March 30, 2025

Indianola Presbyterian Church, Columbus

“Retreat and Restore"

by Rev. Trip Porch

March 30, 2025                                                                                                                                                                      Based on Psalm 104

Presbyterians are often known as a “thinking people” folks whose faith tends to reside in our heads more than our hearts. We take the life of the mind seriously—committed to good theology, well-reasoned faith, and thoughtful discernment. And I really do love that about our tradition. There’s a richness and depth in a faith that isn’t afraid of questions, study, or nuance.

But sometimes our intellectual faith means we can be too rational, too “frozen chosen” 

 And often in the life of faith, it’s important to engage our hearts —to lean into the charismatic, heart-wide-open, Spirit-on-fire part of our faith.

So, where do we heady Presbyterians let that side of our faith breathe? Thinking back through your life of faith Where have you been when you let your heart lead your faith? 

If you’re like me, the answer becomes obvious in hind sight… all the places I’ve felt my faith come alive have been … in nature, on retreat in camps, conferences, and retreat centers.

I think of a story a friend shared from Princeton Theological Seminary—one of our denominational schools, a real hub of Presbyterian intellect and tradition. Every fall, they begin the academic year with a retreat. Students and faculty load up on buses and head out into the woods, to a camp near a lake. And every year, new students are surprised by what they witness.

Professors who usually command classrooms and lecture halls with polished professionalism suddenly let their hair down—literally and figuratively. They lead worship services barefoot, sing show tunes from canoes, and cry openly during evening prayers. The presbyterian …“frozen chosen” thaw out a bit. 

The retreat, of course, doesn’t make them any less scholarly. But it helps them reconnect—to God, to themselves, and to each other—in ways the classroom doesn’t always allow. And it helps the students get to know these enigmatic scholars (and themselves) in a new way, a holistic way, a way that helps the head connect with the heart.

There’s something about stepping into nature—away from the noise and schedule of daily life—that opens us up. That gives us space to feel again. To pray in a different register. To breathe deeply, and to listen.

The psalmist today, in Psalm 104, gives us a breathtaking vision of the natural world—this isn’t just a list of landscapes or a celebration of biodiversity. It’s a litany of praise, full of reverence and rhythm.

The psalmist is captivated:
“You are clothed with honor and majesty, wrapped in light as with a garment...
You set the earth on its foundations...
You make springs gush forth in the valleys...”

Just like the poets Mary Oliver or Wendell Berry, the psalmist is clearly a person who has spent time outdoors.  You can feel it in the language. They are clearly someone who has come to understand nature not just as “scenery” but as sanctuary. The mountains and rivers, the winds and wild animals—they aren’t just beautiful, they are sacred. They testify to the presence of a creative, sustaining God.

In the midst of life and work, nestled among other people in cities and neighborhoods, it’s hard to see the sacred… we need nature to remind us of the holiness, awe, and wonder of who God is.

Most of us live most of our lives indoors. And even when we’re outdoors, we’re often distracted—scrolling, rushing, thinking of what’s next. But creation offers a different kind of time. It slows us down. And in that slowness, we rediscover something deeper—something of God’s Spirit moving not only around us but within us.

There’s a kind of hush that nature holds—a stillness that isn’t empty, but full.

The rustling of trees, the sound of water, the sight of birds soaring overhead—it’s all part of a sacred rhythm. Psalm 104 shows us that rhythm. There’s an order and grace to it all. The sun knows when to rise, the moon when to glow, the animals when to roam. And at the center of it all is God—not micromanaging, but sustaining, breathing life into all things.

When we retreat into nature, we’re not escaping the world. We’re reconnecting with it. We’re remembering that the world is already full of God’s presence—if we have eyes to see and ears to listen.

And stillness becomes an act of faith.

To step away, to pause, to breathe—it says: I don’t have to control everything. I don’t have to fill every moment. God is still at work, even when I am resting.

Of course, our everyday lives are sacred too. God is present in kitchens and cubicles, in classrooms, on sidewalks and in Zoom calls. But sometimes we forget. Sometimes, we need to get out of the usual routine to see again with clarity. To soften. To listen for God not just with our minds, but with our hearts.

