A Window Into Men’s Retreat
Fresh off of the men’s retreat, I thought I’d use this forum to report what I saw firsthand.
Men Being Men
I saw men being competitive with each other. From cribbage, to soccer in a wet field, to the most intense, contentious, physical game of jeopardy I’ve ever seen, I saw men lay it all out to win (literally). It was awesome. Some would say that competitiveness is a bad trait – which is fair when it’s channeled into anger. But what I witnessed was competition that pushed a group to try hard, to think hard, and ultimately to celebrate mightily when all the dust settled. I think there’s a reason Paul uses so many athletic illustrations in his epistles – he knows that men are created by God to compete. It’s God given, and channeled rightly into competing to finish the race set before them (Hebrews 12:1-2) it is a beautiful motivator for Godliness.
Men Being Vulnerable
I saw men talking to each other about real things. We don’t often think of men, especially in our culture, as wanting to sit around and chat about feelings. But I witnessed a lot of that. I witnessed men asking the questions: “How is your marriage?” and “How are you doing with fighting lust?” And, perhaps even more encouraging, I saw our men actually responding to those questions with honesty, openness, Godly grief, and a desire for continued Christlikeness. This was perhaps the most valuable thing I saw – men making inroads with each other, forming accountability, and resolving to seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated (Col. 3:1).
Men Worshipping Christ
I heard men singing their hearts out. I had the pleasure of leading our men in singing, along with a group of four other guys (now known as Shane, Shane, and the Shane’s), and I was so encouraged. The sound of 70 men’s voices booming in a reverberant room “Hallelujah, All I Have is Christ,” gave me chills. It was such a poignant reminder for me that EBC is full of men who love Jesus and are unashamed of the gospel.
I am coming into this week with some minor back pain and a whole new appreciation for what God is doing in the lives of our men. I am encouraged – and I hope you are too – that God has provided at EBC a bunch of guys who not only want to play hard, but want to do hard things for Christ.
To the ladies that sent their husbands for the weekend – thank you. Please know that it was time well used.
To the men who couldn’t come this year – please come join us next year.
To the men who attended retreat – keep seeking the things that are eternal.
In Christ’s Mercy,
Pastor Ryan A.