The Blessing of Retreat

By Dan Commerford, Director of Middle and High School Ministries

“Now during those days, he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God.” Luke 6:12 [NRSV]

This verse is one of a few examples in the Gospel of Luke where Jesus decided to get away for a period of time to focus on his relationship with God. Often, when we talk about Jesus, we talk about his teachings, his death, and his resurrection. But hidden in the grand account of Jesus’ story are these little moments where Jesus got away from everyone, even his closest companions, to spend time with God. It seems that Jesus saw the need to retreat in order to gain guidance, energy, and purpose for his ministry.

This October, I spent two weekends taking the middle school and high school students on their respective Fall Retreats. Both retreats went up to Presbyterian Clearwater Forest in Crooked Lake, MN, and both retreats gave the students (and the leaders) an opportunity to play games, spend time with one another in fellowship and discussion, and have meaningful worship as a group. I was surprised to see that even with a schedule full of rigorous activity and the inherent lack of sleep that accompanies a youth retreat, I found myself returning to the Twin Cities more energized and invigorated than when I left.

When I was in high school, I asked one of my youth group leaders why I was having a hard time hearing from God when I prayed. He asked me to take a few seconds, listen to what was around me, and tell him what I was hearing. After I told him about hearing cars, wind, and leaves, he told me to listen more. As I focused, I realized that there was a pair of birds that were singing to each other in a nearby tree. I only heard it when I was able to get past the clutter of everything else around me. To me, that is why a retreat is a blessing. It gives me an opportunity to get away from the busyness of my normal routine and listen to what is often drowned out. Retreats are a blessing because it is a time when I can focus on my relationship with God as well as God’s people.