Libertyville Covenant has always believed that one mark of a healthy church is a devotion to prayer, and that has been our emphasis as we begin 2011. On Feb. 12 we will host a prayer retreat at the College of St. Mary's of the Lake in Mundelein.
The retreat theme, coming from the Department of Christian Formation, is entitled "Streams and Pathways." I was especially excited when I learned of this theme because at first I thought it would involve some fishing. It turns out that Streams and Pathways has to do with the way God's grace and love flow into our daily lives to refresh and give us new life.
In Isaiah 35:6 it says, "Like the crocus it will burst into bloom ... for waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert." One of the hardest things to learn as we go through life is that suffering and difficult times are a part of life. No one can go through life without experiencing suffering in some shape or form. I am reminded that psychologist Scott Peck begins his bestselling book "The Road Less Traveled" with this brief sentence: "Life is difficult."
There is nothing you or I can really say or do to change that. As Isaiah speaks his words it is a difficult time for the people of Israel. These are ancient times to be sure. Wars were a constant reality in their lives. Wars bring bloodshed, but they also result in destruction: uprooted crops and slaughtered livestock, which in turn means hunger, poverty, and disease were common themes of life.
God does not promise a quick end to Israel's suffering but through Isaiah assures the people that he is present in their suffering; God has not deserted them. How crucial for God’s people to know his refreshing presence in the midst of the obstacles of life.
What are the streams and pathways that God has allowed to bless your life? Maybe you, like I, have discovered that some of life’s greatest virtues – faith, hope, patience and perseverance – only come our way through times of disappointment. These struggles and trials are the place that we are able to receive desert streams: evidence of God’s love, presence and power.
Come join us in the lovely woods of St. Mary's of the Lake College on February 12 for a time of slowing and listening and receiving God's refreshing. In the midst of a long winter, when all seems dead and the ground has been frozen hard and unyielding, the days short and mornings very cold, there is a longing for the bursting forth of springtime. That's when the crocus blooms. A picture of what God has in store for us.
