Men's Retreat
January 25, 2024 | Andy Lynch
In an old camp chapel, a guitar is playing. The drum is keeping the pace and the voices, both on the small stage and in the crowd, are singing. It’s the middle of winter, but everything is right in this rural locale.
And then the power goes out.
But what follows is not the setup for an 80’s horror movie. It’s as if the veil to heaven is peeled back and the harmonies of those who can’t carry a tune, merge with the melody of former choir members to echo through the space in a most amazing way. The lights are off. The instruments are muted. But the voices carry both the tune and the message that God is indeed in charge no matter what life may look like.
That was the scene at the Men’s Retreat a few years ago. Still to this day, some guys reference it as their favorite moment. Other guys will point to this weekend as the first time they really felt connected and known. Others will say the food is so good and I went away full. Their buddy will chime in, “full physically and spiritually”.
There truly is nothing like the Men’s Retreat. It’s such a perfect time, during the dead of winter, to get away for 24+ hours. As you drive to Hanging Rock Christian Camp, you feel like you are driving to nowhere. In our West Indianapolis lives, we forget sometimes about nature, solitude, and peace. We take for granted the fact that Chick-fil-A is 10 minutes in any direction and there are highways to connect us.
For two days, you get the time that is oh-so valuable to the soul. You get adventure if you are seeking it, or you get peace by a crackling fire if the weight of the world is bearing down on you.
Some may say, “I don’t have time to get away for 24 hours! Do you know my schedule?”
I would argue if that’s where life has you, you can’t miss this time that God is planning for you.
A getaway. A retreat. An adventure. Something New.
God will meet you in the woods. Even if the lights go out, the men around you will lift your voice and carry you through so that when you go back to life as normal the night of February 24, you will be different, and you’ll have a community to walk with you.