Matthew Keist, Congregant
Having been a fan of David Letterman’s infamous “Top 10 Lists” feature for many years, I’ve been thinking recently about what my own “top 10” list might look like in relation to my spiritual journey over the past several years. And so, thus follows one result of how that thought process has concluded: my personal top 10 reasons to go to Retreat 2013.
10. One price covers it all—no surprises. (That’s right, you’ll eat like a king, or queen…it is like going on a cruise without the trouble of dealing with a ship with no power or working bathrooms!)
9. You will truly be in “God’s country”—it’s kind of hard to see those sunrises and not believe in something or someone larger than us.
8. (Referring to number nine…) With all of the mundane, trivial, petty, and judgmental things we face each day, retreat helps us all refocus. You can leave all of that at the entrance gate and just enjoy “retreating.”
7. Whomever God, the Divine, Spirit, Guide, or Force is to you, simply expect the unexpected. Last year, I witnessed God moving in powerful, palpable, and unprecedented ways.
6. You will connect, reconnect, and learn hugely from those you may have thought you knew, and those you meet for the first time.
5. It isn’t church! (Disclaimer: we love our church, but there are other pathways on which we can find our meaningful spiritual experiences or enrich the experiences that are now familiar. Call it a “side trip” during the traveling of your own life journey.)
4. Being “authentic” gets re-defined when you spend three days together!
3. Pastor Wes doesn’t have to have a sermon prepared every day…time to hang out with a relaxed pastor!
2. Word of the day: Facilitator. (A.K.A. retreat speaker—I’ve not yet met Pastor Colleen or her jazz-singing partner, Shelly, but I have heard nothing but wonderful comments about them.)
And the number one reason: You’ll know that for yourself as you pack up on the last day. My beautiful Michael’s comment last year: “I wish we were coming back again next weekend.” What greater endorsement could one give?
I hope you will join Michael, me, and the many others from our church for our retreat on May 31-June 2, 2013!