Tonight, while I was reading through an old notebook of mine, underneath old hangman games, scribbles and messages to whoever was sitting next to me in church all those Sunday evenings, was notes from COGS Youth Camp 2006. This was our first youth camp of our own that we had done for many a year and this was also the first year that Paul Edy had been leading us on his own. What I found was remarkable about the notes from that camp was the incredible depth of what was taught that weekend.
Paul "Friday night sess" Edy kicked off the weekend with a preach expounding why and how we worship. What took me by surprise was that Paul took the Saturday evening as well. What would Richard say about that these days!? But that evening our chief preached up a storm on Exodus 33 and experiencing God's goodness and glory.
It's so exciting to me to think that 5 years on COGS youth has had an incredible culture and revelation of both worship and God's goodness. We have had extraordinary times of God's presence being made manifest in our midst together on Friday nights, camps as well as privately in our bedrooms and homes. This is testiment mainly to the fact that we have a man called Paul Edy who has resolutely preached truth relentlessly into the very fibre of who we are as a people and that he has never backed off from what he believes is our full inheritance!
Thank you Paul, for your faithfulness to the word of God, to his presence and to us, your merry band of girls and guys who would follow you anywhere as we know that your compass as a leader is directly pointing to the presence of God.
You are a hero. Lieutenant. Chief. And a dad to many!
And soon to be a Dad in the natural...
And just as you made all those grade sevens years ago salute the matrics, we salute you tonight!