who needs them?

Why Are Retreats Necessary?

    Have you ever given any thought to the fact that in order to understand and appreciate someone or something, you must take time to know them?  People, works of art, literature, music, and even the glories of creation, seldom yield themselves to the casual observer.  We must purposely slow our pace, narrow our focus, and become attentive in order to experience the joy of appreciation and understanding.

    This is certainly true of our relationship with God.  Unless we purpose to seek him, we will miss the marrow of life.  David understood this truth.  Listen as he speaks in Psalm 63.

     “ O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.  Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.  Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.  My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.  Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.  My soul followeth hard after thee……”

     David explains that his soul earnestly desired to know the living God.  His desire was as a thirst, which his world could not satisfy.  So he tells us that the only thing which could relieve his deep quenching was to seek God because His lovingkindness was better than life itself.  He goes on to proclaim that in knowing God and His lovingkindness, his soul would be satisfied with marrow and fatness.

      Taking time to focus on God and our relationship to Him, in the midst of the “hurry” of life, is called personal retreat.  The dictionary defines “retreat” as a drawing back, a withdrawal to a safe or private place; a period of seclusion, especially one devoted to religious contemplation away from the pressures of ordinary life.”  Some in our modern religious communities would rather use the word, “advance.”  Whatever your terminology, getting away with God is truly necessary.

     The horticulturist prepares geraniums by first exposing them to their ultimate harsh outdoor environment in pots.  As the wind dries them out, they are brought indoors and sprayed with water to give them a chance to recover before putting them outside again.  Eventually they will ready to be planted permanently outdoors.

     In personal retreat, a more favorable climate for spiritual growth and health exists.  We temporarily withdraw from the drying winds, baking sun, and freezing nights of a world that by nature is hostile to spiritual life.

     There are those who seem uncomfortable with the idea of personal retreat, especially in light of the great needs and opportunities for service around them.  But it is precisely because of these needs and opportunities that a personal retreat is needed.  Jesus himself showed us that before and after he met the people and their enormous needs, he was compelled to take time to seek His Father, not only for guidance but also to be revived and strengthened.  His life illustrates the perfect life: one of retreat followed by intense involvement in the world.

     Jesus summed it up when He said, “(he) shall go in and out, and find pasture.” (John 10:9b)   Note the two distinct calls: Go & Come.  He sends us to a needy world in His name, and He calls us to draw near that He might reveal Himself to us and through us.

     It has been suggested that a fast-paced life is an opiate.  The activity and pressure provides the adrenaline that causes us to believe all is well because we think we are thriving on the frenzy.  It is not until our motor stalls that we face the sobering reality that all that busyness has sapped us of spiritual vitality.

     We are commanded in the book of Hebrews, to enter into His rest, the rest prepared for us.  Rest in scripture actually signifies a state of spiritual health and well being, not an escape from nothingness.

     A personal retreat is taking time to break the intensity of activity, to slow down, to replenish, to regroup, to revitalize, to meet with the living God and delight in Him.

What A Retreat Will Do For You

      1. EXTEND your fellowship with God:  As with any personal relationship, fellowship is nurtured by spending time together.  God  announces he is always ready to meet with you.  He takes special note of times when His people reverence Him and think upon His Name.  " Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.” (Mal 3:16)

      2. ENLARGE your perspective:  Spending time with God, hearing His Word, worshipping in spirit & truth, praying for deeper understanding, will allow you to see circumstances, people and things from God’s perspective.  He will allow us vision to see the unseen, and the tangible things of life will fall into their proper place.  He will even strengthen our spiritual defenses.  All of this is only possible when “we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)

      3. ENGAGE in intercessory prayer:  How often in the “hurry” of life do we forget to pray.  So often opportunities are lost to see the hand of God move.  There are unbelieving friends and relatives, missionaries, neighbors, government leaders, pastors who need your prayers.  Christians can see God influence people and change events as they pray.

     4. EXPAND your relationship with fellow believers:  Its when we take time to be with fellow believers on men’s retreats or women’s retreats that we become involved in their life.  We are given an opportunity to encourage them, comfort them, hear through them, pray for them, love them as never before.  One on one. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Heb 10:25)

     Why not consider taking the time to get away with God.  If your church doesn’t have a formalized retreat program, why not speak to your pastor.  Most pastors are usually waiting for someone to take the initiative and suggest it.  It could be the start of an incredible spiritual journey.

     When it time to choose a retreat center, we would like you to consider ours, Shiloh Retreat Center.

written by Pastor Edward Rizzo