the blessings of Rabav, the opportunity to withdraw and refresh and the privilege of spending time with Him.