A time to Retreat
This coming weekend we are going on a retreat with the board and staff of The Isaac Ishmael Initiative, which I lead. It’s a wonderful group of people, some of whom I have known, been friends with, and served alongside for many years.
The idea of a “retreat” is common to many of us, although we often do not “retreat” very well. Many of us (especially men from western cultures) are used to charging ahead and conquering the next hill. Retreat is seen as something weak, or defeatist.
Why Retreat?
At its best a retreat offers the opportunity for NEW PERSPECTIVE. We ask questions such as:
Where have we been?
Where are we heading?
What are the challenges and opportunities?
What are the big dreams and vision that may be developing?
A retreat with a group is a time for COMMUNITY and CONNECTION. It’s not often that we prioritize a weekend to be with people over meals, coffee breaks, taking walks or hikes, sitting around a fire for a couple of nights. The element of TIME is crucial for community to actually happen.
And finally, a retreat provides a chance to RE-ENERGIZE by UNPLUGGING. I find this to be so much more important today in our hyper-connected online world. I don’t know about you but I often find myself tired and even exhausted by the constant barrage of information coming at me. When you head to nature with a group of people and uplug for a couple of days it can be so energizing!
Coming Up on My Substack
This month I will be doing a series of reflections I am calling, “In Word and Deed,” which will focus on closing the gap between what we profess (our words) and how we act (our deeds). In short, this is about integrity - that our words and actions match. I hope it will be helpful for all of us.