Committing to a Few Days

The sun breaks through the trees at St. Joseph Abbey located near Covington, LA.

photo by Leo Honeycutt

COMMITTING TO A FEW DAYS

BY TYSON HACKENBERG

You might think of it as a leap of faith, a distraction, a mini vacation for your soul, or simply a weekend away from the routine; however you decide to book it, I have confidence that you will thank yourself for the decision, your friend for the suggestion, or both. At the end of the weekend, I honestly forgot the reason that I packed a bag and took a quiet drive for a few nights away from the family. For me, choosing to say yes and sign up for a men’s retreat, spend a weekend away, by choice, from my wife and kids, and disconnecting from the familiar routine is, normally, not an easy decision.

As a kid from a small community church in Shreveport, I remember fondly the annual family retreat. It was sort of an abbreviated summer camp, at some quiet place in the woods: cabins, pancakes, camp fires, singing the hymns that don’t require an organ, and, most of all, this comfortable fellowship with people you know well and a few you don’t. There was something magical, mysterious, and certainly comfortable about it.

The FUMC men’s retreat at St. Joseph Abbey brought me back to those days. No doubt there were many differences—all “mature” men, comfortable beds, historic structures, manicured grounds, etc.—but the Spirit filled both experiences in a surprisingly familiar way. Most remarkable is the coming together of men in different phases of life with different distractions committing to a few days of community filled with prayer, worship, study, sharing, celebration and comfort.

The experience is uplifting, all of us taking the time to unplug and separate from the noise of everyday life, focus on our soul, and strengthen our relationships with God and each other. I needed this; when invited I had no hesitation, the invitation felt for me more like an offering, the choice didn’t feel like a choice, yet looking back I had no idea what I was committing to.

When I arrived, there were a few minutes of the typical anxiety—“Am I at the right place? Where do I park?”—but that quickly faded as I walked up to the welcoming sight of friends, some that I just met for the first time, but so comforting and welcoming in a strange but deeply familiar way.

I suspect the experience was uplifting in different ways for each of us who attended, but all of us felt the comfort of the surroundings, the gentle caring presence of each other, a deep connection with God and all left with much more than we came with.

BRING A FRIEND TO THE NEXT MEN'S RETREAT

August 2-4, 2019 St. Joseph Abbey (near Covington, LA)

Spend some time away from your routine and bring a friend to the next Men’s Retreat. To register or for more details, please contact Cherri Johnson, Director of Spiritual Formation, at cherri@firstmethodist.org.