Volume 25, Number 2 September 2003
Next Generation Retreat 2003: A Testament of Hope
by Karon Van Antwerp
Roughly two dozen young adults came together July 25-27 in suburban Chicago for the annual Next Generation Retreat. What remains with me is amazement at how deeply we connected with one another during such a short time. Perhaps I shouldn't be so surprised.
C.S. Lewis wrote, "We read to know we are not alone." This is a favorite quote of mine, because it is one from which I continue to draw new meaning. I'm learning that there are a lot of other words and phrases that could be slipped in there other than "read."
We traveled many miles... to know we are not alone. We risked sharing our hearts' longings with both friends and strangers... to know we are not alone. We sat together in prayer and meditation... to know we are not alone. We laughed and cried, sharing joyful memories as well as confusions and sorrows... to know we are not alone. That weekend, as we do instinctively throughout our lives, we sought connection and meaning. For somewhere in the midst of sharing the stories of our lives, we are reminded time and time again that we share a common story... and that we are never alone.
The theme of the weekend was "A Testament of Hope," which quite effectively primed the pump for rich reflections and conversations. As one retreatant commented, "What made the weekend so powerful was that we had time to talk about God, as well as time to talk to God." We spent the weekend reflecting on what our testaments are, on how we have experienced and witnessed God's action in our lives, on what the "Good News" is that we each have to share. And did we have things to share! Beginning Friday over pizza before the retreat officially began and all the way through Sunday afternoon, there was great conversation! Everywhere I went, I could see folks on their own or with others, taking advantage of time to reflect and connect.
Bring a group of people together from all sorts of diverse backgrounds and once they start to share from their hearts they begin to discover how much they have in common. When we can get past the facts to the emotions, to the desires, to the meaning we've found in the midst of our struggles, to what ultimately sustains us, we discover that at our most basic level - at the level of Spirit - we are One.
What a powerful weekend! I left feeling recharged, filled with amazement and awe at the palpable presence of God. Sharing that deeply is a bit like reading the psalms - however great our joy, however deep our despair, we know we are not alone in our experience. We walk always in the company of strangers and friends, through whom God companions us.
Many thanks to Carol Gabrielli, the retreat facilitator, for sharing her rich and varied gifts with us. Thanks as well to the Retreat Planning Committee and to all who participated in the weekend. (By the way, if you think you'd like to participate in next year's retreat, it will again take place on the last weekend in July. Mark your calendar and plan to join us!)
Karon Van Antwerp belongs to CTA's Next Generation Planning Committee, and chairs its retreat planning subcommittee. She is associate pastor of St. Mary University Parish in Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
Back to CTA News
Call To Action News is a publication of
Call To Action
2135 W. Roscoe
Chicago IL 60618
Tel: 773 404-0004
Fax: 773 404-1610
e-mail cta@cta-usa.org