Handout prepared by pastor Ayoola Isaiah P.

THE POWER OF RETREAT

What Is a Retreat?

The word, “retreat,” is rooted in a Latin word meaning “to draw back” or to “take a step backward in
order to be equipped for a better productivity.

The word "retreat" has many applications with respect to withdrawal in some way.

Retreat may refer to a time away from the normal or common aspects of life. It can also

refer to a place at which to be away from a working or everyday environment. Retreat

can, in addition, indicate an attitude or state of mind that is withdrawn from a general

mode of operation

THE MEANING OF CHRISTIAN RETREATS

A Christian retreat is a meeting of Christians for the purpose of spiritual growth. Christian retreats can
be held on a church campus or off-site at a meeting space, a hotel, a campground, a retreat center, or
any other type of place to accommodate the group.

Retreat simply means to withdraw to a quiet or secluded place for communion with God Many times,
when people think of retreat, they think of something that you do once in a while.

Most people's idea of a retreat is something they do once a month or even once a year

Isaiah 40:29-31; He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

1
The Christian retreat can be defined most simply as a definite time (from a few hours in length to a
month) spent away from one's normal life for the purpose of reconnecting, usually in prayer, with
God. ... The fasting of Jesus in the desert for forty days is used as a biblical justification of retreats.

Jesus Himself modeled retreating when he’d leave the crowds to be by himself to spend time in prayer
and with His Father, for example: Mark 1v35. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. –
Luke 5:16. One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to
God. – Luke 6:12

It’s not a new concept at all — the idea of retreating for growth, reflection, rest, and relationship with
God — but to our 21st century culture that’s always “on,” going on a Christian retreat almost seems like
a novel idea.

Varying in length from a few hours to several weeks. Christian retreats will happen with groups of
different sizes, from a few to several hundred or more.

One of the most wonderful things about a Christian retreat is that there’s no hard and fast rule for the
logistics, except one: The very nature of the idea of retreat requires the participants to leave their
regular routine and experience something different in order to focus on their relationship with God.
They must “retreat” from the ordinary for a while in order to experience the extraordinary.

. The central need in Christian retreat is thus to meet with Jesus Christ. Such meeting requires
communication with God through the reality of the risen Christ's intercessory help.
“Prayer” is the name for such communication. Clearly, then, any study of retreats implies an allied focus
on prayer which is practiced in many forms.
The modern practice of making retreats can be traced back to Ignatian beginnings. The influence of the
counter-Reformation in the Roman Catholic Church saw the beginnings of organized retreats. The
Jesuits, having Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises as integral to their Spirituality, were the first order to make it
part of their rule of life to retreat regularly (Townroe 1986:580). Of course, origins in making retreats go
back much earlier than the life of Ignatius of Loyola. Old Testament examples, Jesus' own life, the
spirituality of the desert and a range of other retreat examples, indicate the retreat experience as
integral to Christian and Jewish spirituality. Hudson (2000:165) notes: “Retreat is a term that tends to be
loosely used; often referring to almost any event on the Church’s calendar that takes place away from
familiar surroundings.” Retreat, however, in this study takes on a more particular focus, though seeking
to embrace the variety of forms that are genuinely Christian retreats. Scholars, retreat leaders and
practitioners variously describe Christian retreats.

2
4. ESSENTIALS

A. Withdrawal

Retreat, by its very name, implies withdrawal. Retreat is withdrawal, often in relation to place, but more
especially by means of time set aside and in attitude of heart. Without an attitude of withdrawal from
aspects of daily life, there is no retreat. Thus, withdrawal can be termed a requirement in Christian
retreat.

