What’s it all about?Yes, exactly. That's just the sort of thing we talk about.No, I mean, what’s a Retreat in Daily Life?It's a chance to talk about important things with a spiritual guide. This retreat offers a framework for focused prayer and discernment over approximately 40 days, while continuing our routines and home life. Many of us don’t have the luxury of spending time away at a secluded and peaceful retreat house. Instead, we contract time to retreat, not away from our normal life but in it – taking time to attend, to align, to wait, and then to act. How does it work?We gather a group from various communities who commit to the retreat starting at the beginning of Lent. Then, over six weeks, we meet all together twice to open and close the retreat. The flow is as follows:Sunday 8 February at 2pm at St Oswald’s ChurchThe opening session of the retreat, where retreatants and retreat guides meet. We share, dream a little, pray, and keep silence.We go back to our everyday households, neighbourhoods, and communities - committed to a simple daily practice of prayer, reading, and contemplation.Individually, we meet with a retreat guide for about 40 minutes each week to reflect on what is happening in our prayer.We continue our daily practices and reflections, and our weekly meeting with a guide.Sunday 22 March at 2pm at St Oswald’s ChurchWe gather at the end of six weeks to listen to each other, to listen to God together, to encourage, to share - and draw our ‘retreat’ to a close.And a retreat guide? You are accompanied during this retreat by an experienced spiritual accompanier who will listen to you and listen with you as you reflect on what you are discerning and hearing each day, in your prayer and in your faith community. They support your discernment and accompany you through the weeks - praying, reflecting, underlining, and exploring with you.Is there a cost?We ask for a small donation of £10 to cover the cost of materials. If you cannot afford that, no problem at all, we’d still love to have you join us! We’ll collect that at the opening service.Okay, I’m interested… what do I need to do next?Yup. Fair question. Contact the Rev’d Dwayne Engh if you want to get more details and see if it is right for you.Or just book in with Nicola Fisher, our Parish Administrator, by email: parishoffice@ashbournechurch.org.uk.When you do book in, please provide your name, email, mobile number, and your Christian tradition. Places are limited, so book in today!
