Retreat of the weekend

Two weekends ago I was on a retreat at church. It is the same type of retreat I went on last fall, except this time I was on the team that planned it.

These past two retreats have had a strong effect on me. The odd thing is there were many ways in which the retreats fell short of other ones I have attended. During these retreats there was a lot less talking in small groups, less interaction with other participants, and activities that became boring. The venue was also uninspiring. Instead of views of the Pacific Ocean or a forest, the place was a building in Fullerton in a residential neighborhood (I have nothing against Fullerton, but where I was lacked a scenic quality). Some rooms even had a view of a drainage ditch.

There were some great things as well, especially about this last one. The people who talked had a lot of things to share. There was a former drug dealer, a person who neglected his wife until she ran away, and a guy who at 18 got his girlfriend pregnant, joined the army, and relocated his new family to a new state within a few months. There was some crazy stuff.

There was also a chance to go to Reconciliation. A blind priest said a few words to our group before the sacrament. He was a great speaker. One of his good lines was "If you want to be used by God, by God you will be used!"

Following the Book
One theme that appeared in a few of the talks was the importance of scripture. One person related how he had to memorize several Bible verses for vacation Bible school when he was younger. His prize for memorizing them was a ride in a hot air balloon.

For someone who is as active in the church as I am, I know an embarrassingly small amount about the Bible (at least I think so). If I was asked to recite some verses I could stumble through a few, but I could not speak with confidence.

After the retreat I started memorizing some Bible verses. I searched online for suggested verses and other ideas. Some of the sites suggested learning one verse a week. At that rate, I would still have a lot to learn when the Second Coming rolled around. In the first week I learned 9 verses and where to find a few important things.

However, this intensive Bible study has me concerned; I feel like a Protestant. You should say a rosary for me.