The word “fasting”, if taken in its broader sense, can be used here. In a wider sense than abstaining from
food intake, Foster and Griffin (2000:69) explain fasting as follows: "The central idea of fasting is the
voluntary denial of an otherwise normal function for the sake of intense spiritual activity." In this sense,
retreat always implies fasting, a fasting from other daily activities. However, as fasting is most often
associated with refraining from eating, "withdrawal" is a more appropriate term

B. Encountering God

A time of encounter or meeting with God, is essential to retreat. This is because withdrawal in Christian
retreat is engaged precisely to meet with God. In other words, relationship with God is central to the
very idea of retreat and the basis for retreating. Such encounter with God is essentially being
encountered by God, rather than the retreatant being the initiator. Hudson (2000:160) writes, I like to
begin with the grace-soaked affirmation that God initiates the retreat-experience. God is the initiator,
we are the responders. Or to put it another way, retreat is God’s idea, not ours. We are seeking God, yet
God precedes us in our searching. Such a scenario is not always experienced in individual situations.
With such a requirement underlying retreats, there needs to be at least the desire, however fragmented
or focused, to encounter God. Such desire implies encounter, for even the first inklings of desire
represent a gracious God encountering the one with desire. This encounter or meeting with God may be
vague, remote or dominated by an experience of absence rather than presence, right through to
intimate and deeply charged meeting with God. Even the vaguest sense of meeting with the divine is
present if the retreatant has the beginnings of desire for God. In others, more mature forms of longing
for meeting with God are present. Thus encountering God is at the core of what it means to be on
Christian retreat.

3
C. Prayer

The implication of withdrawal for encounter with God is communication with God, or prayer. The
Ulanovs (1986:24) assert: “Prayer above all else is conversation with God. It is the primary speech of the
true self to the true God.” This is a helpful starting point in considering prayer, provided that
“conversation” is considered to consist of listening, speaking and other forms of verbal and non-verbal
communication (including bodily Communication, writing and art). Relationship with God is integral for
retreating. Prayer, as the communication in the human-divine relationship, is thus essential to engage in
retreat. The conclusion is that it is not possible to engage in Christian retreat without praying at all. This
does not box retreats into one pattern, as there are multiple avenues

What Happens at a Christian Retreat?

Christian retreats can be organized in a number of unique ways but many of them feature a few general
experiences. Participants will usually hear from guest speakers on a predetermined topic, and they will
also have time for fellowship, worship, prayer, and reflection.

Most Christian retreat organizers will choose a theme for the teaching and learning and set the schedule
around that. They will plan plenty of time for bonding with new friends, having fun, and enjoying rest
around the sessions devoted to Bible study. Often, musicians will lead the main retreat sessions in
hymns and praise and worship songs, and designated individuals will also be available to pray with those
with special requests.

Christian retreat participants should look forward to leaving the retreat feeling rested but re-focused on
their walk with Christ. They will leave with great memories and new relationships.

What Are the Benefits of Going on a Christian Retreat?

Organizing, promoting, and putting on a Christian retreat can be hard work (we won’t sugar-coat it!). But
the retreat benefits far outweigh the costs and will be realized long after the experience ends. In
working in ministry — and in the Christian retreat space, specifically — for decades, we’ve seen God do
amazing work in believers as they engaged in retreats, including:

A closer walk with God

When you are immersed in focused Bible teaching, study, and reflection, the Holy Spirit will bring you
closer to God. By omitting competition for your time, attention, and energy, pursuing God, His character
becomes paramount while on retreat, which inevitably brings you closer to Him.

4
Closer relationships with others

Getting away with friends and family is important for your relationships. While on retreat with very few
distractions, you’re more available to engage with those you love and bond with them over shared
experiences, which leads to greater intimacy and growth.

Learning more about yourself

It’s easy to get caught up in our routines and the many hats we wear. In “everyday life,” we may be
Mom, Boss, Husband, Employee — or any number of other roles. While on retreat, we step outside
others’ expectations of us, and we can put away any definitions we’ve been clinging to that outline
culture’s demands. On retreat, we can explore our identity in Christ and our relationship with Him.

Greater clarity about God’s call

Hearing from God is sometimes not easy in our busy, noisy world. A retreat, surrounded by quiet and
intentional Bible study, is more conducive to building your relationship with God (as we say earlier).
When you are closer to God, you know more about His character, His will, and you’re more apt to desire
those things that He desires. You can also hear from Him more clearly.

Appreciation for the beauty of God’s creation

There’s a reason most Christian retreat centers are located in beautiful, natural locales. God’s creation is
breath-taking, and spending time in nature can often lead one to praise their Creator: “The heavens
declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19).

