It’s time to lace up those travelling shoes again and get ready to hit the road. It’s time to pack up the van and get ready to head on down to Warren Willis Camp for yet another installment of the All Church Retreat. And this is a trip that I look forward to all year.

Nice thing about Retreat is it is an opportunity to simply Be (note the clever reference to this year’s retreat theme…). But that is one of the best parts about it, for me. Now, that may sound kind of strange, because if you’ve seen me on retreat you’ve seen me running from this place to the next; whether its filming the High School video or corralling 50 youth and kids for the Sunday morning Scavenger Hunt. It is not uncommon for Tracy and me to say, “See you Sunday” when we arrive at retreat because I’ve got to go do “work” stuff and she has to go mind the kids and just “be.” But STILL, this work for me is a different kind of work. It’s where I get to be fun and a bit goofy. It’s when I get to get up with the first kid up, grab a cup of coffee and head out to the dock for sunrise. It’s where I can find 15 minutes to spare to sit in a great rocking chair and chat with old friends and new ones.  It’s a great time to see our church family at their most chilled out and relaxed selves. And together we get to be set apart from our common realities and simply take pleasure in the presence. What a gift.

At a time when I feel like I’m practically living out of a suitcase, with trips to Chicago and to New Orleans and to Camp Montgomery and yet again to Chicago, it will be nice to do a different kind of work and be a different kind of Dad and do something a little different and be a little more relaxed.

So as we prep for Retreat this week, my breath prayer is really quite simple.

Do/Be/Do/Be/Do/Be/Do/Be…me.

Get psyched, friends. It’s going to be great.

Andy