It is hard to believe that our next retreat is just around the corner on August 14-16, 2022. The topic of this retreat is Prayer: Deepening Our Intimacy With God. We look forward being with you for the teachings and experiences offered on this retreat.
REFLECTING ON THE LAST RETREAT
What a joy it was to see this community start to enjoy each other’s company and settle into the commitment we have made to journey together for these two years. The Leaving Service was a highlight as we committed ourselves to this journey and brought our covenants to the altar as a sign and symbol of the commitment we are making to the journey of transformation in this community. If you did not have the opportunity to bring your covenant to the altar, you can still do so at this retreat.
PREPARING FOR THE UPCOMING RETREAT Don’t forget to prepare your reflection paper for your own benefit, for the certificate requirement and also as preparation for sharing with your small group over dinner. Use the following
questions from your "During the Quarter" document to get you started:
How, when, and where have you practiced solitude and silence over the last months?
How have you experienced God with you (or not) during such times?
What questions have your practice of solitude and silence raised for you?
What have you learned through the struggles and challenges of incorporating solitude and silence more intentionally into your life?
What readings have you found most helpful? How have they supported your practice? How have they challenged you?
Be sure to interact with Scripture and with the required readings that have been valuable to you. The written reflections are for your benefit in summarizing the learning and experiences of this quarter, and they will also form the basis for your sharing in Community. These questions can also be found in the During the Quarter handout in your folder or on your community website.
REFLECTION PAPERS
Those of you who wrote papers last quarter should be receiving them back either right before this upcoming retreat or soon after. We hope you are experiencing this writing commitment as a means of going deeper with the readings and with your own process of transformation. Grappling with new thoughts and soul issues in writing has the potential to be catalytic for your spiritual journey, and our readers are committed to reading and commenting thoughtfully and prayerfully. Writers and
readers, keep up the good work!
You will receive an additional e-mail before the retreat with some logistical details. Watch for it! In the meantime, may God enable you to stay faithful to this journey of spiritual transformation that God is inviting you to and may you discover delight along the way.
