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Dear friends:
Among the many privileges of serving at Covenant is our staff retreat. Every August staff members blaze ninety miles to Montreat to spend 18 hours learning, growing, and praying together. We also sneak in a little social time …. a hike or two, a summer evening conversation on the porch, a few have even been known to raise a glass together late into the evening. It’s a nice respite amidst a busy planning season.
At a retreat a number of years ago, our facilitator began with guided meditation. Then she handed out pens, paper, and a pad of yellow sticky notes, and invited us to a time of silence in which she asked us to think of one thing for which we were grateful about this congregation, this church family, of being on staff together. “Just one thing," she said.
We all thought for a long time and came up with something. Next, she asked us to write one more thing we were grateful for, and then another. She proceeded to press the issue a bit and asked us to write down what we would miss, what people, experiences, traditions, values, rituals, or quality of life would be lacking if circumstances conspired to keep us away from this community?
The sticky notes started flying, just one after another, every member of staff scribbling quickly, thoughtfully. Some even had to ask for another stack of sticky notes. Then we passed our notes to the person next to us, and we went around the circle, calling out all the things for which the person next to us was grateful.
You would have been proud to be part of this community, this church, and gratified at the pleasure our staff finds in serving. Our retreat leader wrote them all on a large banner, all our blessings, literally hundreds of them and hung them over the fireplace as a visual reminder for the rest of our retreat. I wonder if we might consider doing something similar with our families and friends as we approach Thanksgiving week?
C.S Lewis once said, “Gratitude is inner health made audible.” This weekend we’ll explore this passage and take another step on the path to health.
Join us, and bring a friend.
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