A Jolt of Love: Reflections on the 2009 Memorial Day SCYL Retreat

by Rev. Dave, SCYL League Chaplain

I never fail to be impressed with how quickly and how deeply bonds of trust and friendship develop at teen retreats. They meet for only a few days only a few times a year, yet many feel that the friendships they form at retreats are more meaningful than those they form over years in school. And I found myself imperceptively drawn into the sphere of mutual love that all the participants are drawn into—staff, ministers, drivers, and the teens. This was made apparent to me when I departed and faced the world again. The sensitivity, the kindness, the openness are all dear qualities that can be so lacking in our interactions with the world.

I find that it is the religious center of the retreats that open up sacred space for such intimacies to develop. Teens find God in their own way, and that opens their hearts to each other. They have commented on how much they like the whole retreat, meaning the Frisbee games, mutual interaction, and the religious sessions.

Eighteen teens participated in the 2009 SCYL Memorial Day weekend retreat at the Fryeburg New Church Assembly. This year we had four ministers who led sessions. Our theme was “The Bible: What’s In It For Me?” The ministers talked about how Bible stories relate to a person’s spiritual development through correspondences. I presented the first session on the creation story. Rev. Ken Turley presented on the story of Samson and Delilah. Some of the comments that emerged were why Samson ended up telling Delilah the real secret of his strength after she had betrayed him two previous times. Rev. Lee Woofenden talked about the story of the flood and related it to self image and God’s forgiveness and love to everyone. Sunday morning we rode up to the Fryeburg Church of the New Jerusalem for the worship service where we listened to Rev. Ken discuss the story in Revelation 14. At the worship service, two teens (Janice and Nina) performed a beautiful acoustic guitar duet of “I Will Follow You into the Dark”. Later that afternoon, Rev. Jen Tafel and Kurt Fekete led a session in which the teens randomly picked a Bible story for them to interpret on their own through art, drama, or any other way they wished. The staff were treated to paintings, a puzzle they created, a song they wrote and performed, and personal interpretations they came up with themselves.

The retreat ended with a communion service conducted by Rev. Jen and myself. Teens participated by reading the Bible and a poem Rev. Jen brought to the service. They also provided guitar music and vocal harmonies as an introit and during communion. And there were tears. Tears of love and tears from those who would be moving on in life as they passed the teen age into adulthood.

The dear friendships that develop at these retreats carry on outside the several meetings held throughout the year. Teens renew their friendships at Fryeburg Assembly and Almont summer camps and stay in contact through the internet, sharing pictures and words. In every sense, charity comes alive at retreats and this year was no different. The presence of God filled the retreat participants with affection and mutual care—from new teens to drivers and staff, and in me. While I put considerable time and work into my own contribution to this Memorial Day retreat, I came away gifted with much, much more than I came with. I feel truly blessed to join in the spirit of youth retreats as their Chaplain, in this very important ministry.