Hopefully you are feeling a sense of anticipation about being on retreat again March 10-12, 2024. By the 4th retreat we hope you experience an increasing sense that you are coming home when you arrive. To help you prepare, there are important details below for our upcoming retreat.
I am looking forward to being on retreat with you once again and praying we will all be able to lean into the set apart time that despite the busyness of the season. Let us know if there is anything else you need for your preparations.
Yours on the journey,
PREPARING FOR THE UPCOMING RETREAT
The theme of our upcoming retreat is Engaging the Scriptures for Spiritual Transformation. While we will be talking about the role of Scripture in our spiritual formation, the emphasis will be on experiencing Scripture as a place of intimate encounter with God rather than using it merely as a tool for ministry. Our prayer is that through these experiences you, as a person who so faithfully opens the Scriptures for others, will have the opportunity to receive a word from the Lord
that is for you personally. REFLECTING ON THE LAST RETREAT Last retreat, we embraced new understandings of prayer, expanded our image of our Lord, and shared our tender places and tears with God and with each other.
My hope for you this quarter is that you have not just reflected on what we learned about prayer
when we were together, but that you have been spending time actually praying. There will be much to share when we gather again in a couple weeks!
REFLECTION PAPERS
Please prepare your reflection paper for your own benefit, for the certificate requirement, and/or as preparation for sharing with your small group over dinner on the first night. Use the following questions from your During the Quarter document to get you started:
What was your prayer life like as you came into the last retreat? Do you sense that you are in the transitional place that was described in the first teaching?
What have you noticed about your patterns of intimacy and non-intimacy (attachment patterns) with others? What observations have you made about how these patterns have affected your relationship with God?
What has it been like for you to listen for your breath prayer? Have you discovered it? How have you practiced it?
What other
prayer practices did you explore this quarter? How have they impacted your life and ministry?
How have the assigned resources supported and/or challenged you?
