It’s the time of year when the school year has settled into a routine, the midterms are out, and the coffee shops feel a little more packed with stress. The other weekend 20 of William and Mary’s finest retreated to Lynchburg for a RUF Fall Conference. It was delightful. (Pictures at the end of the post!)
The trip began with everyone from William and Mary being invited to a student’s parents’ home in Lynchburg for lasagna and brownies. My car set out too late to stop for dinner, but the students brought us extra brownies to eat. The weekend was rainy, but we gathered in the cabins, made tea for each other, played board games, played all the songs we know on guitar and ukulele. It was a quiet, unimposing weekend of living together.
On the way home, W&M RUF alumni invited us to eat lunch at their home in Charlottesville. Not every one could stop on the way home, but a few of us did. They had made fresh bread and tomato soup (it was still raining, so this was the ideal meal). A group of about 12 people sat around a table full of food and grace. We didn’t come with anything, we were simply supplied a war fire and meal.
We sung a song that weekend at Fall Conference with the chorus: “We will feast in the house of Zion. We will sing with our hearts restored. He has done great things we will say together. We will feast and weep no more.” I couldn’t shake this chorus while we sat around the table with new and old friends. What a great thing it is to celebrate the already but not yet. The Feast of Zion.
Lavished in Grace 