“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;
or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you;
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
Who among all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
In his hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of all mankind.” Job 12:7-10
So much of our modern existence is dominated by technology – which isn’t an inherently negative phenomenon – technology has afforded us unlimited and immediate access to information, family, and colleagues around the world (plus, self-driving cars!). However, much of our day-to-day is mediated by the illuminated screens of our phones, tablets, etc.; being fully immersed in an experience is somewhat of a novelty in our current era. Nature offers us an authentic chance to engage holistically in the sublime, encountering the rawness of God’s creation. Retreating to the mountains at Forest Home allows you the chance to:
- Unplug. The rural San Bernardino mountains don’t offer the best cell reception. We encourage our guests to turn off their phones and devices, and fully experience the beauty and wonder of Mill Creek Canyon. Forest Home is uniquely situated next to a spring-fed creek, and the craggily and rugged San Bernardino mountains surge on either side of our campus.
- Worship. As the above passage from the book of Job implies, our response to the majesty of God’s creation is worship. “In His hand is life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.” What a wonderful God we worship — He is responsible for the life in each creature, each towering tree, and in each thing that moves upon the earth. May our experience in nature make us realize that God is fully present in each breath we take.
- Be Renewed. As we respond to God through worship, and fully engage with His creation, our hope is that each person who retreats at Forest Home would encounter Christ and be transformed. Whether that’s making a first-time decision to follow Jesus, being freed from the past, and receiving calling for the future, spending time alone with God in the enthralls of nature, affords us the opportunity to sit at His feet and listen like never before. We are reminded that Christ Himself often retreated to be alone with the Father.
At Forest Home, our ultimate purpose is to provide a place where the Gospel is proclaimed and guests can sit at the feet of Jesus, surrounded by the sublimity of His creation and be forever changed.
