Retreat!
The Gospels are full of stories of Jesus stepping away to pray. He often went up the mountain or crossed to the other side of the sea to have an intentional moment by himself and I believe it safe to say that it is a good model for us. I am always hopeful that coming to church on Sunday can be that respite for you every week.
This week I am going on my first retreat in more than two years, and after such a long hiatus, I am excited to spend intentional time with some old friends from seminary. Every morning we will have morning prayer followed by programs then afternoon reflections and worship. Though it isn’t on the schedule, I am also certain I will have time to read and go for a long walk. It is a remarkable thing to contemplate intentional time away for prayer and fellowship after so long.
We have all had a long two years. After a pandemic season defined by time away from in-person routine, it may be hard for you to imagine taking a moment. I would like to encourage you to find a way to spend a little time with God. You don’t have to climb a mountain or cross the sea the way Jesus did. You can come sit in our beautiful gardens at the church. You can go for a walk. You can come to church a little early next Sunday and enjoy the quiet nave before services begin. Someone asked me this week how they should pray. This is a common question. It’s also an old question. We have the Lord’s Prayer because Jesus was asked this very same thing. In its simplest form, prayer is setting aside time to be with God.
I will be praying for you on my retreat this week. I pray you find a moment to take a deep breathe and know God’s presence.
We love you and God loves you,
Josh Condon+