This is one of my favorite pictures from Yosemite Summit. We were at the top of Nevada Falls overlooking a vast vista to the valley below as the sun was setting and marveling at how big our shadows were when i got the idea for this photo. The Three Musketeers! What was their motto? “All For One! And One for All!” Of course, they lived to protect the king – but we live to worship and serve the King of Kings!

Yosemite Summit is about spending some time just getting to enjoy some time in the Realm of the King enjoying the Fellowship of the King with some fellow knights! We still have a one opening left… let me share with you a comment just left on this website on another post:

Ahhhh, Yosemite Summit! Truthfully, I didn’t realize what I signed up for when I sent in my deposit a year ago. I was on the YS 2010 team. It was the greatest spiritual renewal event I have ever experienced. So many moments of that event truly helped transform me and my spiritual life. My life is not the same as it was before attending YS 2010. Let me tell you three things to encourage you to take that last spot:

1. Acceptance…the guys greeted me with open arms and warm hearts.

2. Honesty…be prepared to hear hearts open and be prepared to open your heart. (it is amazing how easy it was to open up in a room filled with new friends).

3. Theophany…YS 2010 was my burning bush experience. I heard God, I saw Him, I felt Him, I experienced God in a way I had never experienced HIM before. Expect to owe Karl a HUGE thank-you for the rest of your life. THANK YOU!

Duane

I have shared on this site in many places, and one on one with many guys how my life has been transformed dramatically in past five years, and how Yosemite Summit is a significant part of that change… and how there is really no way to explain the reasons – you just need to come.

There is one spot left. I invite you to take that step of faith, and join me and the other guys.

You’ll join Duane in being glad you did.

Karl.

Then today after only a few minutes he said, “Daddy, let me push you.” I was a little worried I’d clobber him on one of the return swings, but he did O.K. But then, after only a minute he got tired of pushing and said, “Why don’t you try pumping with your legs, Dad, I think you can probably do it on your own.” And walked away! Just like that! After all the visits to the park where I’d pushed him for loooong periods of time, never stopping until he was done, being such a patient and long suffering Dad, all he had for me was a minute!

I had to laugh to myself.

First, I had visions of when I was an older man might and need my son to push me around. But then I got to thinking of all the times God has been so long suffering and patient with me, and yet when it comes to giving HIM time – what do I do? A quick prayer at a meal? A zapped up prayer when I have a need? Maybe a prayer before a meeting or during a worship service? After all the time He has invested in me? Even my devotional prayers – how can they compare to the time He has invested in me?!?

You know friend, that is what Yosemite Summit is all about. It’s about finally giving back to God some extended time. He’s been supporting you during hard times, and pushing the swing of your family and ministry faithfully, patiently, never stopping to rest even once… it’s time you said,

“God, Let me come spend some time with you.”

 

I’m thinking of quitting.

Don’t get me wrong. I love my job. I love the kids. I even love you, most of the time. (J/K) It’s just that I feel like I hardly know God any more. I know that sounds crazy, I’m a pastor for crying out loud! But speaking of crying – if I was really honest with you (and with God), I might just cry out. But I don’t dare. I just keep on the happy face, stay busy, and hope no one knows how empty I feel inside sometimes. No, most of the time.

Busyness is my secret to survival. But if I could get away from all this “ministry stuff,” just for a little while – I think it would do wonders for my soul… and for the ministry. Ultimately the kids would benefit too, because everything I do would be more genuine coming from someone who isn’t going through the motions. Rather, they would be impacted by someone who has literally walked with God for a few days.

Do you think the ministry could survive a few days without me while I go reconnect with God? My family needs me to. I really need it. My soul needs it. I promise you, it’s the best thing you could send me to right now. I’ll be back before you know it, and I’ll be a different person. For I will have been with God, without distraction.

Thanks for listening.

Sincerely,
YOU

Me as Evening Settles in over Nevada Falls (click 4 large view)

This place is beyond description, though of course, I try. As I often say, it is where God showed off. Our language lacks adequate words to do Yosemite justice.

Incredible. Amazing. Spectacular. Breathtaking. Beautiful. Magnificent.

