catapult magazine

From “doing” to “communing”

by Joanna Shumaker

Going on a retreat…these words conjure feelings of relief, relaxation and rest. But how often does the protocol of Christianity call for “retreat?”  It doesn’t, really. In most Christian circles, living faithfully means being busy for Jesus — showing our love for God by how much we do, not by how much we commune with Him.

I believe that, for many Christians today, going on a spiritual retreat is a lost art. It is something left for the mystics to do — you know, the leftover hippie generation or the New Age philosophers. It is certainly not something for mainstream Christians to do. Why would we take a “break” from the work of the Lord? Someone has to keep doing the work, after all!

What if we changed the protocol, and emphasized being with Jesus?  What if we provided retreat at our church? What if our services included a time period of quiet reflection upon God’s words to us, or God’s attributes? What if instead of entertaining our kids non-stop in children’s church, we taught them how to worship in quiet, peaceful harmony with God? What if going to church became an actual sanctuary — a sanctuary of communion with God: listening for God’s voice, reading God’s words and thereby, worshipping in spirit and truth (John 4:24).

In this world of constant communication, digital and audio input and immediate access, the practice of retreat can be a welcome oasis in our daily, weekly, monthly and yearly ways of life.