It’s going to be a busy week. There’s a Hutchmoot coming.
Starting tomorrow, upwards of 70 staff and 150 attendees will begin traveling from around the world (literally) to convene here in our neck of the woods for four days of music, literature, good food, great conversation, and sweet communion. Our 30+ speakers are hard at work putting the finishing touches on a fantastic array of sessions. Walter Wangerin, while in relatively good health, will be traveling from northern Indiana, and I know travel is hard on him. Chef Lewis Graham is taking a deep breath and getting ready to jump into an insane four days of back-breaking work, and so are the many volunteers that are on their way to help him. Kate Hinson is descending on the church with a van full of decorations that she’s spent all year carefully thinking about and assembling. Other volunteers are about to start loading books and boxes and tables and chairs and (metaphorically and literally) setting the tables for the arrival of our guests. Musicians are rehearsing and thinking about which of their many songs are perfectly suited to play to this specific audience. Sound engineers are counting microphones and cables and trying to figure out how to make it all work flawlessly. I feel a little like one of those old guys you see in baseball movies—the ones quietly chalking the field in the big empty stadium as they make the last preparations before all the noise of the big game erupts.
I believe spiritual warfare is a reality. I believe the enemy is not only real but smart, and I believe when he sees the forces of light maneuvering for a push through the lines, he’s not foolish enough to let it go unanswered. So I humbly ask that you remember in your prayers this week all those who work so diligently to make Hutchmoot happen. Pray for their health—physical, emotional, and spiritual. Pray that those behind the microphones will be led by the Holy Spirit to convey what they alone could not. Pray that those in the audience will find what they come to find, leave what they need to leave, and return home equipped with something they cannot lose.
We love doing this. Pray we have the grace, humility, and energy to do it well. I believe the enemy hates Hutchmoot. I don’t know about you, but I take great comfort in that.