A Few People In A Room

About a month ago I spent a couple of days with a group of leaders on Orcas Island. We mostly sat in a room in more or less comfortable chairs and talked and listened. No agenda except semi-regular breaks for meals or a little exercise. I can’t check off items on a list when I think about what we accomplished in that two days. I know I learned and contributed and that it was good for my soul. And I made a few friends in the process.

Now I’m spending a couple of days sitting in a room in a house overlooking Rockaway Beach, Oregon, with a slightly smaller group of leaders from a completely different part of Christ’s diverse family. The chairs are reasonably comfortable and the agenda is pretty much the same. Last night we went around the room and told our stories. Late into the night, we told our stories. One common phrase was “long story short.” But some of the stories were pretty long!

Today we’re at it again. We’re sitting here and the conversation is beginning. Where will it go? I am inclined to think that it will go where it’s meant to go and that in the process we’ll learn more about each other, about ourselves, and about what God wants to say and do with us today.

This kind of conversation in this kind of setting is going to play a significant role in my future communication, ministry, and relationship building.

If I had been in one meeting – just one – like this in the past four years, my work with Cascade District could have been different. Better? Maybe. Different at least.