{"id":4200,"date":"2012-12-05T16:05:26","date_gmt":"2012-12-06T00:05:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cslewis.org\/blog\/?p=4200"},"modified":"2012-12-05T16:06:04","modified_gmt":"2012-12-06T00:06:04","slug":"back-from-narnia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cslewis.org\/blog\/back-from-narnia\/","title":{"rendered":"Back from Narnia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gregory Pyne kindly gave us permission to repost a blog post\u00a0 about his experience at the 2012 C.S. Lewis Retreat in Navasota, Texas. \u00a0The original post appeared on his blog “Wandering Tree” at http:\/\/wanderingtree.wordpress.com\/2012\/11\/17\/back-from-narnia-2\/<\/a><\/em><\/strong>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cFriendship exhibits a glorious \u2018nearness by resemblance\u2019 to Heaven itself where the very multitude\u00a0of<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>the blessed (which no man can number) increases the fruition which each has\u00a0of\u00a0<\/em>God. For every soul, seeing Him in her own way, doubtless communicates that unique vision to all the rest.\u201d- CS Lewis,\u00a0The Four Loves<\/em><\/p>\n

A place of safety and retreat for me is where I am sitting right now- in the armchair of my library, either reading, or writing, with a big fat mug of coffee or a glass of wine or pint of ale.\u00a0 \u00a0My books stand comfortably at their posts on the shelves behind me, and a few of those jolly souls occupy an honored spot of distinction on the end table beside me, a few dog-eared and well worn, others fresh from the field and awaiting perusal.<\/p>\n

Many of these books are by or about CS Lewis.\u00a0 Over the past few years, his books have been the pebble in the pond, sending ripples out to other books, other authors, living and dead, past and present, which now grace my shelves.\u00a0 Lewis has been that particular member of the communion of saints who has opened door after door after door, engaging me, challenging me, until I learn more about myself as a writer, a teacher, a husband, a father, and a follower of Christ.<\/p>\n

And wouldn\u2019t you know it?\u00a0 I have found others in my own situation.\u00a0 I registered for the\u00a0CS Lewis Retreat<\/a>\u00a0held in Navasota, TX early, knowing that it would be smack dab in the middle of a busy 1st<\/sup>\u00a0quarter teaching my rambunctious seniors, but feeling it was high time to engage\u00a0in person<\/em>\u00a0with authors I had only known in black and white thus far, and a hazy coterie of folks who had been touched by Lewis and I knew were\u00a0out there somewhere<\/em>\u00a0and not just on WordPress and Blogger.\u00a0 Who were the faces behind the fingers tapping at those keyboards?<\/p>\n

\u201cSo how did you get into Lewis?\u201d\u00a0Andrew Lazo<\/a>\u00a0asked me as I found a seat in the lobby at Camp Allen Retreat Center in Navasota Texas.<\/p>\n

I waxed semi-lyrically a rather incoherent reply.<\/p>\n

Andrew seemed to get the gist.\u00a0 And he must have also seen an undercurrent of pleading in my voice and eyes, as in \u201cDid I make the right decision to take a plane and come here?\u00a0 I\u2019m not here with anybody.\u00a0 There just seemed to be this necessary\u00a0pull<\/em>\u00a0to\u2026to\u00a0trust<\/em>\u00a0that it wouldn\u2019t be a waste of ti\u2013\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it\u2019s great to have you here.\u00a0 You\u2019re home, my friend.\u00a0 Welcome home.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that was pretty much the whole retreat, folks.\u00a0 Just one interaction with \u201chome\u201d after another.\u00a0 Further up and further in.<\/p>\n

The primary focus of the retreat centered on Lewis\u2019s\u00a0The Great Divorce<\/em><\/a>, an allegorical novel about a purgatorial bus ride to the lowlands of Heaven.\u00a0 Speakers such as\u00a0Joseph Pearce<\/a>\u00a0and Louis Markos<\/a>\u00a0expounded on the novel and its understanding of the true nature of sin and its application for us today, especially as (as many were in the audience) writers, teachers, and scholars.\u00a0 A writer\u2019s track featured\u00a0Diana Glyer<\/a>, author of\u00a0The Company They Keep: Lewis and Tolkien as Writers in Community<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0 Using Lewis and Tolkien as models, she explained differences and writing styles and importance of recognizing our own styles and playing to their tune instead of the ideal tune we wish to fit ourselves into.\u00a0 I had the good fortune of arriving early on Thursday and getting to know Diana and her 10 year old daughter Sierra.\u00a0 Sierra was mid way through a novel with an unmistakable cover which immediately identified the author for me:The Pearls of Lutra<\/em>, by Brian Jacques, the famous creator of the\u00a0Redwall<\/em>\u00a0series.\u00a0 So we ended up having a wonderful discussion about hares, squirrels, mice, otters, and the difficulty of mastering mole speech (as in \u201cBurr-oi, soir, oim gurtly afurred of villy-ans.\u201d).\u00a0 Lancia Smith led a hosted group focusing on CS Lewis and our approach to prayer which was revealing and refreshing.<\/p>\n

A highlight for me was Bag End Caf\u00e9, led by Andrew as a sort of open mic night for the retreatants.\u00a0 Original poetry was read, songs were sung, music was played, and if the cookies and other assorted goodies, as well as the wine and beer, didn\u2019t make you feel like you were sitting in the\u00a0Green Dragon<\/em>, I don\u2019t know what else would have.\u00a0 A few of us continued to burn the midnight oil when others had left, leading to a few more hours of horrible punnery, bad jokes, and multiple toasts to whoever and whatever.<\/p>\n

Friends were made quickly and permanently.\u00a0 A woman named Lani and I shared our stories over coffee.\u00a0 Lani was friends with Lancia, who introduced me to William, who sat at lunch with Kathleen who pulled me into a fascinating conversation about cathedral architecture with Steve, which resonated with Katie, who introduced me to Thomas, and then there was that great conversation with Crystal, and \u2026you get the picture.\u00a0 Everywhere and anywhere, conversations abounded and fed our hearts, minds, and spirits.<\/p>\n

The Ad Deum Dance Troupe lent movement to many emotions and insights unvoiced in a beautiful performance which made me forget the pain in my knee and just revel in unspoken story.<\/p>\n

Thus, after a full weekend of almost\u00a0too many<\/em>\u00a0expectations fulfilled, it was time to say goodbye.\u00a0 Stan Mattson, president of the CS Lewis Foundation (and may I take this opportunity to just rename him King Frank, as humble, forthright, and good-natured as that character was in\u00a0The Magician\u2019s Nephew?<\/em>) led us in an old folk song entitled \u201cWill Ye No Come Back Again,\u201d\u00a0<\/em>a fitting, quite emotional end to our time together as our voices (including my reedy tenor) intermingled with a sense of true fellowship and completeness.<\/p>\n

I left with a heart a thousand times lighter, with grace and a sense of purpose I haven\u2019t known for a long while.\u00a0 And with, as the theme of the retreat indicated, a sense of eternity, in the here and now.<\/p>\n

Gregory Pyne<\/p>\n

Gregory Pyne teaches literature and writing to high school seniors in Orlando, FL. If he is not teaching, find him at home imitating Curious George for his baby boy Rowan William, marveling at the many accomplishments of his wife, the writer Erin Pyne, composing a poem, or checking the mail to see whether or not the latest book he ordered has arrived. He writes and reflects over at wanderingtree.wordpress.com and would love a fellow admirer of CS Lewis to be his friend on Facebook, or drop him an email at gwpyne@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gregory Pyne kindly gave us permission to repost a blog post\u00a0 about his experience at the 2012 C.S. 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