Jesus said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest awhile.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. (Mark 6:31, NRSV)
Why do a Retreat?
The bible tells us that Jesus went to be alone to wrestle with temptation (Mark 1:12-13), to process the news of his cousin John the Baptist’s death (Matthew 14:13), to get some rest when life was so busy things were getting overwhelming (Mark 6:31-32), after a busy working day (Matthew 14:23), when he was facing a difficult decision (Mark 14:32).
In order to function humans need rest, not just sleep, but specifically we need quality ‘sabbath’ rest that allows us come away from the pressures of everyday life and invest time in our relationship with God and each other.
Why choose a DIY Mini-Retreat (and what is it anyway)?
Our DIY Mini-Retreats are a space of time and place, centred in God’s creation. "DIY" - because you can do them without a retreat leader and "mini" because they are designed to take just a few hours.
Who better to take as our guide and example for a Retreat than Jesus our friend and Saviour. When Jesus wanted to spend time with God he didn’t go to the synagogue or temple, instead he took himself off to a place in nature, away from other people:
- up a mountain, (Luke 6:12-13, Mark 3:13, Matthew 14:23, Mark 6:46
- by water, (Matthew 13:1-3, Matthew 14:13, Mark 3:7, Mark 4:1, Mark 6:31-32)
- into the wilderness, or to a ‘solitary place’ (Mark 1:35, Luke 5:15-16, Mark 1:45)
Perhaps we should not be surprised that Jesus – described in Colossians 1:16 as being the ‘firstborn (or supreme) over all creation’ – should seek space to pray and ‘recharge his batteries’ enveloped in the natural world that was created ‘through him and for him’.
If spending time in creation was Jesus’ first choice for a Retreat, then it should be ours too!
What if I get distracted?
Frequently Jesus' attempts to get away didn’t happen – as people followed him, clamouring for his attention. His solutions varied but included getting up very early, going somewhere really inaccessible, and accepting that sometimes events got in the way, but making sure not to miss the next opportunity for some space.
Today we might not be physically followed by people, but we may need to be disciplined about putting the phone on silent, or not checking in on social media so that we can make the most of the retreat time and space. The beauty of a DIY retreat is that if legitimate distractions do crop up you can step away from the retreat and come back later, but it can be harder to stay focussed on a DIY retreat precisely because it is so easy to pause it.
Thankfully we have a loving merciful God who understands.