Spending time on retreat at a center in nature offers an extra dimension to the spiritual experience and
helps participants grow closer to the Lord.

Rest

We humans are not made to go, go, go. We need rest to be fully healthy and productive. God Himself
modeled the value of rest by establishing a rhythm of work and rest at Creation. He gives us an entire
day for rest each week. Going on retreat can have a true restorative and healing effect, offering an
opportunity to unplug, de-stress, and rest

5
Biblical foundations of Retreat (old Testament)

Retreating from other activities in order to experience encounter with God in prayerful ways finds a
varied and rich background in the Old Testament. withdrawal for spiritual purposes is in the rhythm of
life in ancient Israel because of the Sabbath, which is used especially for worship and to draw aside from
the activities of the other six days of the week. A survey of Old Testament teaching and experiences
indicates the importance of the Sabbath in understanding retreat experience in pre-Christian Hebrew
outlook.

CREATION AND SABBATH

The story of the six days of creation finds the creation week completed by a seventh day
of rest (Gen.1:1-2:3). In a sense, God is presented as withdrawing from the role of worker. It could be
said that God goes on retreat. Hebrew verb Shabbat, from which comes the word Sabbath, primarily
means "to cease or desist". Such “ceasing” is also associated with a secondary meaning of “resting”

The Sabbath, in accordance with the commandment of Ex.20:9. God's resting is tied closely to the
commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy (Ex.20:8-11; Deut.5:12-15). The Exodus version of the
Sabbath commandment shows a specific link of the creation week with the command to keep the
Sabbath holy and not to work. The rhythm of the week thus drew in Jewish life the basis for what could
be called a weekly retreat day. People are commanded to rest. This is because of the human need for
retreat.

INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPERIENCED RETREAT TIMES

The Old Testament Scriptures contain accounts of people who were encountered by God, in their
experience, through various retreat happenings. We turn to some of these individuals: Abraham, Jacob,
Moses and Elijah.

A. Abraham
Abraham is an Old Testament figure who experienced life-changing meetings with God.
His experiences are, on a number of occasions, retreat encounters with God. According to Bright
(1981:98), Abraham’s conception of God, along with the other patriarchs, was that of the patron deity of
the clan. Bright (1981:98) asserts: “In the Genesis narrative each patriarch is represented as undertaking
by a free and personal choice the worship of his God, to whom he thereafter entrusted himself.”
Revelation of the character and the nature of God as Creator of all and the only true God thus took place
over a period of time. The revelatory experiences that Abraham had were vital for this greater picture to
be discerned. In the Biblical record Israel’s history and faith started with Abraham, even though it is only

6
with Moses that Israel’s formulated religion began (1981:96).

The foundational calling experience of Abraham is in a time of encounter in prayer. Certainly, God is
presented as the initiator, but the realities of the individual experience of revelation speak of withdrawal
with profound effects. This opens the way for all children of Abraham and Sarah, by birth, and then by
faith, to be open to encounter with God. This experience, and the sharing in it, helps those who are
followers (and readers of the text) to see the value of individual prayer and have openness to the
withdrawal that makes this possible.
The experience of receiving a new name, Abraham (father of many), comes out of a sense of revelation
from God to Abraham, as related in Gen.17. Here the revelation consists of a speech from God with
Abraham's response being to fall "face down" (v.3). Abraham's extended experience of call over a
number of years bears testimony to times of encounter with God. Surprise encounters they are, but
nevertheless they can be described as retreat experiences, with a particular emphasis on their
revelatory nature.

B. Jacob

Jacob's dream of a stairway with angels ascending and descending described in Gen.28:10-17, seems
more a surprise and the unexpected message of God creeping upon him, than a specific time of
withdrawal. Like Abraham, Jacob experiences a retreat time initiated by God. Whatever human
decisions are taken for such prayer times, the divine initiative is integral to this, and other, retreat
encounters. Jacob was on a journey from Beersheba to Haran. Jacob had withdrawn from the life that
he knew into the unknown and would have been in a vulnerable state of mind. There was a type of
space in Jacob's life, in that he was out of the familiar; something akin to a form of retreat. Jacob's
experience of wrestling (Gen.32:22-32), was in a specific time of withdrawal.