I suppose the best I can use is awe-inspiring. Awe at the sheer size, and height, and depth, and distance, and beauty, and splendor that hits your eyes all at once. And no matter how many pictures you take (and I take a lot) you can’t contain it. You can’t get your mind around it. You have to be there and just experience it. But what is the “it” – “it” is not Yosemite, it is GOD. His Bigness, His Majesty, His Beauty, His Greatness, His Power, His Creative ability, – I do not worship Yosemite – I love Yosemite because it draws out of me a depth of worship I can only experience there. It’s like somehow God is more there than anywhere else. While I know theologically that isn’t true, this broken spiritual vessel is somehow healed there – even if only temporarily – and able to feel God’s presence like no other time. All doubts, All worries, All concerns, All pressures, All temptations, All guilt, All my earthly distractions vanish there – and I get a taste of what heaven will be like. Not necessarily what I see the outside there – but what happens to me on the inside there. And I beg God to let me take Yosemite (His peace and presence) back with me when I return to my normal life. May I not forget those mountains, those waterfalls, those trees and those vistas are all still there – even as I hurry about my busy life – to remind me the HE is still there too, quietly, patiently waiting for me to STOP and ponder Him, worship Him, and return to that place of Awe wherever I may be.

Last year at this time I was overwhelmed with depression, anger, insecurity, and the demands of a ministry that I didn’t realize was coming to an end.  The Yosemite Summit turned out to be exactly what I needed to recognize my true value before an amazing God who delights in me regardless of my performance or behavior.  The months following the Summit were difficult for my family as we left our church without knowing where God would take us next, but I can say with certainty that Karl’s invitation to Yosemite led to a healing and contentment that I couldn’t have survived without.

Praise God that I’m in a much better situation this year.  Yes, I’m returning to Yosemite, and if you are going through anything like I was a year ago, I hope to meet you there and be a part of your renewal.  You need this more than you realize!

Note: Brent went to the second Summit and added a PS that after writing this e-mail he was heading off to lunch with a Yosemite Summiteer from the first year that I hooked him up with when he moved to Phoenix. Amazing how God has used this event to create friendships even outside of any beyond Yosemite!

(See also: What I learned at Yosemite Summit by Brent)

The number one reason to go back – I know that I need the time away. I love what I do, don’t get me wrong. But throughout the year, the emotional stress can wear you out. The “normal” people issues that come up can wear on your soul, especially when the people are not just bodies in the congregation but are your friends, your family, your brothers and sisters in Christ. I know that I need the time away to leave the work of ministry behind, to leave the daily tasks behind, and to focus on ultimately what is most important, my own personal relationship with Christ.

Words cannot describe the feeling you have when you are 8,000+ feet up, looking over God’s awesome creation and it is just you, Him and His Word. God revealed things to me during the week at Yosemite that I was not expecting.

The time away last year allowed me to refocus my life and set my eyes on what was most important once again. I am looking forward to the time once again to refocus my life and to continue to grow as a child of God.

The opportunity to get with other guys from across the country and share life together was amazing. We all shared the common ground of children’s ministry but it was great to get to know each other, pray for each other, and encourage each other in our personal walks with Christ. I am looking forward to that fellowship again this year.

The cost was an issue that I had to weigh out. But when it came down to it, I could spend the money going to conferences getting new ideas for ministry or I could spend the money and take the time away I need to grow in Christ and re-energize my walk with Him.

I don’t know about you, but I have so many ideas that I don’t know what to do with them all. And the thing is, if I am pouring my energy into ministry and not taking care of my own relationship with Him, those new ideas are not going to take off anyway. Over the last couple years I have been doing what I can to do what I have always known, to put my relationship with God before my ministry. This is easier said than done, especially during the day to day things of life. Yosemite Summit is a great way to get away to leave the other things behind for a week and focus on what is most important.

Whether we realize it or not, we all need this time away with God. We fool ourselves into thinking that it is not a good time. We tell ourselves that we have too much going on. The things is, when don’t we as children’s pastors have too much going on? When are we just waiting around with nothing to do? There is always something to do!

There is never going to be the “best” time in our eyes to leave things behind. But as I came to the conclusion last year and this year, I need this time more than I need to hold the next event for the children. I need this time more than the next new activity or idea for the children’s ministry.

I realized that I needed to trust God and that He would provide the way to get things done that needed to get done – He would clear the path even if issues came up while at Yosemite. So with that said, I look forward to the discussions God and I will have on that mountain top. I look forward to the time with Him. I look forward to the continued strength from Him and how I will grow closer to Him that week. It will be an awesome week. Don’t miss it.

- Pat, April 2010

Everyone needs to almost die.

