Retreat Option: Body, Mind, and Soul
"Hear, O Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your
soul, and with all your might." Deuteronomy 6:4,5
In ministry we use our whole selves: body, mind and soul. In this retreat
outline, you are encouraged to consider how well you are caring for your
whole self. Why do this? Because if one part of our life slips, the others
are affected. Poor physical health may mean less motivation or energy,
which in turn makes our work seem like drudgery. Neglecting our intellectual
growth may mean that we repeatedly turn to the same sources for information
and the work we produce (sermons, for example) begins to sound the same.
And while we spend a great deal of time tending to the souls of others,
if we neglect our own not only do we suffer, but those under our care
will suffer as well. Anxiety will replace peace and irritability, compassion.
In sum, good self-care means you are more able to rest in God's care and
celebrate his grace.
This retreat may be helpful in raising areas that need more of your
attention. If you are so minded, you can use what you discover to help
you chart goals for the next 3 months - 1 year. The feedback may help
you better balance life and ministry, and assist you in caring better
for yourself.
Before you go on the retreat, you are asked to invite three people
close to you (spouse, friend, elder, colleague) for his/her perspective
on your self-care. There are three pre-retreat questionnaires, one for
each section (body, mind,
soul (all PDF)). At least one week before you plan
to engage in the retreat, present the three questionnaires to people who
know you well. Ask them to pray about their answers and to respond honestly
to the questions. Then they are to seal their responses in an envelope
and return the questionnaire to you before you go on your retreat. (While
you may give more than one questionnaire to a person, it will probably
be most helpful to have three different people involved.)
Items to bring on the retreat:
- 3 completed questionnaires from friends, sealed in their envelopes
- Bible
- Journal
- Pen
- Stationary to write thank-you's to the three friends
Today's Date is ___________________
When was your last physical? (date) ___________________
Last dental exam? _______________
Last eye exam? _______________
Are you due for any diagnostic tests (depending on sex: prostate exam,
Pap smear, mammogram, etc)? If so, which ones?
Are you currently on any medication? (List)
When was it prescribed, and when was the last time the dosage was
assessed?
How would you rate your overall health on a scale of 1 (very poor)
to 10 excellent?
Do you have any areas of concern about your health?
Do you have any areas of progress or improvement as far as your physical
health?
If you could do three things to improve your overall health, what
would you do?
The Envelope Please...
Read through your friend's comments regarding your health. Pray the
written prayer of your friend out loud.
In what areas do you and your friend agree?
In what areas do you and your friend disagree?
Were there any surprises in your friend's comments?
Quiet yourself before the Lord. Close your eyes and concentrate on
your breathing. When you are open to hearing from God, proceed.
Take out your Bible and read aloud Psalm 139: 13-18. Read it a few
times through silently. What words or phrases particularly stand out?
What do you sense God is saying to you about your body?
Your Creator loves your body; how it functions and grows and heals
itself. God made the very substance of your being. God delights in you.
Are there any ways in which you can offer your physical self to God?
Any ways in which you can better care for the gift of your body?
When you have completed this part, take a break. Go for a
walk, enjoy a snack, take a nap-choose to do something good for your
body.
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Finish these sentences:
- My favorite book or author in elementary school was ______________________
because . . .
- My favorite teacher in Middle School/Junior High was ______________________
because . . .
- In High School, my favorite class was ____________________ because
. . .
- If I could go back to college, I'd take more classes in this area
__________________ because . . .
- When I was in seminary, I found this subject boring/hard/distasteful:
_______________. I think I felt that way because . . .
- When I was in seminary, classes in this area inspired me: ___________________.
I think I felt inspired because . . .
- On a scale of 1 (loathed it with every fiber of my being) to 10
(absolutely loved every minute), I would rate my enjoyment of the
academic process of learning as:
In elementary school _____
In middle school _____
In high school _____
In college _____
In seminary _____
- Presently, I really enjoy learning about (you can have more than
one answer here) _________________ because . . .
- If given the choice, I would rather
- read about a topic I'm interested in
- hear a lecture about a topic I'm interested in
- go to a participatory workshop about a topic I'm interested
in
- talk to someone I know who knows about the topic I'm interested
in.
Look back over your answers to the above questions.
If your enjoyment of the formal learning process changed over time,
why did it change?
Do you enjoy formal learning now?
Generally speaking, are you more affected or inspired by people (e.g.
teachers) or ideas (e.g. subject material)?
When you seek out continuing education, do you seek out people (e.g.
you seek out any seminar where Barbara Brown Taylor is speaking) or
ideas (e.g. you seek out anything having to do with New Church Development)?
When was the last time you felt that your mind was stretched? How
did that happen?
If you could add something to your life to aid you in stretching your
mind, what would you add?
The Envelope Please...
Read through your friend's comments regarding your mind. Pray the
written prayer of your friend out loud.
In what areas do you and your friend agree?
In what areas do you and your friend disagree?
Were there any surprises in your friend's comments?
Quiet yourself before the Lord. Close your eyes and concentrate on
your breathing. When you are open to hearing from God, proceed.
Read Proverbs 18:15 and Philippians 4:4-8 out loud. What words or
phrases seem particularly relevant? What do you discern God telling
you about your mind?
God loves a curious mind. God created this world for us to explore
and enjoy. In what ways can you offer your mind to God? How can you
care for the gift of your mind?
When you have completed this part, take a break! Give your mind
a rest.
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Name the time within the last six months in which you were most aware
of the presence of God.
Name the time within the last 3 months in which you were most aware
of the presence of God.
Name the time within the last week in which you were most aware of
the presence of God.
Are there any commonalities in the above experiences (location, time
of day, presence or absence of other people, etc.)?
In what place do you most readily become aware of the presence of
God?
At what time of day?
How often do you incorporate being in that place and time into your
life (daily/ weekly/ monthly/ annually)?
Describe what it feels like to you when you are most aware of the
presence of God.
What has God told you, taught you, reminded you of during these times?
How open do you feel your soul is? Is there any sin or inclination
toward sin that you do not bring before God?
The Envelope Please...
Read through your friend's comments regarding your soul. Pray the
written prayer of your friend out loud.
In what areas do you and your friend agree?
In what areas do you and your friend disagree?
Were there any surprises in your friend's comments?
Quiet yourself before the Lord. Close your eyes and concentrate on
your breathing. When you are open to hearing from God, proceed.
Read Mark 1:32-35 and Psalm 105: 1-5 aloud. Meditate on the words
of the psalm. Are any words or phrases resonating with you? What is
God saying to you, or what are you saying to God about your soul?
Your soul was created to live eternally in the presence of God. God
is always delighted when his children turn their souls toward him. Sit
quietly and turn your soul toward God.
When you have completed this part, take a break. Let God delight
in you!
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Putting It All Together (show
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Hopefully you have developed a greater awareness of your whole self:
body, mind and soul. You have been reminded of the love of God for you,
and how he has given you a body, a mind and a soul so that you can delight
in him and he in you.
Write a prayer of thanksgiving to God for all he has given:
Are there any goals that you have for yourself as a result of this
retreat?
I will care better for my body by:
I will care better for my mind by:
I will care better for my soul by:
Write a short note to each of the people who prepared a questionnaire
for you. Thank them for their help, and invite them to hold you accountable
for the goals you have outlined above.
Receive this blessing as you go on your way:
"May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely;
and may your spirit and soul and body
be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this."
1 Thessalonians 5:23, 24
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