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Ohio
Conference United Church of Christ |
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A Day with God and Self
A day-long retreat offering an opportunity to re-connect to the Holy
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Next Retreat Dates
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
It
is not you who shapes God; it is God who shapes you.
If
then you are the work of God, await the hand of the artist
Who
does all things in due season.
Offer
God your heart, soft and tractable,
And
keep the form in which the artist has fashioned you.
Let
your clay be moist,
Lest you grow hard and lose the imprint of God’s fingers.
Irenaeus, 2nd century bishop
One way to keep our “clay” moist is to get away from our 24/7 lives. Day with God and Self is one way to do that.
We provide a little bit of teaching and plenty of time to encounter God in silence and the peacefulness of nature.
This year we are looking at the teachings of Teresa of Avila.
Link to information about Teresa of Avila:
http://www.ccel.org/t/teresa/ - Christian Classics Ethereal Library, Calvin College
From the website of the Church of St. Teresa of Avila, Albany, NY:
Teresa was a 16th century religious reformer, and is acknowledged as one of the greatest mystical writers of all time. She was born to a well-to-do family, and grew up to be a beautiful young woman, admired for her ready wit and laughter, the center of a wide circle of friends.
Early in life she ran away from home with her brother, determined to be a martyr for the Jesus she loved so much. It was a deep personal love of God that ultimately led Teresa to Carmel. Her greatest work, the reform of Carmel nuns, priests and brothers, did not begin until Teresa was middle-aged. Under her spiritual leadership, monasteries were formed as the Order of Discalced (shoeless or sandal-wearing) Carmelites.
Her gift for conversation was transferred to the written word. The Way of Perfection, The Interior Castle, and Meditations on the Song of Songs are some of the most famous. Though mostly addressed to her "sisters," Teresa's works burned with the deep love of God which every Christian is called to share. Unlike so many spiritual works before and since, Teresa's writings are filled with common sense, laughter, trust in God, a love of Scripture, and a deep, personal love of Christ, whom Teresa called "His Majesty." They are classics for all times, books that speak to all people everywhere.
A Day with God and Self is a day-long retreat for educators, clergy and laity offering an opportunity for individual and group spiritual guidance.
There will be opportunities for:
Personal reflection
Silence
Corporate worship
Relaxation and refreshment
Individual and/or small group spiritual guidance
Encountering various spiritual disciplines
Most of the camp will be available for personal prayer, meditation and walks. Books and various resources will be on hand.
A labyrinth has recently been constructed near the Prettyman Center and will be available throughout the day.
Everything planned for the day is optional depending on your own spiritual needs. Let the Spirit guide you.
Anyone coming from a distance, or who would like extra time, is welcome to come the evening before.
Throughout the day, opportunities for individual spiritual guidance will be offered.
For those who have not experienced extended silence, there will be an introduction to the use of the quiet times following the morning worship.
Attend one or as many days as you are able.
Because we live in a frantic, fast-paced world, we need to take care of ourselves and to take time to connect with our creator!
9:30 am
10:00
10:30
10:45
Noon
1:00
2:00
4:15
5:00 pm
Each retreat costs
$25. If you plan to arrive the night before, there will be an
additional $35.00 charge for lodging. Please check with the Ohio Conference office about availability
of breakfast on the date you have in
mind. If breakfast is not available, you can bring and prepare your
own food in Prettyman Center's fully equipped kitchen.
Registration
must be
received two weeks before the retreat date. Call the Ohio Conference office at 800-282-0740 to
request a brochure. OR
click here
for a registration form you can print,
complete and return with your check.
For more information call Janet Burkhart, 330.682.3791.
Janet Burkhart, a licensed minister, is the retired Director of Christian Education at Trinity UCC, Wooster, Ohio. She is a graduate of Ashland Theological Seminary, with a major in Spiritual Formation and Biblical Studies. Janet has also completed the Group Leaders Program at Shalem Institute of Spiritual Formation in Maryland.