Hello, friends!
As you're reading this, Megan and I are on our way or already at our staff spiritual formation retreat. Once a semester, all of the staff in Missouri get together to connect with God, connect with each other, and be filled up so we can keep doing the work that we have been called to do. I've been going to these spiritual formation retreats for a number of years now and it's been really interesting to see how much my thoughts on them have evolved.
The Early Years: When I was first starting out, I absolutely loved spiritual formation retreats but probably for the wrong reasons. These retreats weren't about connecting with God (although that sometimes happened). It was about hanging out with my staff friends, playing Settlers of Catan, and getting in a good nap or two. Those retreats were refreshing but not in a spiritual sense as much as in a physical and relational sense. Sometimes God spoke to me and sometimes he didn't. That didn't matter to me nearly as much as making sure that I slept as much as possible, ate as much as possible, and played as much as possible.
The Middle Years: Once I got past the point where my staff work was based on my natural abilities and actually started to become work (apparently, charisma only gets you so far...) these spiritual formation retreats really became a burden more than anything else. I still enjoyed the fellowship and such but since I felt like I was struggling more in my staff work, time away for these times felt like an extra burden. Why should I be getting away for a few days when there is so much work to be done on campus! Again, there were often times when the LORD spoke to me and Jesus did some really good stuff. One of my favorite memories was watching Game 6 of the 2011 World Series as a staff team at one formation retreat. Still, looking back, I wish I'd seen more of the value from a staff work perspective.
The Now Years: I've found that my early and middle years of staff have now brought me to a place of better appreciation for these times away. The fun and games are still there but to a lesser extent than before as I've gotten older and generally less willing to stay up past 10pm. I've learned that the spiritual aspect of our work cannot be ignored and that these times actually make my time on campus better and more effective. I still eat well and hang out with other staff but those things aren't the end all of our time together. I am genuinely excited to hear from the LORD today.
Friends, please be praying for us as we prepare to engage in spiritual formation. Pray the God will meet us where we are and that he will be present in everything that happens today.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
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