Retreating

We’ve been on retreat this past week with Abbot John Klassen from Collegeville, MN as our presenter. His conferences on the parables and the reign of God have been top-notch, offering some insightful and some uncommon takes on these well-known stories. My favorite conference was on the Prodigal Son. Perhaps because it’s one of my favorites, or perhaps it was because of his reflections, or perhaps it was because of both, I left the chapel “wowed.” I especially liked the reminder about conversion: “Grace is in the small steps.”

Besides his challenging reflections, this week has been one of renewal and refreshment, as it should be. (I must not lie—it’s also afforded me an opportunity to watch some of the World Cup when I otherwise wouldn’t have had the chance!) Yesterday morning I went into my old journals looking for a poem that I thought I would use in this entry, but I came across these appropriate words from an old morning reflection I received in my inbox from the Upper Room back in 2013. The writer talks about how he spends his time during retreat:

As I left my room for a stroll, I wondered what God would have me see. So I prayed, “God, help me to see what you want me to see.” As I walked the garden, I had several “aha!” moments when an ordinary tree or flower or shoreline seemed to be filled with meaning for me. Ever since then, when I’m on retreat and go for a walk, I say, “God help me to notice what you want me to see.”

Here are some moments of beauty that I believe God wanted me to notice as I’ve gone a-meanderin’ this past week.

May we make space in ourselves to pay attention to the moments of life that God wants us to see, the moments of our conversion.

Let us walk in the holy presence.