First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest
Officers Retreat
May 18-19, 1990
Jonn M. Buchanan

SESSION 1

Introduction:
traditional (for me)
one thing others don't know about you.
asronse:(“retreat?/
Youneed, it on Fri. night.
Never certain what outside expert is
supposed to bring,

————

organizational expert ise?

not relevant

homletical expertise?

You have already have it.
Much simpler — how about —
an opportunity for refreshment and
Pel

recreation.
ne

Your/my body needs that regularly
ee

-30 does your spirit.

Busy e don't do it much.
Spiritual recheat ion) incTudes

public worship — but also

quieter disciplines —

w= Tistening
remember ing
L neaiiomn:
meditating
praying

conyers 1ng

and so that is what I propose we do - change from
"output" to “input” mode. twee \s gu. wavrsnlt pererrsaor”

1.) Listen for a word from the Lord -

a

in seripture

in wordsy ives of others | literature
in your_own life

meditation, remembering.

pur prs wAERm is
ero — ¥
pare ,

oe preek ok Sung

wake ped

aaa

pep Keep a retreat JOURN}, Ney from other notes-

dates, times.

© Praying
—

@ Talking to each other

Our framework wil] be Scripture - “YASS Hanes

I got involved because these three Olu-lestament Carn
passages showed up in subsequent weeks in Ex
Jectionary. .. ) som

as I thought about them I began to see

story of God;‘people in history as a

Ea

metaphor for God's people now - the church

NOW
- and -

a metaphor for individual life -

RN ——

after all — what we profess to believe as

et

Christians ~ is not so much in 4a creator God which

is basic but no big deal thealogically (almost

everyone else comes to the same conclusion)
but - that the creator has.to da with the
creation ~ with us.

and that we have a clue as to the nature of

that relationship by looking at the record - the

witness of the people... the family aloum.

EEE

Also, we have a direction as to the current

os

state of the relatioaship, in our own lives - +
_———— "spiritual pilor imayes —
(modest as they may be ~- the assertion

is that we - each - are on one)

Buechner material here

pus + Sue

Bible Stuy, @enges So?
The primal, formative Bible story FBeeaee)
Creation Epic - Babylon \~\1) ~ & ah arden
continues through C. & AJ P-sker | \eoloun «
—m— baleen
descendents
lescendents
Noah and flood * ar\
voan alc
covenant /-Fa ad weW
more descendents
en
mi of Babet
more descendents

Chapter 12 - Abraham — wnen@the story really

begins.
Terah | - Abraham's father, took his family

from Je of the Chaldeans to Canaan - stopped

short at Haran.
Read 12:1 777

(or Adventure ‘

“unlikely, can you imagine the day Abraham and

——o

Sarah explain to neighbors
Theglogical assertions in this passage ‘
-after God the Creator,
this is a God not content with status quo ~

calls people to move.

oe

first tint of a God - whe has a builtin suspicion

of human institutions, particularly those with

Dui Tdings!
Note — the Barrenness — .
the Women ta On dad btady
Araham and Sarah are end of Tine - she's barren g dens, Clovh + Bewr

a shame - and his family is about to die out.
how else describe barrenness e. -
life without purpose or passion
putting in time, waiting to ce

the promise is newness, possibility - if they wil]

ee
trust and move.
4
This asserticn mas into our traditional

sense that God is located in past and in stability,
institutional permanence .

here, the suggest ion ts that God Tikes change,
stirs ub change.

Se cmebiahieiete mand

~and faith - is here defined as hearing God's cal]
ee,

and acting on it - oberying it. Mis LA
%
Ci GEAR - Social change is so persuasive that 2 Rate
————
reaction has set in - a clinging to past... re
—nostaigia Jin at advertising ]

yar ©
-Alvin Toffler’ er’ <\Pepsonal Stability Zones ) \

ag
—in peligion, celebrating - childhocd images, ees
memories — g “ae |

theme is consistent throught Bible and appears

dramatically in the cal] of the disciples.

Follow me '
. (eo oa this pa passage —- ] found 1. IB. marrity.

tel] about Peggy and her Geovds \wr \por ben.

. | underlined this passage ~ comment on Genesis

wie 12

fy”

"Faith is not the anchor but the hoisted sail. it

yw? is not the ship in harbor but the ship that puts

out to sea. It is not holding ante something that
is but exploration and adverture toward something

vaster that lies ahead.”

Private - Journal Time
-whnertare you hearing the voice of God in [0
your life?
-To what is God calling your church?
-you and your family?
-you, personally?
Discussion (3's) 1
Closing Prayer
Read Mark 1:16-20