Jacob withdrew from his travelling party, with his family and two of their servants, and then he
withdrew entirely alone. His experience of tension was high as he was to meet his estranged brother,
Esau, the following morning, after two decades of separation. These words of verse 24 are significant:
“So Jacob was left alone" (emphasizing a person in a large group at last fully alone). This statement
contrasts with: “and a man wrestled with him till daybreak." This indicates a long bout of wrestling
occurred (1972:320). The account sees the entrance of a mysterious figure. The aloneness opened the
way for not being alone, for the divine encounter. The human/angelic/divine wrestler ensures a most
surprising encounter with no less than God. This mysterious encounter opens up many possibilities for
the mysterious divine encounter in retreating and is an example of the opening of one's life to
the divine encounter through retreating.

7
D. Moses

Moses' experience of God's call at Mount Horeb (Ex.3:1-4:17) was a life-changing retreat experience.

Moses’ call came during the tending of flocks of animals. It was thus during a time of farming work, and
yet also through a deliberate movement away from his normal area of operation, that Moses
experienced this call. This time at the mountain was a period of withdrawal. Moses had much on his
mind. The aloneness was surely time to think on his Egyptian upbringing, his Hebrew origins, the
oppression and slavery of the Hebrews in Egypt, his own desires and role, and the presence of God at
that mountain.
According to Ex.3:2 it is “the angel of the Lord” who appeared to Moses “in flames of fire from within a
bush”. By verse 4 it is clear that it is God who has communicated. The “angel of the Lord” was therefore
seen as a form of God’s self-manifestation.

Moses is called to lead the Israelite people out of Egypt.

Retreat times became essential for Moses when the people of Israel moved into the wilderness. Moses’
retreat experience and representational role sees him acting as a mediator between God and the
people. In Ex.19:7-9 he brings God’s message to the Israelites and returns to the mountain with the
people’s acceptance. In this regard Moses has a responsibility to pass on the effects of his retreat
experience to the people as a whole.
The forty-year wilderness journey and wandering by the whole people of Israel represents a time of
withdrawal in the wider history of the Israelite people. The time in the wilderness represents a retreat of
a type, despite the length of the desert experience. Situated, time-wise, between slavery in Egypt and
entry into the Promised Land, the wilderness time was an opportunity for reflection and readying for
new opportunities. The centrality of the Exodus for Israel means that retreat experience was entrenched
in their spiritual heritage. This forty-year period thus has retreat features in a representative way.

E. Elijah
Elijah is a prophetic figure who is a representative of the Hebrew prophets, par excellence. His life
included significant times of withdrawal. Elijah’s prophetic zeal was opposed to the Baal promoting
activities of Ahab, the king of Israel, and his wife Jezebel. Elijah announced the absence of dew or rain
for "the next few years except at my word" (1 Ki.17:1). This was the announcement of a national
disaster. Thereafter follows the description of God's word to Elijah to leave and withdraw to the Kerith
Ravine (1Ki.17:3). There he drinks from the brook and is fed by ravens (1Ki.17:5-6). The picture is one of
solitude. Part of the reason for such withdrawal was safety. It was a situation of enforced retreat, in a
time of danger. When the brook dried up, he was instructed to go and stay with a widow at Zarephath,
8
near Sidon, which was outside Ahab’s jurisdiction. There he was given the use of an upper room in her
house (1Ki.17:19). Elijah's situation continued to be one of withdrawal. It was only in the third year
following his drought pronouncement that he moved back into mainstream activity. It was to be an
encounter with the king and the coming of rain at last (1Ki.18:1). The moves of Elijah are presented as a
result of receiving words from God. Spiritual listening was thus required on Elijah's part. The 'gentle
whisper' or 'sheer silence' has particular importance for retreat times. Silence is associated intimately
with retreat. Elijah’s action, activity and readiness to be zealous are in contrast to silence. He is forced
into silence, even though he has more expectation of wind, earthquake or fire for a divine message, than
in gentle quietness. The reality of the importance of spiritual retreat is vital in this narrative.

