Worship
Worshiping with the huge mass of 25,000 other believers was truly exciting. Knowing that the other worshipers were from all around the country was empowering and encouraging. The massive Pentecost displays and flying banners were awesome, and the inclusion of bike tricks, dancing, and drama all showed that God’s power and presence can be honored through any medium. God’s grace redeemed us and freed us all so that we were able to find great joy in worshiping Him.
Sessions
The break-out sessions were great doses of God’s love and support. The Trust session was a great reminder to live 1 Peter 5:7 and “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” In today’s world that is all about stress and worry, this message hit the spot.
We had to get in line over an hour before it started, as it was so popular, but the Science and Scripture session was very enlightening. It called us to be ‘skeptical Christians’ and question the premise of atheistic science that states that there cannot be a God. My faith walk was greatly strengthened by this talk, and it is simple to reconcile the findings of true science with the Bible while still believing its word as absolute truth.
The Week’s Theme – Live Love(d)
Living Love, made possible by being loved first by God, was an incredible theme that better explained the lynchpin of the Christian faith: that God’s love for us prompted Him to sacrifice His Son so that we would inherit His grace, and that through that life of grace, we could live to love those around us and bring them to salvation. Live Love[d] reminded me to refocus my identity on being God’s forgiven child, sent on His Great Commission, and have a Godly value of self-worth instead of looking for any earthly deeds or merits to define my person.
Community
The first night’s dinner at the Drury Inn was a prime example of fellowship in God’s community: after getting our penne and meatballs, I sat down and chatted with other St. Luke’s people. After a while, we struck up conversation with a pair of older ladies, one from southern Illinois, one from Tennessee or Kentucky. They said they were Catholic, but denominational lines didn’t matter when we were all excited to be with each other and the 25,000 other people dedicated to living a Christian life of purpose made possible by God’s grace. San Antonio felt like a city overflowing with God’s presence, and being a part of the community of thousands of unashamed believers there was greatly encouraging.
