Move On
An interesting title for the Men’s Weekend held at Ashburnham Place, near Battle, in East Sussex and attended by two guys from this Corps.
Guest Speaker Chick Yuill
For nearly 50 years people have been visiting Ashburnham Place, once the home of the Ashburnham family, now a Prayer and Conference Centre. Ashburnham Place is set in the heart of East Sussex, surrounded by 220 acres of grounds, gardens, woodlands and lakes. Unfortunately the weather did not permit the fullest enjoyment of the beautiful scenery and countryside but some walks were possible if accompanied by a warm coat and an umbrella!
The autumn colours were stunning and would have been more so had the sun shone occasionally. But the fellowship of 25 guys with the same desire to study the word of God made ample recompense for the outside conditions. And the teaching of Chick Yuill was something very special indeed. Five hours of listening is something of a daunting task for most people but when undertaken in five sesions, and with the skill which Chick has, it becomes a real pleasure. The story of Abraham was taken apart, rebuilt, piece by piece, and given a freshness and virility which admirably suited a group of men.
Chick at work
Of course it’s not possible to recount the whole of the teaching of a weekend such as this in an article short enough to retain the reader’s attention but a few choice thoughts come to mind.
- We often believe in our heads but we must also believe in our hearts and not behave as if God doesn’t exist.
- God can work through all of us however bad we are. Pharoah had higher moral standards than the person God chose to be the father of His people.
- Turning back is often the best way forward
- ‘We don’t eat family!’! (a quote from the movie ‘Stuart Little’ reflecting what sometimes happens in churches)
- When you honour God, God honours you. You help shape the destiny of others and there is no giving up.
There was time for reflection and worship, the latter being led by Major Gareth Heward, the new Divisional Director for Personnel and ingenuity was tested to the limit when groups were challenged to design and contruct a box, out of only paper and sellotape, capable of carrying quite weighty articles without collapsing. All three groups successfully acheived the objective but some ‘developed’ the rules more than others!
Major Gareth Heward
Engineering
A great deal of fun, lot’s of spiritual learning and development, but perhaps one of the most inspiring aspects was that a number of the delegates were new to christianity, brought to the Army by particular outreach initiatives, and honest enough to admit they were still searching. To see and hear of the progress being made during the weekend was truly worthwhile in itself. We pray that God will complete His work in their lives and that they will MOVE ON and answer the question ‘what does a man do when God says GO’ in a positive way.
Next year the weekend will be held between 20 and 22 November and those present this year would encourage as many as possible to attend. If you were a delegate at this year’s event and have read this article we would welcome your comments in the box below.