That’s why retreats—whether it’s a full weekend in the woods or just a half-hour walk in the park—are so important. They help us remember. They help us notice the birds and think of the God who feeds them. They help us watch the wind through the trees and remember the breath of the Spirit. They help us be still—and in that stillness, find that we are loved, held, renewed.
Even the most put-together, intellectual, bookish Presbyterian has a spiritual side. We are not just minds—we are hearts and bodies and souls. And creation speaks to all of those.

So maybe this week, give yourself the gift of a little retreat. It doesn’t have to be dramatic. It might be a quiet walk or a few minutes sitting under a tree. But commit to carving out time to be in nature with the intention of reconnecting with God. To try to hush the noise and hurry of life.To try to remember your place in the order of things.

And may Psalm 104 echo in your heart as you go:
“Bless the Lord, O my soul...
When you send forth your Spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.”

Amen.

WE GATHER IN AWE AND PRAISE

PRELUDE                                                                     “Wind Through the Willows"                                         Mary Leaf

INTROIT                      “Hush! Somebody’s Callin’ My Name”  African American Spiritual

                                                                                                                                                                arr. Brazeal W. Dennard

WELCOME                                                                    Rev. Trip Porch

One: This is the day that the Lord has made

All: Let us rejoice and be glad in it.  

*CALL TO WORSHIP

One: Bless the Lord, O my soul!

All: O Lord our God, you are clothed in splendor and wrapped in light.

One: You stretch out the heavens like a tent and water the earth with your springs.

All: You make the winds your messengers, the fire and flame your servants.
       Bless the Lord, O my soul!

One: Come, let us worship the God who breathes life into all things. 

*HYMN 22                                “God of the Sparrow” (verses 1-3, 6)                                  ROEDER

*PRAYER OF CONFESSION                                                               Mike Ayers

Creator God,

We confess that we often live as if we are separate from Your creation.

We rush through our days, missing the sacred in the ordinary.

We forget to rest, to notice, to give thanks.

We have not always honored the earth, nor our neighbors, nor even our own bodies.

Forgive us for our disconnection.

Draw us back to the still places, the holy ground beneath our feet,

and the breath of your Spirit that renews us.

Teach us again to walk gently, to listen deeply, and to live gratefully. Amen. 

*ASSURANCE OF PARDON  

*RESPONSE OF PARDON 626            “As the Deer”                                           AS THE DEER

*PASSING OF THE PEACE                                       

One:   The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all,

All:      And also with you.

WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD

ANTHEM                               “Search Me, Lord”                                Timothy Broege

                                                                                  Henry Byrne - soloist

CHILDREN’S RECESSIONAL 188       “Jesus Loves Me” vs. 1

   Children: May God be with you here

   Congregation: May God be with you there

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

SCRIPTURE   Psalm 104  video

SERMON    

WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD

*HYMN 358                                       “Steal Away”                                         STEAL AWAY

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE  

TIME OF OFFERING   online giving is available at  www. indianolapres.org/give

On Sundays where uncredited African American Spirituals are sung, any loose offering will go to support the Columbus Cultural Orchestra, whose mission is to advance a collective of multi-generational musicians of color by performing high-quality jazz, classical, and hip-hop music.

OFFERTORY              

*OFFERTORY RESPONSE          “We Lift Our Voices”                                            OFFERING

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION

Generous God, we return these gifts to you in gratitude and trust. May they   nourish this church, bless our neighbors, and help to nurture spaces of retreat and rest in our world. Use them—and us—for Your glory. Amen. 

*HYMN 625                                             “How Great Thou Art”                      HOW GREAT THOU ART

TIME OF COMMUNITY SHARING

CHARGE & BENEDICTION

CHORAL RESPONSE           “Lord, Who throughout These Forty Days”              Day’s Psalter

POSTLUDE                      "How Great Thou Art"                                   arr. Pam Turner      

Acknowledgments: Unless otherwise indicated, all texts and music are printed and broadcast under OneLicense.net license #A-702452