Rethink: Hope Retreats, Compassion, and a New Podcast
This month let's ponder the possibility of hope retreats, question what it looks like to be a compassionate person, and explore a new podcast coming in January.
Rethinking Faith: November 2023
Welcome to the November issue of Rethinking Faith. Today we will ponder the possibility of Hope Retreats and I’ll tell you about my first one, question what it means to be a compassionate person according to Henri Nouwen, and explore my new podcast/YouTube channel coming in January.
What Will This Look Like Next?
I hosted my first Hope Retreat a few weekends ago. A few of my friends agreed to join me for a day as my beta group so that I could play with an idea I’ve had in my head. And Jesus met us in special and unique ways.
This adventure all started early last summer when I first learned about Stillwelle Farms. You probably won’t be able to find them on Google and they don’t have a website. It’s just a beautiful farm that a local Christian couple has turned into a retreat. I contacted the couple and they invited me out to explore and experience for myself. I thought—when I went in August—that I was going to dream and plan for others. But instead I had a mini-retreat of my own with the Holy Spirit that was beautiful and unexpected. At the very end of my time at Stillwelle, after a nap, I woke up with the idea of Hope Retreats. A couple of weekends ago that dream became a reality.
What are Hope Retreats?
Small and personal day retreats for 4-6 people at a time.
Geared for people who need their hope restored—people who have been through struggles, spiritual abuse, doubt, confusion, etc.
An opportunity for extended time to connect with God in whatever way He decides to meet us.
A chance to share and pray with others on similar journeys.
There were four of us at the first Hope Retreat. We had two blocks of alone time where we read, wrote, journaled, prayed, walked, sang, cried, napped, and more. There wasn’t a right or wrong way to retreat. We also had three meeting times throughout the day where we shared what we hoped God would do, what God was in the middle of doing, and how God had met us. We shared simple meals, laughter, and tears. It was beautiful!
I want to do more Hope Retreats in the near future. The biggest challenge was finances. The cost includes a cleaning/use fee from the farm and food. God provided all the funds for the first retreat and I was able to invite my friends to join for free. This is something I feel passionate about: I don’t want to ever have to charge for a Hope Retreat. I want people to be able to come regardless of personal finances. It should be a gift not a burden.
On the way home my friend Hannah had a great idea. She suggested I allow people to “pay it forward” at the end of a retreat so that the next group of people can also be blessed. I love this idea! It feels like the way the Body of Christ operates.
With that, if you are local to West Michigan (or willing to drive) and would be interested in doing a Hope Retreat in the future, I’d love to hear from you. And if you’d like to be a part of making someone else’s Hope Retreat a reality, you can donate through Venmo: @Christy-Wood-49.
Hosting a Hope Retreat was one of the most amazing and fulfilling thing I’ve ever done, and I can’t wait to do it again.
“…the compassionate person is so aware of the suffering of others that it is not even possible for him or her to dwell on their sins.”
The Way of the Heart - Henri Nouwen
During the Hope Retreat, I was drawn to this little book in the library by Henri Nouwen called “The Way of the Heart.” In the course of the next few hours I came across the quote written above.
I long for this to be true of me.
There was a season of my life when I was VERY aware of everyone else’s sins and significantly less aware of my own. I was not a compassionate person. I was judgmental, critical, and (even though I’d been out of my cult for a decade) religiously legalistic.
Going through a season of spiritual abuse changed that. It broke me, humbled me, and made me recognize how terribly I had treated others. In my own pain, I became filled with compassion for the pain of others.
Sin brings death. And death by it’s very nature is separation—separation from God, others, and ourselves. Our sin might not result in instant physical death, but it does result in many other separations that can be even more devastating and painful.
A compassionate person doesn’t ignore or excuse sin, but they also understand that sin is more than just behaviors. They are overwhelmed by the suffering of others and know that we are broken on a heart level. A compassionate person longs to see others healed by Jesus in a way that truly brings restoration.
Because I Want To, Not Because I Have To
I’ve been on a writing, publishing, communicating journey for the past eleven years. It’s been WAY longer than I ever imagined. Silly, younger, very naïve me thought that if God wanted me to write a book then it would magically happen. Ten years later I did finally publish my book. I went with a local hybrid company, and it came out in June of 2023. But now what?
Everything I have (website, social media accounts, podcast, newsletter) happened because the publishing companies told me to build my platform—which after ten years still wasn’t big enough—in order to be considered for publication. And although I enjoyed these ways of communicating, they were always things I had to do and not really things I wanted to do. They were a means to an end and that often felt cheap to me. I love authenticity and anything that feels even minorly shystie is hard.
But now here I am: I wrote my book, it’s on Amazon, and I have a box of them in my office. I don’t have to perform any more. So now what? Suddenly, I’m finding myself doing things that I want to do with no ulterior motives.
I’ve started thinking and dreaming about another book.
I joined Threads and my account has taken off! I’m finding my people left and right. I’ve never experienced this on a social media platform before. It’s crazy and fun.
I decided to conclude my old podcast, Looking for the Real God and work to start a new one (with a corresponding YouTube channel) just for the fun of it. Because I want to, and not because I’m trying to collect followers or make a name for myself.
Religious Rebels (yup, I reused the name and cover art from my book) is coming out in January of 2024 and I am so pumped. It’s been fun finding music, creating a logo, learning about YouTube and how to make videos, and more. Because I want to, because I feel like I’m being called in this way. That’s the best part!
Friends, it doesn’t matter if God calls us to big or small things. It doesn’t matter if we become well-known—it’s actually probably better for us if we don’t. What matters is that we are listening, seeking, questioning, and following Him through any adventures or mundane life experiences. It matters that we are open to His leading and faithful to the call He has put on our lives. We can’t see the way He sees, but don’t forget that in the Kingdom of Heaven the last are first and the first are last. You matter. Don’t give up.
Thanks for taking a moment to rethink some of our religious traditions and beliefs. I know that it can be scary to deconstruct and reconstruct our faith, but finding the real Jesus is absolutely worth it. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts, questions, or comments.
You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, my website, and on my podcast Looking for the Real God. I’d love to connect with you on any of these places!
You can also order an autographed copy of my book, Religious Rebels: Finding Jesus in the Awkward Middle Way by clicking on the button below.