NEW TESTAMENT FOUNDATIONS

INTRODUCTION

Jesus Christ, as the founder of Christianity, sets forth the importance of retreat at the very beginning of
his public ministry with a highly significant period of forty days of retreat. John the Baptist, the
forerunner to Jesus, also placed significance on withdrawal. The beginning of the New Testament
therefore immediately shows the importance of retreat. In this chapter there will be a special focus on
Jesus' ministry. Before that John the Baptist's use of retreating is examined. Joseph and, especially, Mary
show retreat aspects of significance, and their experiences of retreating are examined. There follows
investigation of Jesus' forty days in the wilderness, and then his public ministry. There are significant
episodes of retreat during these three years. Focus is placed upon Jesus' whole lifestyle in which an
alternation between activity and retreat is evident. Particular attention is given to the withdrawal into
the Caesarea Philippi region, the Transfiguration, the episode involving the sisters Martha and Mary,
Jesus' Garden of Gethsemane prayers, and Jesus' suffering. Thereafter the perspective moves to a wider
vista: Jesus' purposes for retreating. Jesus' lifestyle, in which withdrawal had such importance, naturally
had an impact on his followers. Hence there follows presentations on the twelve disciples, Paul, and
John on Patmos.
The spirituality reflected in the New Testament shows the interweaving of prayer in Jesus’ ministry, the
epistles and in Revelation. Retreat, in order to experience concentrated times of prayer, is therefore
integral to the New Testament witness of faith.

9
 1. JOHN THE BAPTIST

All four Gospel writers preface their accounts about Jesus by presenting John the Baptist (Matt.3:1-12;
Mk.1:2-8; Lk.3:1-20; Jn.1:6-8). According to Luke 1:80 "he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly
to Israel." Bruce (1982:146) asserts that this desert or wilderness would presumably have been the
wilderness of Judea, since his parents' home was in the Judean hill-country. Luke's account gives no
indication as to whether John was in a community or alone in the wilderness. There is no clarity from
any other Gospel writer either. The presence of an Essene community in John's time, and specific
discoveries about a community at Qumran (which may have been an Essene community), has led to
speculation that John may have been brought up in an Essene or similar community (1982:146).
According to Robinson (1968:277): "It is possible that John the Baptist had some sort of contact 'in the
wilderness' with the Qumran community on the shores of the Dead Sea -- not necessarily as a member
of the community but perhaps as one who shared their asceticism and some of their views." Ablutions
had an important place in the Qumran community, and even at Qumran there was awareness that
external washing alone could not engender purity; conversion was required (Lohse 1976:111). There
may be a link with John’s prominent use of baptism with such washings. John was of priestly birth and
the importance of the maintenance of a pure priesthood in a withdrawn community may have appealed
to John or to his relations when he was young. This linking of John to any such community is in the realm
of speculation, and on the basis of available evidence can be neither proved nor disproved. John the
Baptist's wilderness lifestyle, most likely, was expressed as a hermit style of life. Much of his life seems
to have been spent in retreat. He is presented by Luke as a desert dweller who, under the compulsion of
the word of God, preaches and baptizes in the region of the Jordan River in connection with the central
theme of repentance (3:2-3). This would not have been far from Qumran. John's washing of baptism was
not an often repeated set of washings, as was the case with the Qumran community (Lohse 1976:111).
His engagement to public ministry is not in the Essene mould, but rather in prophetic terms (Bruce
1982:146). The wilderness clearly had significance for John. Bruce (1982:146-147) goes to the extent of
asserting that: "To John, as to the men of Qumran and other Essenes and related groups, the wilderness
was the expected place of divine epiphany." The Biblical saying of Isaiah 40:3, "A voice of one calling: 'in
the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God'", had
prominence for John (Mk.1:3), as it had also had in Qumran (Lohse 1976:111). This movement into
ministry saw many coming to hear his message (Luke 3:7)John the Baptist is a powerful example of a
retreatant with a significant ministry. His direct impact on Jesus who submitted to his baptism ensures
him an important place in Christian spirituality. In addition, Jesus' response following his baptism is to go
into the wilderness for an extensive time of retreat lasting forty days. Certainly, John the Baptist is a
foundational figure for Christian retreating due to his close association with the wilderness and with
Jesus.

