arTau

Retreat

I spent last weekend up at Hidden Acres on our youth group’s fall retreat.  This is the fourth (Brandon says five, I say four) one . . .and I’ve been privileged to be at all of them.  Nothing like trying to keep pace with about fifty high school kids for a weekend to make you realize just how old and out of shape you really are.

As has been the pattern every time I go on one of these trips, I end up being, in keeping with my role as one of the old guys, the first one up in the morning.  As I sat in the quiet of Saturday morning, I began thinking about how many retreats I’ve been on over the years.  I broadened my definition of retreat to include any camp, conference, or trip whose main purposes were spiritual and/or relational growth.  Here is the list I came up with, starting just before my freshman year in high school:

• Open Bible Camp – Clear Lake, Iowa – 8/88
• O.B. Fall Senior High Retreat – Clear Lake – 9/88
• O.B. Breakaway – Cedar Rapids, Iowa – 2/89
• O.B. Camp – Clear Lake, Iowa – 8/89
• Valley Singers Retreat – Camp Wesley Woods – Indianola, IA – 8/89
• O.B. Fall Senior High Retreat – Clear Lake – 9/89
• O.B. Breakway – Davenport, Iowa – 2/90
• O.B. Camp – 8/90 – (as per this post, this was my introduction to coffee.  Also, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait that week.  Who knew that would still matter 17 years later)
• Valley Singers Retreat – 4H Campground, Boone, IA – 8/90
• O.B. Camp – 8/91
• Valey Singers Retreat – 4H Campground, Boone, IA – 8/91
• ISU Freshman Honors Retreat – Camp Hantesa, Boone, IA – 9/92
• EFCA Challenge 1994 (Rock The Planet) – Fort Collins, CO – 7/94
• Salt Company Spring Retreat – Camp Hantesa, Boone, IA – 4/95
• Valley Church Senior High Wilderness Camp – Michigamme, MI – 7/95
• Salt Company Fall Retreat – Camp Hantesa – Boone, IA – 10/95
• Larch Hall Residence Staff Retreat – Unremebered Camp Name – 10/95
• Impact Conference – Embassy Suites Hotel – Des Moines – 12/95
• Salt Company Spring Retreat – A.G. Camp – Boone, IA – 4/96
• Salt Company Fall Retreat – 4H Camp (I think) – 10/96
• Salt Company Spring Retreat – (4H Camp?) – 4/97
• Harvest E. Free Senior High Camping Retreat – Buffalo River (Steel Creek), AR – 10/99
• (Conference Name Forgotten) – Harvest E.Free Senior High – Grand Palace, Branson, MO – 12/00
• Challenge 2004 (Just Real) – Salt Lake City, Utah
• VCSM Fall Retreat (Surround)  – Miracle Hills Camp, Bethany, MO – 10/04
• Surround 2005 – Miracle Hills – 10/05
• Challenge 2006 (Beyond) – Purdue Univ., W. Lafayette, IN – 7/06
• Surround 2006 – Hidden Acres – 11/06 (got to go with my wife – a highlight)
• Surround 2007 – Hidden Acres – 11/07

That’s a lot of retreats.  My good pal Brandon will just shake his head and smile when he sees this list, because without question, he could have an entire blog JUST about all the retreats and trips of his ministry career.

In any case, I’m un-retreated.  Does that mean I’ve advanced?  Who knows.  It’s pretty fun to think about all those trips – to remember the people who were there (some of who may actually be reading this) – to remember the effect that those times have on my life and the lives of others. 

Tonight is the first truly cold night of fall.  I broke into our new stash of firewood.  Kids are sleeping.  Happy fall to me.