When I lead a women’s retreat, I congratulate the participants for being there – for taking the time and spending the money to give themselves the gift of retreat time. (My experience is with women’s retreats, but I believe that everyone benefits from retreat time, regardless of gender.) Although we may long for time away, either alone or with a group, for renewing our spirit, it is difficult for us to make it a priority. And yet, Jesus himself modeled for us the importance of retreat.
More than once in the gospel accounts of Jesus’ ministry, we find Jesus intentionally taking time away from the crowds, either by himself or with his disciples. Whether it was spending time fasting in the desert (Luke 4:1-2), taking time to pray alone (Matthew 26:36) or with his disciples (Luke 9:18-20, Luke 9:28), or celebrating Passover with his friends (Matthew 26:17-20), Jesus made time to occasionally remove himself from the crowds. I can only imagine the intensity of having crowds of people follow you, waiting for you to teach and heal them. My guess is that the time away from the crowd enabled Jesus to return to his followers, refreshed, refocused and ready to continue his ministry.
Most of us do not have crowds of people following us around, but we certainly have many things that demand our time, our focus and our energy. Although we may manage a regular time for prayer, meditation or reading (many of us find it difficult to even find this time), it is easy for us to forget the importance of following Jesus’ example to set aside time for spiritual renewal.
Let me interject a brief explanation of what a retreat is and what it is not. Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines a retreat (in this context) as a period of group withdrawal for prayer, meditation, study, or instruction under a director. Personally I would modify this definition to allow for individual retreats as well, and I would change the word director to facilitator. (Obviously, Merriam-Webster didn’t consult me!) Conferences, workshops and meetings, while they each serve an important purpose, are not usually retreats (although they can be).
Retreats offer a unique opportunity to take a break from the demands of our everyday lives and to reconnect with God. God is with us all the time, but it is easy for us to allow the “stuff” of life to mask God’s presence and voice. Withdrawing from our usual routine offers an opportunity to return our focus to God and to strengthen our relationship with God. An added bonus to attending a group retreat is the community formed among the retreat participants.
We often encourage others to look to Jesus’ life as an example of how to live. Part of Jesus’ example is to spend some time away from the busyness of life. As church leaders, we need to encourage others (and ourselves) to make the time to retreat.
~Sally Hoelscher