“The mountains are calling”–that’s the tagline printed on Caroline Furnace Lutheran Camp’s t-shirts. For 40 college students from across the state of Virginia, it wasn’t just the mountains that were calling them to gather for a weekend retreat; it was the fellowship, the escape from campus, and the promise of spiritual renewal. The students came from Virginia Tech, Radford, Christopher Newport, Roanoke College, James Madison, and Mary Washington representing their campus ministry groups. The retreat’s theme was one of journey.
Friday night students watched the Disney Pixar movie “Up” which follows the journey of several memorable characters and their pursuit of accomplishing their individual goals. After the movie discussion on Saturday morning, students went on an outdoor prayer journey, stopping at four prayer stations where they met the woman at the well, doubting Thomas, the woman suffering from bleeding, and the paralyzed man. The prayer journey led them into worship, where students received personal absolution and communion. After enjoying lunch and saying many “see you laters”, the groups departed for their journeys back to campuses across the state.
By: The Rev. Anne Jones, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Fredericksburg
