Why Retreat

Why Retreat?

The ongoing impact of Mother Theresa's life and work is unquestionable.  Her voice and her writings are quoted by politicians and leaders all over the world.  But where did she find motivation to pour out her life the way she did? During her years of service Mother Theresa looked back to September 10, 1946 as "inspiration day" for her.  It was the day God gave her a burning vision to spend the rest of her life serving the poor in India.  And the vision came when she was on a spiritual retreat listening to God.

Whether you are attending a retreat to receive direction from God, to allow him to heal wounded areas of your life or to simply rest, taking time to hear God's voice can be a life-changing, life giving experience.

MARK Centre offers annual overnight retreats and weekly one hour retreats to provide space for you to get away. Come Away is a three night retreat offered every November for women.  Sacred Space is a free, one hour retreat held every Tuesday from 12-1pm in Rooftop.  Men in Psalms also meet in Rooftop on Wednesday mornings from 7-7:45am to walk through one Psalm every week.  A one day retreat that comes to your location is Awaken designed to help you discover how God is speaking to you.  New to MARK Centre in 2009 is Journey of Trust, a two night retreat that was held on Pender Island BC in spring and in California in fall.  Read on to hear what people have to say about their experiences during these retreats:

Silent Retreat November 2007

A picture is worth a 1000 words. This photo was taken the last day of our silent retreat last November. I was a bit apprehensive as I attended the retreat wondering how I would manage 3 days of silence. I found myself alternating between peace and worrying that "nothing would happen".

However, it was a beautiful time. I very much appreciated having time to rest and be cared for. The times of spiritual direction were very helpful. My soul treasured the music at meal times and in the chapel. I enjoyed photo walks each afternoon and loved finding images that spoke deeply to my spirit.

This one spoke to me of the way that God's light shines through the holes in our lives. So often I try to hide my "holes". The silent retreat was an opportunity to acknowledge some of them and allow His beauty to fill them. I am looking forward to learning more this November.

Presence Retreat May 2008

I entered the "Presence" retreat feeling weary.  The space that was created for reflection and listening was refreshing and life-giving.  When I stopped to focus on God's presence and listen to what he was saying to me, the silence was full of words of love, peace and rest.  I sensed Jesus speaking his promise from Matthew 11 to me personally:  Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest!

Journey of Trust October 2009

"With the help of the men in my group as they restate what God was already saying I find God's comfort in the voices and faces of my friends. Their kindness and loving attention helped me to begin to take hold of what He is saying and doing and let go of my misconceptions about Him and myself. What a profitable time. We had a lot of fun, great food, and laughed a lot."

Sacred Space Weekly Retreats

I've chosen to make Sacred Space part of my regular weekly schedule because my schedule is just too busy not to.  Even though it's not at the beginning of my week, it is a marker in my week, a time, a place where I hear truth and receive light that permeates the coming days. This one hour is so contrary to our culture and to the demands on our time and energy.  It's refreshing to sit down in the calm and quiet, to reflect on who God is, when just outside the door the storm of life still rages. I love that I see faces and hear hearts that I don't normally have the privilege of joining with.  I think this is so healthy for the faith community of Abbotsford.

People today are discovering the same mystery that Mother Theresa experienced - one day or moment with God can give strength to the rest of your life. When we retreat, we create time for God to sneak in to do something amazing.