there are many who feel their lives are unravelling, and they are exhausted and stressed out. As the demands of life and ministry increase, some try to work longer and harder to accomplish the tasks that are before them. Many of these tasks may be good and legitimate, but the price many pay is that their inner life withers because it is neglected.
Take a few minutes to think about what might happen if you took an extended period of time—perhaps one or two days—away from your normal routine in the next month just to be alone with God. What do you think would happen? I am sure most would come up with many positive answers, such as “I would be less stressed out” or “I would be able to have a greater sense of peace in my life” or “I would be able to think more creatively” or “I would be able to hear the voice of God more clearly.”
In spite of all the good reasons we can think of, we can also come up with just as many good excuses not to take time to be away. “I am too busy” or “I don’t think I can be alone and quiet by myself” or “I will do it later, when my life settles down.”
You will need to decide what you will do. You can listen to the voice of your excuses, or you can listen to the voice of God. The purpose of a retreat is to enable you to be free from outside distractions so you can hear what God wants to say to you. If you find that your life is being pulled in many different directions, it can be a time to refocus and get a new sense of direction and purpose. For others, time alone will enable them to experience God more intimately by simply being in his presence. For everyone, it will be an opportunity to rest and to be renewed. The Old Testament prophet Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal and won a decisive victory over them. However, he was exhausted from the encounter and fled to the wilderness. It was during his time in the wilderness that God provided for all of his needs and enabled him to continue the journey (1 Kings 18–20).
1 Richard Rohr, quoted in Ruth Haley Barton, Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God’s Transforming Presence (Downers Grove: IVP 2004), 25.
Section 2—The Purpose of a Retreat
“The deepest desire of our hearts is for union with God. From the first moment of our existence, our most powerful yearning is to fulfill the original purpose of our lives—to see Him more clearly, to love Him more dearly, to follow Him more nearly, as the old prayer says. We are made for God, and nothing less will really satisfy us.”
—Brennan Manning1
As you consider taking a retreat, keep in mind that the emphasis of the retreat is to help you develop and build your relationship with God. Ben Johnson and Paul Lang suggest that there are several reasons for taking a retreat.2
1.A retreat will help you to attain balance in your life.
For those who are high achievers, it may be possible that in the quest for success everything else is sacrificed. Is the success sought worth the price being paid? On the other hand, there are those who lack purpose and direction in life. For them a retreat offers the opportunity to look deeply into their souls and determine what changes need to be made.
2.A retreat offers the opportunity to focus on persistent questions of your life.
You can take the time to ask “What is the meaning of my life?” If we simply live each day without looking at the end goal of life, we can easily miss out on the purpose of life.
3.A retreat offers the opportunity to examine personal relationships.
Do you take time to look at the relationships that are at the centre of your life? This can include family, friends, co-workers, neighbours and those in your community of faith. Are there issues that need to be resolved? Are there people you need to connect with more intentionally? Are there some relationships that you need to let go of because they are toxic or destructive?
4.A retreat helps you to build into your life the rhythm of engagement and withdrawal.
Rhythm is built into the fabric of life. There is a rhythm to the seasons, there is a 24-hour rhythm that includes night and day, and God established a rhythm at creation when he declared six days of work and a seventh day of rest. As we examine our lives we can discern if we have a proper balance between engagement and withdrawal. Without this, we become consumed by a life of engagement that can easily overwhelm us.
5.A retreat allows us the opportunity to establish or re-establish our relationship with God in new and different ways.
The great commandment of Scripture is “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–39 ESV). Do you truly love God, and is this love being expressed in your relationship with others? Time alone will allow you to explore these and other questions.
Do any or all of these reasons convince you of the need to take some time away to be alone with God?
1 Brennan Manning, Abba’s Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging (Colorado Springs: Tyndale House Publishers, 1994, 2002, 2015), 24.
2 Ben Campbell Johnson and Paul H. Lang, Time Away (Nashville: Upper Room Books, 2010), 24–28.
Section 3—Organizing and Preparing for a Retreat
Some will consider taking a one-day retreat, while others might consider a longer period of two or three days. If this is the first time you have taken a personal retreat, you may be wondering what you are going to do. This guide will offer a few suggestions.
Recognize that these are simply guidelines and that the focus is to be able to interact with God. To do this you will need to be rested and refreshed, so do not feel compelled to do all the reflection exercises. If you are tired, take a nap; if you need to have a change of scenery, take a walk or go for a swim. You choose what is best for you.
The main reason for the retreat is to create an openness to God and to listen to what he has to say to you. With that in mind, there are a few things to consider as you plan this time.
1.Do not bring a list of things you need to accomplish, such as books to read or emails to write. This is not a time to work; think of this as time alone with God. Therefore consider why you are going on this retreat and what you hope to receive from God.
2.Try not to arrive exhausted. If you are too tired, you will want to sleep most of the time. This in and of itself may be an indicator that you need to consider bringing more balance into your life.
3.Plan to turn off all electronic devices while on retreat. If people want to connect with you, make sure it is an emergency. Give them the phone number of the retreat centre, and the personnel at the retreat centre can relay the necessary information to you.
4.Be sure to bring a Bible, notebook and journal. This will help you stay focused as you record your thoughts and ideas. I am a bit skeptical about using electronic devices to record your thoughts. The temptation to retrieve emails or surf the net can be difficult to resist.
5.If there are activities you enjoy such as hiking, swimming, photography, painting, sketching, etc., remember to bring the essential clothing and equipment.
6.Consider bringing a songbook or hymnal.
7.Bring your day planner. There will be an opportunity to reflect on your past activities and offer future plans to God as you seek to develop a balanced rhythm of life.
