Ed Marcelle

Retreat

In a world “on demand”, with moments measured in nano-seconds and information measured in terra-bytes, there seems to be no quarter from the constant digital flow of data. Being wireless only means that work, news and entertainment reaches instantly and endlessly into our homes, cars, and coffee shops. To find quiet and the fruit of quiet, a contemplative heart and time and space set aside from the burdens of to-do lists, is not easy.

We need time to retreat, away from the frenzied demands of ‘the next thing”, and in quiet communion with the Lord. Silence and solitude become integral pieces of retreat, as they are biblically a part of the uniqueness of being with God. Jesus would go into the wilderness or away to a quiet place to pray, often at the busiest of times (Luke 5:16). Elijah ran from a great victory against Jezebel and her evil rule, not in triumph but in great fear of reprisal (1 Kings 19:3). He went to the wilderness- a quiet place, off the grid, feeling depressed and alone. It was there, away from the action, that he encountered God. God was not in the activity. He was not in the running. He was not in the natural and supernatural movements of nature Elijah encountered. He was in a still small voice.

God doesn’t just push or beg us to listen to Him. Sometimes He speaks in a still small voice the most important messages. For us to be able to hear Him, we need to quiet ourselves and remove distractions so we can listen. Solitude and silence for the faithful become disciplines in our constant effort to hear from and follow the voice of the Lord.

In the military, retreat is a strategic move away from the heat of battle to consider new opportunities in order to reengage for a different outcome. We have to be strategic in order to leverage the value of a retreat. Just time away or time alone does not necessarily create an environment and opportunity for retreat. Here are three ways to get ready to retreat. They will call us to look intentionally to the eternal Lord, our unique internal state, and the structure, the external circumstances, of a retreat.

Ask the Sovereign

Ask the Lord’s help before the retreat. Ask broad and open questions like, “How can I prepare myself for the retreat? Is there anything holding me back from entering into this time with openness to You and how You are working in my life?” Ask Him to help you see and hear from Him during the retreat. Also ask for His help in implementing what He reveals. Remember, He is the Lord. He is with us before the retreat, He is the one we seek when on the retreat, and we need His aid to follow through after the retreat is over.

Assess Yourself

Ask some self-evaluation questions before the retreat like: How am I doing with the important areas of my life? Are there noticeable red flags in my life? It may be checking on the pace of your life. What rhythms are right and what systems are running smoothly? What is unsustainable? The bigger question, “why?”, you may or may not be able to answer immediately. Self-assess purity in your life. Sin wears us down and distances us from the Lord. An unflinching examination of sin, confession and efforts to atone- acts to restore the damage of wrong- will put us in the best place to be with Jesus. Look also at priorities. What is first in your life? You will know the answer by the things you serve, stress over, and celebrate. Having the right things in the wrong order can lead us to a place of idolatry. Idolatry exhausts us because we serve without ever finding satisfaction.

Plan and Prepare the Structure

Planning a spiritual retreat means walking the balance between too much and too little structure. We don’t want to make a retreat a new kind of being busy. Nor do we want the retreat to be a vacation or a time to catch up on sleep. To prepare, begin before you go. Don’t just dive in on the day of your scheduled retreat. You may need to detox. It is a good idea at least 3 days before a retreat to turn down the volume of your life, turn off the electronics, and slow the pace. Get used to quiet. You have been surrounded by electronic stimulation. Detox or quiet may end up being uncomfortable, but it’s worth every unplugged moment to begin to train yourself to hear that still small voice.

Choosing a place conducive to quiet and seeing the beauty of creation, choosing a specific text to focus on, and setting aside prayer times is always helpful in planning a retreat. If you are a part of a retreat at church like Terra’s upcoming Imago men’s retreat, you will be blessed with planned speakers, times of worship, time set aside to discuss and share in small groups, and chunks of unstructured quiet time to spend alone with the Lord.

Retreats might be an annual part of marriage, a journey with a group of people from the church, or a solo endeavor. Regardless of why or when, get distance from the battle. Get close to the Lord. Retreat well and return with the benefits of being spiritually strategic, ready to follow through on what the Lord has revealed to you.

Follow Along

Select who you'd like to view