10
2. JESUS' MINISTRY

A Lifestyle of Activity and Withdrawal Jesus' years of ministry are marked by an alternation between
active ministry and withdrawal. Some time away was taken with his disciples and he took some time
away alone. Mark 1:35 tells of a time of early morning retreat engaged in by Jesus: "Very early in the
morning while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he
prayed." This comes after a time of ministry which gained the attention of a great crowd of people. This
would have been very draining on Jesus' resources. Jesus' times of prayer in Mark's Gospel are
associated with times of stress. Jesus then discerns the need for solitary time. It is significant that he
does not respond in the way that Simon Peter and his companions expected and for which they asked.
The reference to prayer at this stage of the Markan narrative is, as Nineham (1969:83) says, a reminder
that the power that Jesus wields is dependent on, and subordinate to, the will of God. The outcome of
time alone in prayer is, for Jesus, to move on to other places, rather than fulfill the longings of the
Capernaum crowd or the expectations of his follower

The Garden of Gethsemane

The Gethsemane garden represented a place of withdrawal for Jesus and his disciples.
Its associations are especially with the pre-arrest wrestling with a "cup of suffering" for Jesus
(Matt.26:36-46; Mk.14:32-42; Lk.22:40-46). A cup was a Jewish metaphor for punishment and
retribution, which here involves suffering and death (Hill 1972:341). Gethsemane was a known place for
Jesus and his group of disciples to be used for purposes of withdrawal. The fact that it was known by
Judas suggests that it had been used on a number of previous occasions by Jesus and his disciples for
retreat. Notably, it was able to be used for betrayal purposes by Judas Iscariot who knew it as a retreat
place for the apostolic band. The garden of Gethsemane became a place of charged significance as Jesus
withdrew to battle in prayer over the looming reality of his upcoming death. It was the scene of him
praying both alone and with the desperate need of companionship, although his communal need got
mostly a sleepy response. The hour of suffering and the hour of decision-making were faced,
significantly, by a deliberate time of retreat by Jesus. The Gethsemane withdrawal is marked by great
distress for Jesus. Struggle marks his prayer, with a kind of bargaining taking place. Jesus comes to
accept "the cup of suffering", which is a the path of suffering all the way to death. The deep agony of
Jesus' suffering is made more prominent by the repetition of his prayer in the accounts in Matthew and
Mark Jesus' prayer in the garden links with the clause in the Lord's Prayer (Mt.6:9-13; Lk.11:1-
4), for his desire is for God's will to be done (Mt.26:39, 42; Mk.14:36) and for his disciples to watch so as
not to fall into temptation (Mt.26:41; Mk.14:38; Lk.22:40). Jesus' own method of prayer is therefore
used in this crisis situation, according to the synoptic evangelists' record.

11
G. Jesus' Purposes for Retreat

The Gospel accounts of Jesus' public ministry indicate that he had a lifestyle in which retreat times were
built in and given priority. Luke indicates this with a summary sentence in 5:16, "But Jesus often
withdrew to lonely places and prayed." Such a wanted and busy person, who also suffered much
rejection, as is the case with Jesus, is a figure whose life (along with great activity) is marked by prayer. It
is only possible for the Gospel writers to give a largely unseen activity of prayer such prominence
because Jesus made it a priority to retreat in order to pray. Brother Ramon (1987:45-46) identifies four
reasons for Jesus' times of retreat. These are as follows. Firstly, Jesus longed to dwell within the bosom
of his Father. His incarnation as a human and the trinitarian need for fellowship within the Godhead
made this a strong desire. It can be added that the basic human spirituality of Jesus, which he shares
with all humanity, is the desire to experience a meeting with and dwelling in the presence of God,
manifested as a loving Parent and friend. Secondly, there was the need for physical, mental and spiritual
refreshment for Jesus. Tiredness required rest and a different level of activity for Jesus, even as this is a
common human need. Thirdly, Jesus needed guidance and direction. Time out from activity was needed
for continued action on the right path. For such direction to be clear, communion with God,
contemplation of God, adoration of God, and reception of direction from God, were all necessary for,
and very much part of, Jesus' experience. They are also necessary for each follower of Christ. Fourthly,
there was spiritual warfare for Jesus. This was not to be undertaken while distracted or unguarded. Full
focus was needed and hence retreat times saw the most significant victories. Most especially these were
in the forty days of wilderness fasting and in the garden of Gethsemane prior to Jesus' arrest.
Jesus' public ministry is especially the source from which to draw for Christian retreat. The balance in
Jesus' life between action and stillness, and between compassion and prayer, speaks to every Christian
life. Jesus' example is thus integral to what it means to enter into retreat and what such retreat means
in respect of active ministry.

