“Abide in Christ”: Reflections from the Glowing Years Ministry Spiritual Retreat

Wed 22 Apr 2026 | LifeSprings Canossian Spirituality Centre

The morning began quietly, as it was meant to.

Surrounded by the greenery of the Canossian Spirituality Centre, with Bukit Timah Hill rising in the distance, members and friends of CCMC’s Glowing Years Ministry gathered for a half-day Silent Retreat. There was nothing to rush through. No packed schedule. No pressure to speak or perform. Just one simple invitation printed on the cover of every booklet.

Abide in Christ.

From 8.30am to 12.30pm, Pastor David Ho guided participants through a gentle morning of silence, Scripture meditation, personal reflection, prayer, and labyrinth walking. For many, it felt like stepping away from the noise of everyday life and becoming aware again of God’s quiet presence.

The Invitation

The retreat booklet opened with these words:

“We may remain outwardly steady, but inwardly hurried. We may continue faithfully, but feel less aware of God’s presence.”

The words resonated with many who were there.

Some have walked with the Lord for decades. They have served faithfully, cared for family, endured hardship, and continued showing up year after year. Yet even faithful lives can slowly become crowded and tired within.

The invitation of Jesus in John 15 felt especially meaningful that morning.

“Abide in me, and I in you.”

The retreat was not about learning something new or trying harder spiritually. It was about slowing down enough to be with God again.

Voices from the Silence

When the silence ended and participants gathered to share, the reflections that surfaced were deeply personal.

Chu Sin reflected honestly on how noise had shaped her daily life.

“My life has always been full of noise, and sometimes this has misled me away from God. I need such occasions to quiet me down, to be a step closer to Him.”

Her words reflected something many quietly understood. Life becomes busy so gradually that we hardly notice what it is doing to our souls.

Another participant shared how she had arrived thinking she was doing fairly well spiritually. But during the silence, something shifted.

While sitting near the garden, she noticed a small yellow butterfly moving gently from plant to plant, never staying long before circling back again.

A quiet thought came to her.

That’s you, my beloved.

Later, as she looked at the trees, she pictured a branch that was broken but still attached. Alive, but not thriving. Close to the vine, yet not really drawing life from it.

That picture stayed with her.

Faithfully journeying, but not fully abiding.

She left carrying a prayer she had not expected to pray that morning.

“Lord Jesus, please do the restoration work in me that I may truly abide in You, now till You return. Amen.”

A Poem from the Silence

Michelle spent part of the retreat reflecting on God’s name, I AM, across the different seasons of her life. During the silence, she wrote a short poem and later shared it with the group.

ABBA Father WAS always there for me. He is “I AM”.I wasn’t always there for Him.

But TODAY, I am. ❤️✝️

ABBA Father WILL always be there for me. He is “I AM”.I dare not promise I’ll always be there for Him.

But TODAY I am. ❤️✝️

TODAY ABBA Father is STILL with me. He is the GREAT I AM.

TODAY I abide in Him. TODAY, I am. ❤️✝️

One moment at a time.

There was something deeply genuine about those lines. No dramatic promises. Just honesty, gratitude, and the quiet offering of the present moment.

Quiet Clarity

Ming Ying shared that meditating on John 15 during the silence brought a renewed sense of peace and clarity.

“God speaks clearly when I intentionally make time to listen to Him.”

She also appreciated the retreat booklet, describing it as something she could continue returning to for personal reflection and prayer long after the retreat had ended.

In the days following the retreat, she met with Ps David to reflect further on what had surfaced during the morning. What had initially felt scattered slowly settled into clarity and conviction. Sometimes the fruit of silence only becomes clear in the days that follow.

More Than a Morning Retreat

The retreat became more than a church programme. It gave people space to slow down, pray, listen, and pay attention again to the presence of God.

Throughout the morning, participants returned often to a simple rhythm.

Remain

Rest in Christ

Notice

What is happening within

Entrust

Place it gently into His hands

As the retreat booklet reminded everyone: “Every return is abiding.”

The morning ended quietly, much as it had begun. But many left with a renewed awareness that Christ was still near, still present, and still inviting His people to remain in Him.

Abide in Me.