They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship,
to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. -- Acts 2:42
I am sure aging has something to do with it. Things seem to touch me more deeply and I often feel on the brink of tears, touched, grateful, sad. Ever since our late August Windy Gap Men's Retreat, images and feelings keep being replayed across my heart and so this Reflection. I realized as that review came that the unity, devotion, and elements of Acts 2:42 are played out powerfully and intimately in the Retreats, within the leadership core and the Retreat itself.
Some 45 years ago, Doug Coe challenged some younger men to visit the Southeast Region of the US and identify a faithful few in each state who were interested in gathering some friends together in the spirit of and around the person of Jesus. These visits and discussions led to a men's retreat being founded at the Young Life property, Windy Gap, near Weaverville, North Carolina.
The leadership, or core, of the Retreat, from the earliest time, was devoted to a few principles evidenced in the life of Jesus. These principles have been shared and taught among that core and spread out through the retreats to many hundreds year after year. There are identifiable men who carried this vision, many of whom have gone on to be fully in the presence of the Lord. The unity and agreement with them is remarkably consistent as others took their place, in the same spirit of non-hierarchical leadership, looking only to Jesus as the leader.
Within the core today, there is a smaller executive group, called the Wrigley group, in honor of Don Wrigley who we might say was the hands and feet of the Retreat until he passed a few years ago. The Wrigley group is the hands and feet of the Retreat, meeting together, calling us together, and stewarding all the administrative details. Keeping Jesus at the center of our friendships, is the glue that sets a table of welcome and fellowship each year. They also stay closely in touch with Doug Holladay who was one of the early founders and a visionary leader over the years. Doug's simple message has been: "We are beggers offering bread to beggers." That spirit of humility pervades the camp and, in the upside-down nature of the Kingdom, frees the Retreat in a most extraordinary way.
Another brilliant part of the early vision was to partner with a Young Life property. Years spent on that property sharing the reality of Jesus with high schoolers has steeped those grounds in the Spirit, Holy Ground. The beauty of the camp is stunning, and a sense of play is there as the men squeal down the zip lines and bounce off the blogs. Children. The Kingdom literally comes to meet us.
Breaking of bread occurs in mealtimes where the highlights are the sharing of individual men who tell their stories of challenge, sorrows, and joys in total vulnerability and safety before a packed dining hall. These windows of vulnerability open a spirit of intimacy and fellowship at a very deep level largely unknown in the day-to-day level among men. The meals are served by a special group of men who are overcoming addictions as they are discipled in Christ through ministries from a couple of states in the Region. This is a leaven of grace, a beautiful coming together in community and service.
Small groups are formed for discussion and fellowship after the meetings and carry through the weekend. The hope and prayer is that small groups form back home to foster the intimacy and friendships in Jesus. In fact, one could say that our prayers are that everything that happens at Windy Gap is recreated at home, becoming a leaven in the loaf of encouragement across the whole Region over many, many years.
A precious dynamic that has emerged over the years is the generational legacy of the time as fathers invite sons and sons invite fathers and grandfathers. My brother and I brought our father for many years and now our sons are with us catching the vision. One each of our sons was baptized in the lake this year amidst the cheering of several hundred of the men who gathered around the lake. Whether related by blood or not, there is a ministry going on continuously of older men learning from younger men and younger men from the older: Wisdom and encouragement flowing both ways in a spirit of humility and companionship. In the core team itself there is a mindful awareness of this for the leadership, younger men being raised up to lead now and, in the future, as we continue to remind each other of the one Spirit we operate in together.
Scriptures are shared in larger meetings and morning devotions. Worship is a huge focus as 350 men come together to sing in massive chorus to the God they know or are coming to know, led by Steve Lynam who has been the worship leader since the inception of the retreat. The retreat closes on Sunday morning with worship and the Eucharist, another breaking of bread in communion with the body and blood of Jesus.
Acts 2:42 today.
Blessings,
Trip