Why make a retreat? Many people today have never made a retreat, and some may not even know what a retreat is.
In the book of the prophet Hosea, God speaks of how He will draw Israel back to Himself: “I will allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak to her heart.” The desert was seen as a privileged place, where the people of Israel first came to know God as its Divine Bridegroom, and the Lord wanted to rekindle that love with His people.
Our Lord Jesus Christ also went into the desert: He went to fast and pray and be tempted by Satan after He was baptized in the Jordan River; He also took His disciples into the wilderness/desert a number of times in the Gospels. It was a time to get away from the crowds, to pray and to focus on the things that matter the most — our relationship with God and the kingdom of heaven.
A retreat is a special time: a time of separation from all that keeps us overly busy, a time to re-focus our minds and hearts, to allow the God of Love to speak to our hearts and draw them back to Himself. Rachel’s Vineyard retreats are centered on “Living Scripture” meditations which help us to listen to the Lord Jesus, to open our hearts and souls to the working of the Holy Spirit, and to re-connect with God who is our perfect, loving Father. The retreat team leads these meditations, and the discussions that follow them, but ultimately, it is the Lord Himself who speaks to our hearts and opens them to His Infinite Love and Mercy — to accept His Love and Mercy, and the healing that He wants to give us from ALL of our wounds — those of our past abortions, and all the wounds of sin that lead to or flowed from our abortions.
If you have not yet made a Rachel’s Vineyard retreat, please contact us using the “Contact” form on our website — we would love to have you with us on an upcoming retreat!