Now that I have had some time to reflect, I think I should preface this post a little. I had just returned from the Via De Cristo weekend and was a little confused and frankly upset. I was upset that I was not as impacted by the weekend as my fellow pilgrims were. I still feel that the original post is relevant, however, I would temper it a little. First, I would now say that I was impacted in that I started reading the bible more, and I have started to put my faith in action. I still believe that Via de Cristo may not be for everyone, but I think it is good for you to experience it along your journey. For me I was much more impacted by the Willow Creek Arts Conference. It contained all the elements that move me and make me think. Here is the original post:
I just returned from a Via de Cristo weekend. For those of you who do not know what this is, it is a 72 hour retreat from your daily life to learn and grow closer to Christ and learn about God's unconditional love for you.
This event got a lot of build up from others around me and I have to say that in my opinion it did not live up to all the hype. Having said that, it was a good experience. I think it really depends on the type of person you are. I am not a very touchy feely kind of guy ( I know you are thinking that most guy's aren't, but after this weekend I am not sure I would agree with you). I also do not believe that to show your love to God you have to sing hokey songs while hugging grown men and swaying. This was a good 20 to 30 percent of this weekend. I personally was hoping for more alone time with God, but most of what you do, you do it with six other men. There is some alone time, but not a lot.
They have a teen version called Teens Encounter Christ (TEC), why can't there be a version for the 20-30 year old crowd that uses more relevant music and focuses more on your habits and building a relationship with Christ?
Having said all of that, there were some very inspiring times over the weekend. And I loved the teachings, especially those from the clergy. I did get a lot out of the trip and would recommend it to others. Would I do it again? I don't think so. It was a little too long, too singy, and too huggy for me. But hey, if you are in to that or just need to jump start your faith, it is probably the best thing out there until someone comes up with a three day two night teaching weekend with lots of time for reflection and a band.
About Me
- Steven
- I like to think of myself as an average person, although those that know me may disagree. I live with my wife Stephanie and my son Andrew in the heart of the midwest, Wisconsin. I have spent most of my career in the Entertainment Industry, mostly behind the scenes. I have toured with many acts ranging from the Incredible Acrobats of China to Paul McCartney and Genesis. I currently run development projects for a major entertainment lighting company. I am a Captain on my local volunteer fire department. I am a coach for a First Lego Robotics Team. I love to do woodworking, but in truth study woodworking more then I build with it. I am also on the Council for my church and currently head up all the technical integration the church is doing. I am a huge fan of Fine Design and therefore a huge fan of Apple, Inc.
1 comment:
maybe you should have attended a tres dias weekend...i think they tend to go a little deeper into your spiritual side, but that's just me...as for the group hugs and stuff, that's just personal preference, i guess, but the main focus is supposed to be "group reunion," hence the limited alone time...its about building trusting, loving, encouraging relationships with other men (hugs or not) that we really need to become more in tune with God...since Jesus is no longer on the earth in a physical way, except in those around us, we really need to be connected and that's what I think the point is of 4th day renewal retreats...if that point was missed, then I think the via de cristo team let you down...but I'd encourage your involvement to see what goes on behind the scenes and in preparation for a weekend...that's what truly impacted me the most on tres dias...well, anyway, de colores my friend!
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