A Sojourner's Quest

2 2 4 / A S O J O U R N E R ’ S Q U E S T

The entire intent of these times is to make time to be in the presence of the Lord in prayer, reflection, and stillness, trusting that the Spirit will speak to us through the Word and worship, and God will be better able to communicate to us his will for us. The ways we have selected to pursue the Lord all enhance our ability to be apart, to isolate ourselves (whether together or individually) and to spend time together seeking the Lord. It is our desire that these times become a factored dimension of our lives–that, like our Lord, we will come apart to listen and grow, and hear and to be heard from him. We will spend time in: • Solitude: setting aside moments where we can be apart from all others in order to wait in the presence of the Lord. • Silence: fasting from media and conversation in order to wait silently before God • Fasting: refraining from eating and other things in order to concentrate fully upon the Lord and his will for us • Prayer: spending time in the presence of the Lord in adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication • Retreat: setting aside time for rest and recreation to be enriched and rejuvenated in Christ • Meditation and Reflection: apportioning time to “think God’s thoughts after him” in reading, memorization, study, and dialogue with others The following is a loose outline of the kind of structure we will use for our individual and corporate times set apart for seeking the Lord. This is only a template not a strait jacket; feel free to change or aug- ment the outline in any way that enhances your overall pursuit of the Lord in the particular discipline you are concentrating on at any given time. Of course, some of the activities in the template below may not be appropriate in the particular event you are hosting (such as a silence retreat, for example). Adapt the template to fit best in your particular event and time. As the Hart Pants after Water Brooks: A Template for Following Hard after God