Healing Retreat

I had a wonderful time at my church’s retreat this past weekend. I had been asked to share on Saturday morning and afternoon about healing and renewal, which was appropriate given our location at a small retreat center and farm in south Georgia. Springtime renewal was happening all around us! It was wonderful to spend so much time outdoors in nature. It was also great to spend time with other members of the church, swimming, sharing meals together, just hanging out.

I had prepared enough material to do a day-long workshop on spiritual healing, and as it turned out, I didn’t use any of it. Our workshop time turned into an extended discussion, with most of the participants sharing deeply personal stories and insights from their own lives. I did manage to coordinate the discussion around some of the biblical passages I’d marked, stories of Jesus healing the sick (Matthew 8:1-4, Mark 3:1-5, Luke 5:17-26, John 9:1-7). Each story seemed to spark further discussion and further sharing. I think we all left with a deeper understanding of Jesus and his healing work, and we also gained a deeper understanding of each other. I never cease to be amazed at how complex, how insightful, and how wonderful the folks are at Gentle Spirit Christian Church!

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