Through walking, writing, observing, breathing in silence, sharing and "hands-on marking" using a variety of multi-art spaces and supplies, we will reflect on our own paths and share their intersections.
Featuring:
Sisters of Mercy foundress Catherine McAuley once said: "We have one solid source of happiness in all our journeying - we can keep our hearts fixed on God."
But how can we do that? Busyness fills most of our days, and many things pull at our hearts. Jesus knew this. And that is why he himself repeatedly went off to a quiet place apart to be able to fully engage with others in his life and ministry. We are encouraged to do the same: "Come away…and rest a while" (Mark 6:31).
Retreat gives us the opportunity to prayerfully reflect on who we are and where we are, and tap into the wellspring of the Spirit for guidance and wisdom. Our God-given gifts and call are unique to each one of us; but for all of us, it takes time in silence and prayerful reflection for these to be nurtured.
"It's like jumping or being thrown into a life-changing stew where you simmer for five days in the transformational mix of silence, wilderness and ritual."
Fr. Richard Rohr, Founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, New Mexico will join with Stephen Picha, Director of the Center for Action and Contemplation, and the Washington DC Regional MALEs team (Men As Learners and Elders) to host this area's first Men's Rites of Passage near Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, from Wednesday afternoon October 12, 2011 through Sunday afternoon October 16, 2011.
This retreat is designed to help refill the reserves of people suffering from burn-out that results from compassion fatigue, overwork, or (as is often the case) a confluence of the two. We will explore gratefulness as a way of life with specific practices that restore our sense of sufficiency and wonder in the present moment - the only moment fully given to us - thus easing our anxiety about whether we have enough money, friendship, and other resources to get by. Through guided meditation, journaling, dialogue, life review, music, quiet space to breathe, and other tools, we will reconnect with what most inspires us. This is a non-judgmental retreat in which it is okay to be ungrateful, which is sometimes a necessary step in peeling off layers to a fundamental gratitude that springs from simply being alive.
"The restoration of the church will come from a new monasticism which has in common with the old only the uncompromising attitude of a life lived according to the Sermon on the Mount in the following of Christ. I believe it is now time to call people to this."
-- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, A Testament of Freedom
A 24-hour Retreat
At Rolling Ridge Study Retreat Community
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
How do we live with our daily experiences, the good and the bad? The proverbial wheat and tares co-mingled populate the landscape of human experiences. Indicators of flourishing beauty jostle with reminders of diverse disheartening evil, near and far away, often conveyed by a media intent on informing us daily.
The weekend will draw on elements from Belden's work with Richard Rohr's Men as Learners and Elders and with the Mankind Project (including their call to accountability, a man's openness to his feelings, the true and the false self, and the importance of dying before you die). More particularly, we will explore the spirituality of the Desert Fathers, focusing on their realization that the wound and the gift are one. The desert place of breakdown in our lives is invariably the place where we're invited to a new wholeness. As Leonard Cohen puts it, "the cracks are where the light comes in." From a Christian perspective, this is the core of the paschal mystery.
We invite you to learn some natural building techniques and help us in the building of our straw bale staff house at Rolling Ridge.
We will teach lime plastering, clay plastering, and finish plastering. Learn how to mix and apply different layers over cob and strawbale. Understand the purposes of ingredients and which applications work for which purposes. Meet great people and have fun getting your hands in the mud!
Housing at the Retreat House (or camping if you prefer) and delicious meals for $35/weekend.
To see our progress so far, visit our blog at:
http://straw-bale.blogspot.com
Or see some of our progress at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/scot_and_linda/collections/72157607793391306/
At Rolling Ridge Study Retreat near Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
Learn from the seasons of nature...
the seasons of the church year...
the seasons of your heart.
What would happen if you made time from your normal routine and busy weekday schedule simply to be still, pray, and reflect in a beautiful natural place apart? What would it mean for your everyday life if you set aside one day each quarter for silent retreat? How might this intention deepen your relationship with God? How might it affect your relationships at home and at work and in the wider community? Come and see the difference it makes! These four quiet days during the year offer you the opportunity to rest in the wonder of Creation's varied seasons. They are a time to ponder and gain new perspective, to be nurtured by the love of God. Each day is 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and includes guided reflection around the seasonal themes and spaciousness for solitude and meditative walks, journaling and art – with the companioning presence of each other in prayer and sacred silence. Guide: Trish Stefanik, contemplative retreat leader. Cost: Suggested $25 for individual days or $90 for all four days (or what you can pay. Please bring a bag lunch. | Mark your 2011 calendar now for all 4 days! WINTER: Stillness and Listening SPRING: Awakening and Newness SUMMER: Delight and Abundance AUTUMN: Trust and Surrender |
To register and for more information, please contact Rolling Ridge Study Retreat, 186 Tupelo Lane, Harpers Ferry WV 25425. Phone: 304-725-4301. Email: tstefanik@aol.com. See www.rollingridge.net for directions. Overnight accommodations are available at the Retreat House for a small fee – come the night before or stay the night to extend your retreat!
Annual retreat for children ages 6-12 and their parents,
grandparents or mentors
In our grasshopper and salamander days, who among us didn't ask why the grasshopper could jump so far -- or why the salamander had black dots on its orange body. We lived by wonder, for by wondering we were able to multiply a growing consciousness of being alive.
-- Richard Lewis, Living by Wonder