Reflections from the JEMA Still Waters Spiritual Retreat
Spending time with Jesus, in nature, with fellow travellers on the journey in Japan is time well spent
The Still Waters Retreat, attended by 15 participants, was held at Yamanaka Chalet from April 22–25, 2024. This article shares reflections and comments from attendees, who share insights into the various parts of this life-giving retreat.
Ministry has felt a bit like a treadmill—I was starting to feel like a mouse on a wheel. The retreat was really timely for me to get away to catch my breath!
To officially take time off away from ministry and spend days to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord was a luxury hard to come by. I needed more than just my weekly Sabbath to feel rested and refreshed.
Alive to the beauty of God
The theme of the retreat was “Alive to the Beauty of God,” based on the book of the same title by Dane Ortlund (speaker at CPI Renown 2024 [Japan Church Planting Institute]).1
The theme helped me be drawn to Him, not pushed by duty or obligation. Peter and Janet nourished my heart, mind and soul with plenty of spiritual food, creative ideas and questions for further reflection. I also enjoyed time for walks, reading or just rest. I can recommend this retreat wholeheartedly to anybody who needs spiritual refreshment.
Time with God
We also participated in Compline (an evening service originating in the sixth century) and Lectio Divina (a form of Bible reading and meditation). Some participants took a spiritual awareness walk, using the five senses to engage with God’s creation and listen for his voice; others made a spiritual collage, focusing on God through art. Times alone with God were interspersed with time in small groups, with lots of free time to relax and times together to share spiritual lessons and have fun.
It’s been a helpful spiritual discipline for me, since taking a retreat is essentially an act of faith. I leave behind all the pressures and list of never-ending responsibilities in order to devote this time to Him.
Collage response
One participant shares their experience with a series of collages:
The first [collage] I labelled ‘Beauty in Resilience’. As I was praying and sorting through pictures I began to see this theme of beauty that is only appreciated because it came into being in a hard place. It reminded me that no matter how bleak our circumstances, no matter how rocky the ground we cultivate, God is able to equip us to survive and thrive.
The second [collage] is titled ‘Pure delight—being known and loved’. What delight there is in friends enjoying their favourite ice cream flavours or a father and son enjoying the sunset together. Great or small, there is such an array of things that God gives us to enjoy.
The third is a collage of wildflowers with the title ‘God knows them all by name’. Though no human eye may ever behold them, their beauty is a delight to their Maker, who knows them each by name. It doesn’t matter how long they last, or how vibrant their colours—each fulfils its God-given purpose. Though our lives may go unnoticed and unseen, we are equally known and delighted in by our Maker.
Why go on retreat?
One participant said:
I highly recommend this retreat as it is truly a retreat—not busy, but restful and a good balance of solitude and also good fellowship with others. The beautiful setting of Lake Yamanaka and Mount Fuji adds to the beauty. We missionaries are constantly in a state of transition and busyness, and this retreat provides just the right amount of spiritual guidance and community to enhance our personal times with the Lord.
The final word goes to another participant:
I would recommend Still Waters Retreat to the person who has just arrived in Japan and is feeling overwhelmed, to the person who has been in Japan for decades and is feeling weary, to the person who is in love with Jesus and wants to go deeper, to the person who is grieving and needs some space, to the person who values time with Jesus, to the person who wants to flourish in their life with Jesus and in ministry. Basically, I recommend Still Waters Retreat to each missionary in Japan. Spending time with Jesus, in nature, with fellow travelers on the journey in Japan is time well spent.
If you want to experience “Still Waters–Alive to the Beauty of God” for yourself, JEMA will be running this spiritual retreat again from April 21–24, 2025. This retreat is for men and women of all ages, nationalities and agencies, and only married couples share a room! For more information, contact Janet at jp.mca@omfmail.com.
1. Dane Ortlund, Edwards on the Christian Life: Alive to the Beauty of God (Crossway, 2014).
Collage photos submitted by author