Repent Like A Man!

St. Bede’s Men’s Retreat takes place on Saturday, March 28, 10 am – 3 pm in the Great Hall and all men, including the young men in our Youth Group are invited.

Since we are in the season of Lent, we will focus on the task of repentance, asking ourselves how, as men, we get right with the world when our lives are somehow out of whack. When we lose our way, how do we reconnect with the important people in our lives, with our better selves, with humanity as a whole, with the universe and ultimately with God? Do we get angry? Must we do something? Do we stoically persevere? Where is God in it all?

Over the course of the day, we will watch scenes from the two great movies of men seeking repentance–David Lynch’s The Straight Story and Robert Duvall’s The Apostle. Both tell a story of a man who recognizes the need to do something in the face of something not right in his life. In The Straight Story, a quiet older man decides one day that he must reconcile with his estranged brother, who lives hundreds of miles away, despite the fact that his only mode of transport is a riding mower. In The Apostle, a fiery preacher flees the scene of an assault, assumes a new identity, and attempts to refashion himself closer to the image of God.

By watching interwoven scenes from these two movies, by reading related Bible passages, and by reflecting upon it all alone and with one another, we will try to understand how the ancient idea of repentance relates to our modern lives.

Please plan to come to as much of the day’s offering as you can. Lunch will be served.