By the way, this is my report on my Solo Sabbatical in Yosemite. Everyone has been asking me about my time in Yosemite alone at the end of January/beginning of February – so here it is. I blogged a thank you to my pastor in Illinois on why I was doing a solo sabbatical in Yosemite as well as my first report with a follow up there. I do not intend to post all the reports here. This site is about Yosemite Summit, so this will be the ONLY post about my Solo Sabbatical, if you want to follow the “deeper” reports on my trip and more photos, you’ll need to follow my personal blog, but I did want to post an official report here as well as the highlight video I made to show the best of the photos I took. And now back to the report in progress! As I was saying…

Everyone needs to almost die…

And no, I’m not referring to almost being struck by lightening in Yosemite last year! And I’m not directly talking about my near heart attack last year either – though for all practical purposes I might as well be. If almost dying twice in 2009 taught me anything (and it taught me a lot!) it made me realize that long life is not something you should assume. So let me say it again, and I really hope you will hear me this third time: (this is now directly from my journal on my solo sabbatical)

Everyone ought to almost die. If not, they really should try to pretend or reflect on what it means to live as though they are not sure of long life.

Let me set the record straight. I’m not afraid of dying. Never was. But after almost dying (twice!) I’m no longer afraid of living! I refuse to put off the life I want. If that sounds selfish, let me rephrase it – I refuse to put off what I believe God is calling me to do. (sound better?) I no longer assume far off “somedays” exist! Two to three years is as long as I assume I have. That DOESN’T mean I think I’m a dead man in five years! Without going into detail – I have a clean bill of health, I avoided a heart attack, and have a stent in a healthy heart. It just means that if I want to do something, I START PLANNING IT! I know better now – start planning it, or it’ll never happen!

Someday is just another word for NEVER!

What are you saying you will do someday? Write a book? Go on some dream vacation? Produce a resource? Start a business? (Go on Yosemite Summit or Unbridled?) I can’t even guess what it is for YOU, but YOU know what I’m talking about… I’m scratching that itch RIGHT NOW. I know I am.

The point is, start planning it NOW. At least get out a pad of paper and start scratching out the first few steps.

One of my life long dreams was to go to Yosemite in Winter. It seemed impossible. The only way it happened was to start planning it. And then God came along and took care of the “impossible” part for me! He surprised me by taking care of the one detail I couldn’t manage. Do you think God won’t do that for you? Do you think He loves me more than you? Bah!

Watch this video of my little dream come true. This took over four years to come true. Even longer if you count the years I was too scared and too busy to dream the dream! Enjoy! Two days snow shoeing through Yosemite in winter and then ask yourself,

What “someday” am I not trusting God for? And start planning it.

Download: YosemiteWinter-byKarlBastian.mov (38mb MOV) 640×480

By Brent Peak, Summiteer 2009

I suppose it’s time to start sharing what I experienced at the Yosemite Summit last year. The point of the Summit was for us children’s pastors (8 of us, plus our leader, Karl Bastian) to resign from our jobs for a week and reconnect with God. I knew I needed this, but I didn’t realize how much so until I got there. The beauty of Yosemite National Park is amazing. Words and pictures just don’t do it justice. To be so close to God through nature was an amazing opportunity.

It was refreshing to be with eight other guys who cared about the same things I did, but also had the same struggles as well. I received tremendous insight from hearing Karl talk about his experiences and struggles in ministry and family. He gave us a challenge on the first full day of hiking to think about who we are, apart from being a children’s pastor. I had never tried to define myself like that, but I’m glad I did that day.  Here’s what I realized:

I am a child of God who brings joy to him, regardless of my performance or behavior.

That was such a liberating realization!  I cried when I first voiced that sentence to myself.  As I thought about my relationship with my own children, I realized that there was nothing they could do to make me stop loving them.  I can only assume God feels the same about me.  I also thought about how my children’s ability to relate to me increases with their maturity.  I know the same is true between me and God.  I felt like a literal child before God–something I’d never really experienced before–eager to know and enjoy him better.  It felt great to not be a children’s pastor that day.  The guy with all the answers for the kids.  The guy who felt the pressure to perform for God, church leaders, parents, and kids.  They guy who had let God and others down.  For a few days in Yosemite I wasn’t any of that.  I was just a child of God enjoying his creation, trying to enjoy him as much as I hoped he enjoyed me.

Re-posted with permission from brentpeak.com

or

Disneyland or Yosemite?

As I was reflecting on Yosemite today I got to thinking how much better Yosemite is than even a Disney theme park:

It’s enough to make you reconsider just what is the happiest place on earth.

(original source)