“The world tells us to be busy and stay busy,” says Pastor Megan Lineberger, “but it’s important to take time for yourself for rest, and renewal, and connecting with people.”
For Megan, Wild Women Weekend retreats at Lutheridge have been a wonderful place to take time and connect. Megan first attended a Wild Women Weekend when she was in seminary. “It was such a fun weekend for me,” Megan recalls. “It made me want to get other women from my church to go too so they could get away and spend time together. But it was also great to see women leaders, a generation ahead of me, who paved the way as leaders in the church. That had an impact on me.”
For the last three years, Megan has helped plan and lead Wild Women Weekend as a part of the retreat leadership team. Being in a leadership role has given Megan some unique perspectives on the importance of women’s retreat experiences. “Retreats give busy women, many of them moms or caregivers, a weekend when they get to go away and enjoy fellowship with others like them,” Megan says. “People get space to tell their stories and reflect on their stories. Getting to be with women in all seasons of life is exciting and empowering.”
Each year there’s a new theme for the Wild Women retreat, allowing participants to explore different aspects of faith and womanhood. Megan says this year’s theme was a little more academic as the group explored some of the recent scholarship about Mary Magdalene. “People loved it,” Megan says. “They were so excited about opening their bibles and asking big questions.”
For Megan, being a retreat leader also has had a big impact on her personally. “It’s been one of the ways I have grown from being nervous about teaching others to being more confident about it. Wild Women creates space to grow into that role. And the loving colleagues I get to work with really lift up your gifts.” Megan also appreciates the ways that the retreat experiences give her the chance to encourage others. “During worship at our recent retreat, I was at a station where I got to anoint other women,” she shares. “I got to lay hands on people and tell them they are a beloved child of God. It was so uplifting for the participants and the leaders.”
Megan believes that having time away at events like the Wild Women Weekend is counter cultural in a lot of ways. “Community and connections, especially in a world that’s more and more isolated, are so important,” she says. “At camp you get to catch up with old friends and make new friends. Even when you go with people you know, you connect more deeply with them than you normally do. It’s important for all of us to be with people who understand you and your life and struggles. We need places where people can say to one another, ‘I see you!’”
