Together not alone
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NRSV)
The Value of a Friend
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help.
This past weekend our youth participated in the Fredericksburg district youth retreat which was held at Watermarks camp in Scottsville. The theme of the weekend was Together not alone using this Ecclesiastes scripture verse. The message was that God designed us to be in community. That we are at our best when we are around others. We also can love God and our neighbor better when we have a community of people around us to help hold us accountable and to encourage us. The youth learned that God created the church to be the community we need.
One of the things I love about going on retreats with youth is that we get closer as a group during the weekend. The shared experience of worshipping together, playing gaga ball, eating, navigating the obstacle course, and sleeping in the same cabin, all help us grow together. The youth were also able to bond with the adults that were on the trip as well. The strengthening of the community through the retreat gives us the opportunity to be there for each other and to speak into each others lives. We are more likely to ask someone for help if we have bonded in someway. We are also more willing to listen to someone if we know and trust them. An experience like the retreat helps us to gain that trust with each other.
For youth the retreat is also a time for them to unwind. Teenagers today are so busy most of the time and it causes a lot of stress in their lives. But going on a retreat allows them to slow down, have fun, learn more about their faith, and let go of some of that stress for a weekend. It helps renew them in a safe space where they can be themselves without the pressures of the world. We all need that!
There are funny stories that we will be telling for a long time. Like how Corran wanted to climb the rock wall and ended up sitting on my head. How many games of gaga ball they played or who could do the obstacle course blindfolded. But more importantly the youth have created a bond with each other and with their adult leaders. They may not remember everything the speaker said but they were experiencing what a Christian community feels like. That is something we also all need!
