The retreat will be a time of learning and practice. It is a silent retreat time from after dinner on Tuesday evening through Friday lunch. During meals and times with one another we will observe a holy silence so that we might in that space and time be as available as we possibly can to God’s Presence.
The retreat begins on Tuesday, November 7th any time after 3:30pm. Dinner is at 5:30pm and our initial session is at 7:15pm. (Wednesday and Thursday schedules will be posted.) The retreat ends with a sharing and lunch on Friday, November 10th. It is my hope that from this experience one might be more confident in understanding this Christian approach to meditation and its accessibility.
Periods of centering prayer will be in 25 minute sittings in a group setting. Interspersed on the days of retreat, we will listen to DVDs of Father Thomas Keating, Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler, and Fr. Carl Arico. These learning sessions will help all of us, beginners and beginners-again, to understand prayer as a relationship and some of the basics of centering prayer practice, the four guidelines and the use of a sacred word in the method of centering.
The guidelines include: choosing a sacred word as a symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action within; sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly, and silently introduce the sacred word; when you become aware of thoughts, return gently to the sacred word; at the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.
Father John Crosswaite and Carol Ackley will be the leaders of our learning and prayer. Father John is a retired Episcopal clergy with a formal degree in Applied Christian Spirituality from USF. He has led days of prayer, is an active spiritual director, and introduced the practice of centering prayer in a congregation while he was rector of the River Parishes in the north country. Carol has been active in the Episcopal church and is a trained spiritual director. Carol was chair of the diocesan wide effort, Learning Communities Initiative, along with Father John, and has worked as part of a discernment group in the north country.
Please call or email St. Margaret’s if you would like to register for this retreat by October 16th. The total cost of the retreat, overnight stays, and meals is $300. If you would like to attend but need assistance covering the cost please reach out to St. Margaret’s.