"As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places to pray."--Luke 5:16 (The Message)
On the first weekend in May we went on our Confirmation Retreat, our "time apart," at Mensch Mill.
Though brief, our retreat was filled with beauty, fellowship, sharing, lots of food, and a different rhythm. It was a privilege to gather in this special place where so many of God's young people have gathered for generations. It was like having "a cloud of witnesses" there with us!
After checking in, we got together for our evening session. We found several places in the scriptures that describe how important Jesus found "prayer retreats" to be in his ministry. He would go to mountaintops or off to "deserted places" in order to center himself in God's will. He needed to get away from all the demands on his time and attention in order to listen for God's voice and be strengthened by God's loving and leading power. In Mark Chapter One, Jesus' retreat for prayer enables him to be clearer about God's will and direction for his ministry. In Luke 6, his night of prayer precedes the calling of the Twelve to particular minstry, and his preaching of the powerful "Sermon on the Plain." In John's Gospel, following the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus retreats when the crowds want to "make him king." He is clear that he has come for another purpose! We reflected on the ways that our retreat might help us to listen to God's voice amid all our competing activities, and help us to clarify the commitments we have a chance to make on Pentecost. We prayed for God's inspiration.
After our session, during free time, our Confirmands returned to the meeting room with some questions of faith that they wanted to discuss together. It was awesome!
The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, we explored the story of the prophet Jeremiah (chapter one), who was confirmation-age when God spoke to him about God's purposes for his life. We discussed the role of a prophet: "a preacher of God's word;" someone God sends to speak God's word in difficult times, particularly when God's people have been going the wrong way. It is not a popular role! In Jeremiah's context (6th century BC), God's people have forgotten the poor, been consumed in war and war preparation, behaved like the other nations, become self-centered, and even split themselves in half. This was going to be important and difficult work!
God comes directly to the teen to talk to him personally. We identified with Jeremiah's surprise, shock, confusion, and fear ("freaked out!"). We heard the nature of his objections, and they sounded a lot like ours: "I don't speak that well!"; "I'm too inexperienced!"; "I couldn't do that!"; "People won't listen to me!" "I'm not worthy. " We marveled at God's ways. God said that he would give Jeremiah the words and the authority as well as God's constant, delivering presence. Even as the old order of things came down, God would be creating a new order full of God's life! One person said that "God knows all and sees all before anything actually happens" --food for serious thought! The poetry of the story indicates that God knows us even before our lives take shape, and God crafts us with God's purpose in mind even before we are born! We considered the nature of God's purposes for our lives, and how those purposes might unfold--it is remarkable!
We put ourselves in his place: "Why me?" "How will this affect my sports?" "What about my plans?" "Hey, I already go to church!" This took us deeper.
We went on to discuss how each of us might hear God's voice speaking to us today. Folks said that (a) God speaks to us through other people (b) God speaks to us through actions in people's lives (3) through an event (4) we can experience a "dawning" (5) we can open to God in prayer (6) we can receive God's will through dreams and visions.
We agreed that doing God's will is an enterprise of love, and that love is not something we feel but something we do! Peace, kindness, and truth are embodied in this work. The work is challenging and can be "dirty work." We made a list of people we believe have been called by God--there were fourteen on our initial list, from historical figures to mentors/guides from the congregation to the confirmands themselves. And what are people called for?--among even more, to show God's love, to make sure everyone is well cared for, to stop war. A full session!
Later in the morning, we remembered the story of Jesus' baptism and reflected on our own identities as baptized people. We considered the deep connection between who Jesus is and who we are. We also considered again his baptismal identities of Son, Beloved, and God's Pleasure, relating them to our God-given identities as Children, Deeply Loved (unbreakable), and God Pleasure (in the communion of our lives).
During free time, participants wandered the beautiful grounds of the Retreat Center, with a number of people climbing Vesper Hill.
We spent time with the UCC Statement of Faith, which will be shared in our Confirmation service. Very importantly, we seriously considered the promises in the Confirmation Order and where each of us is in terms of making/affirming those promises to God. Fertile and challenging territory!! We'll have a future post dedicated specifically to those promises and their substance.
Amanda, our young mentor-in-residence and accompanier during the retreat, emphasized to the class members that these promises are "deep stuff." She knows from experience! Praise God!
After a bountiful lunch, the confirmands took Jesus' image of the church as "the vine and braches bearing much fruit" and taught the advisors a well-constructed lesson, with all giving substantial input. They described what they called "the circle of life."
Pulling the Retreat experience together, our participants crafted a closing worship service that included a Call to Worship, Prayer, Scripture Reading, Reflection, Singing, and the celebration of the Lord's Table.
Our young Jeremiahs and ever-growing disciples returned home with special blessing, and enormous promise.
