When I retired in 2006 from active ministry, Jan and I moved from New Jersey to Cambridge, New York. My favorite thing to do in retirement is to hike, and we both enjoy kayaking, so we were attracted to this corner of New York State. When I learned that Albany Presbytery often had meetings on Lake George at Silver Bay YMCA I was thrilled. And we have not been disappointed. Silver Bay is a magical place with its history and beautiful setting. We love being there, staying in the old Inn, enjoying the lovely campus, even doing some kayaking over the years.
Fast forward to 2025. Jan and I now are in our eighties, with some health constraints. She uses a cane or a rolling walker to get around and I am just finishing cardiac rehab, following open-heart surgery in January. But we didn’t want to miss another opportunity to be at Silver Bay. We came on Thursday afternoon to have a day just enjoying the place and an extra night at the Inn.
Friday, I set off for a hike along Adams Brook. Warblers and thrushes were singing nearby. The Silver Bay property across Route 9 is quite steep, so I turned around before long. It felt good to be back on the trail with trekking poles after several months’ absence. Then to my delight, I met up with our presbytery leader, Rob Trawick, at the trailhead, another enthusiastic hiker.
Chaplain Laura Mitchell is a good friend and skillful in leading prayer and contemplation, so I wanted to be part of her events at the Boathouse in the evening and early morning. It was so inspiring at 7 am to be there, with the mist on the lake, hearing the sound of the loon, and to sit in silence, centering ourselves in the presence and love of God. I will not forget the depth of the experience of renewal for my soul, when Laura invited us to “Be still and know that I am God. . . Be still and know. . . Be still. . . Be.”
Jan and I often felt like outsiders at the retreat because of the effort required to show up at events. It takes longer when you need to use the elevator and ramps to navigate the campus. Plus, we have not been attending presbytery meetings in person and have not cultivated many friendships. But let me share an uplifting experience during the ice cream social. Bowls in hand, Jan and I took our place at a table where some people were seated. New to us, they introduced themselves and drew us into their conversation. When they learned that Jan had returned to seminary in her late fifties to earn her M. Div., they lauded her accomplishment and made her feel very special. I also received support when I shared the story of how we dealt with conflict in a congregation which had ordained two gay deacons. The time at the table was “a bath of affirmation” for us both and gave us a good feeling about presbytery’s younger pastors and elders.
The next day after lunch, we packed up and drove home in the rain. It felt like a good retreat. Silver Bay had lost none of its magic. And even though we were often on the edges of the events, it seemed that God’s good grace and God’s good people met us there.
PS. I want to credit Paul Randall for the expression “the magic of place.”
To view pictures from the retreat, go to: Pictures from Silver Bay 2025