6. THE TWELVE DISCIPLES

Jesus' twelve disciples were regularly drawn into times of retreat by Jesus. This has come through in
examining Jesus' public ministry, where three of his closest disciples were companions on retreat on a
number of occasions, and at other times all of the twelve were drawn into retreat. This is apart from
Jesus' times of solitude.
Following Jesus' death, there follows withdrawal by the disciples. The gathering as a group behind
locked doors was a withdrawal experience, whatever negative connotations of fear there, were for the
disciples. This withdrawal saw encounter with the risen Jesus, no matter the lack of expectation (John
20:19-23). Notably, the disciples hear the words of peace from Jesus, in greeting, but having a depth of
impact even greater than in greeting (v.19 & 21). Such an experience of peace is often needed in
withdrawal times. The disciples are also sent out by Jesus (v.21). There is a similarity between the

12
sending of the disciples, and the sending of Jesus by the Father. Retreat encounter thus evokes action
here.

The receiving of the gift of the Holy Spirit is needed for this missionary action, and is bestowed by Jesus
(John 20:22). The personal and community experience of the Spirit becomes a vital aspect for retreat
times because of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
This is described in relation to the Pentecost festival and experience by Luke in Acts 2:1-13. The special
emphasis of their going out involves forgiveness (John 20:23), which becomes so central to the Christian
message. This retreat time thus has enormous impact on later action. The encounter a week later when
the previously absent Thomas is now present, is again an encounter with Jesus when the disciples had
withdrawn from the rest of the community (John 20:24-29).
A different situation that of Galilee is presented in John 21. Yet it is again a resurrection appearance to
disciples (seven this time) who have withdrawn. Reminders therefore come forth in this retreat
situation. On this occasion they have decided to go fishing, the old occupation of a number of them.
Retreat time, once more, is an experience of encounter with the risen Christ. Yet again, it is an
experience of surprise and mystery, full of meaning, too. These disciples spent a night without catching
any fish and yet are invited to breakfast, which includes fish (v.13), by one who seems to have done no
fishing. Jesus “can feed them without their aid”. This meeting includes elements of the miraculous and is
experienced as a divine encounter. The stranger on the shore of the lake, who is then recognized as the
risen Jesus, gives bread to them too. This has a Eucharistic feel about it, as is also the case with the
conclusion of the Jerusalem to Emmaus walk (Lk.24:13-35). There is also a reminiscence of the feeding
of the five thousand (Jn.6:1-13) (Marsh 1968:667) because of the presence of both bread and fish, as
well as the miraculous sense on this occasion. This retreat time is thus a deep encounter experience. For
Peter there is great significance with the three-fold questioning of his love by Jesus, and then
exhortation to ministry (Jn.21:15-19). The resurrection appearances to the disciples are thus in retreat
times, however mixed up the attitudes and motives of the disciples were. Following the ascension, the
disciples go into retreat on Jesus' instructions: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father
promised, which you have heard me speak about" (Acts 1:4). Their response was, according to Acts 1:14:
"They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and
with his brothers." Williams (1964:58) asserts that the prayer mentioned in this verse was a liturgical
form of prayer, probably based on Temple or synagogue worship. Being Jewish-based prayer, there
would certainly have been liturgy used in this waiting time of retreat, but not necessarily exclusively so.
In obedience to the command to wait in Jerusalem, the group of believers "were all together in one
place" (Acts 2:1) when the day of Pentecost came. They were in retreat and then the empowering came
and the advancing started in a new way as a result of the gift of the Holy Spirit. These foundational
events for the disciples are thus marked by retreat.

13