Parkside Weekend Away 2006

We held our fifth Parkside Weekend Away from Friday to Sunday 27-29 January at our usual place, Truleigh Hill Youth Hostel, situated on the ridge of the South Downs just north of Shoreham. Thirty-two of us attended, of whom eight were newcomers. If you have not been before, the idea of a youth hostel may not sound very appealing, but as it was refurbished a few years ago it is in fact well appointed and very comfortable.

Just as well, for it was very cold on the Friday night. A sprinkling of snow greeted most of the group as they arrived at the centre, the children of course hoping the snow would settle by morning. And it did, just enough for them to make a snowman.

The event proved to be another wonderful hilltop experience. It was a privilege to share and enjoy each other's company with time to pray together, to listen to what the Lord wants us to be and do, and to enjoy the scenery and the (gourmet quality) food.

The scene that greeted us on the Saturday morning was wonderful, with a light covering of snow and the Downs covered by a new pureness. God's creation seemed wonderful.

We regard our talks as a key part of the occasion, and this year we chose the theme Some Leading Women of the Bible. After dinner on the Friday evening the first one was given by Eric Rogers on Esther.

When the wicked Prime Minister Haman tried to exterminate the whole Jewish race within the kingdom Esther received a clear call from God that her mission was to save her people. She did this with great boldness and courage and by a brilliant plan. To find out exactly how she did it, and all the other details of the story, you will need to read the book!

As God wants to use us in saving the people of today, there are some important lessons to be learnt from Esther:

1. Trust God totally, listen to his voice, be open to his call and be prepared to obey.
2. Be bold and courageous, remembering what God said to other servants of His such as Joshua: "The Lord thy God is with thee."
3. Prayer in itself is not enough. It must be followed by faith and action if we are to receive God's blessing. As someone has said, "We should pray as if everything depended on God and then act as if everything depended on us."

Esther's cousin Mordecai, who in his role as 'matchmaker' had been instrumental in her becoming queen, said to her "Who can say but that God has made you royal for such a time as this?" In the politico-religious conditions prevailing or proposed in our nation today isn't the same question just as relevant to us, members as we are of God's royal family?

Following breakfast on the Saturday, Sue Beckhurst and Sue Oldfield led us in a family service on the theme of Ruth. They used imaginative and creative story-telling and games orientated towards the children, though involving all age groups, to show how Ruth's faithfulness and loyalty to her mother-in-law were based on her trust in God ("Your God will be my God") and were employed by Him to further His plans, leading ultimately to the coming of the Saviour. We were asked, for example, to think of the problems we would face on going to another country with a different language, different currency and different religion, and two teams were formed with someone from each chosen to be wrapped in a parcel for 'posting', the winning team being the one that got their parcel to the 'Post Office' first.

The message from all this was that just as we have faith that the Post Office will deliver the mail, so too we need to have faith in God.

Julie Blanchett gave the third talk, on Mary. She started by reading John 2 verses 1-11 and wondered what it was that gave Mary the confidence to say to the servants, "Do whatever He tells you."

She looked at the status of most women at that time - at the best, second class citizens, but more often thought of as baggage or mere possessions. Why then did God choose to use a mere woman as the means of His entry into this world? Surely because God never intended women to be treated in that way and because God delights in using the weak and despised things of this world to confound the 'wise'. (1 Corinthians 1 verses 27-29)

Julie pointed out how Mary was in a unique position - no-one else has ever or will ever be in her position - the mother of the Saviour of the world.

But to be in that position she had to obey and trust God even when events took a nightmare turn.

We learnt that Mary's relationship with Jesus was a close one; she trusted Him implicitly because she knew what He was capable of. Julie finished by praying that each of us may know Jesus so intimately and so devotedly that we will follow Him and obey His every instruction to the last letter because it is what God desires.

In summing up the talks on Sunday morning, Chris Marsden pointed out that although it had not been planned that way there was, in fact, a common thread running through these three subjects. All three women were totally committed. Esther listened to God, heard His call to save her people and obeyed it with great courage and boldness. If the Jewish race had been wiped out, how could the Saviour have come? Ruth who, through her trust and love of God, left her people to return to Bethlehem with Naomi and this led eventually to the birth of Obed, ancestor of David, himself ancestor of Jesus. And Mary was totally yielded to God's will as the mother of our Saviour.

David Millidge led us in a meaningful service of worship on Sunday morning, which included communion and gave an opportunity for sharing of things to thank God for and also any concerns we had. In the happy, confident and confidential atmosphere of the Church Weekend we were able to do this at a deeper and more intimate and trusting level than would have been possible in perhaps any other way.

Throughout the weekend we enjoyed tuneful and helpful times of praise and worship, and learnt a number of great new songs, all very competently led by our resident group 'Nigel and the McCurrachs'.

Our early morning prayers, preceded by 'tea with Val', were refreshing and uplifting. They were led on Saturday morning by Chris Marsden on the theme of thanksgiving, when we thanked the Lord for the many blessings we had received from Him, and on Sunday by Chris Blanchett who read 2 Kings 19 verses 14-19 and encouraged us to 'lay it before the Lord'.

As always, the Saturday morning was spent in a brisk walk over the Downs, this year to Upper Beeding, with a quiz along the way to test our observational powers (the answers to this quiz are given at the end), and culminating in a well-earned pub lunch for the tired and hungry ramblers. At the start of the walk the scenery was really beautiful with the blanket of snow over the Downs, but down in the valley where the frost and snow had gone the conditions became quite muddy and slippery.

Later, for those who preferred a more restful pursuit there was the opportunity back at the ranch to engage in the making of decorative cards and gift boxes that could be used for various purposes. And Malcolm Jukes showed the children how to use bamboo canes to make giant triangular catapults with which to fire ping-pong balls.

There were, of course, those who preferred just to relax, chill out and do nothing!

On Saturday evening Brian and Val Gale brought out the party games when all ages could join in a time of becoming children again and letting our hair down. Great hilarity was enjoyed by all, not least when Colin Beckhurst and Mike McCurrach were 'mummified' with toilet rolls.

Another game which occasioned great hilarity was 'passing the polo on a straw'.

It was indicative of the kindness and generosity of the occasion that the losers received the same valuable prizes as the winners (sweets).

On our final morning, as last year, the local shepherd Don Fathers and his faithful dog Meg gave us a demonstration of rounding up the sheep. Forming us into two rows facing each other but closer at one end than the other, they managed between them to steer the sheep into this human 'funnel'.

Someone said on arrival "Isn't it wonderful to have such a break in mid-winter, to get away from all the stresses and strains of life today and just enjoy good fellowship with good friends, and of course good food."

In closing, all we can add is if you've never been to Truleigh Hill you truleigh don't know what you've been missing!

Many thanks to everyone who gave up their time and energy to give us all such a wonderful weekend break. Thank you.

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This article was compiled by Margaret Marsden, and Christine & Eric Rogers.

We've already booked up again for 2-4 February 2007 so put these dates in your diary and watch this space.