Seasonal Sabbath Retreat Days
Seasonal Sabbath Retreat Days – Self-Guided on Your Own Time Schedule
Do You Want:
• A day to de-stress?
• A time to reconnect with God?
• A day to recharge your energy?
Seasonal Sabbath Retreat Days are planned for approximately 6 hours of retreat
WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE
- A narrated PowerPoint by Brenda Buckwell to guide you through 4 seasonal prayer experiences for a total of a 6 hour retreat including instruction and private at your own pace practice time of prayer.
- 2 of the prayer experiences are designed for outdoor exploration.
- A Journal guide to assist in praying with the scripture.
- A retreat you can visit throughout seasonal months with Examen opportunities for discerning how God is leading you through this fruit bearing season.
PHOTO PRAYER PILGRIMAGE
A photo pilgrimage is a prayerful walk during which you take pictures. Instruction for your guided photo pilgrimage will be on the PowerPoint package sent to participants each quarter. And in fact, if you are unable to walk, hike, stroll or roll through your neighborhood, a nature area or any geographic setting that catches your heart’s attention, then you can prayerfully gather seasonal pictures from the Internet for your photo pilgrimage.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
- A way of taking photographs either digitally or with an instamatic developing camera
- A reliable internet connection
- A note book or journal
- Pen and or color pencils
- A computer with capability to view Microsoft PowerPoint
Materials are emailed directly to your inbox.
Register by following the simple instructions at the bottom of this page.
This year’s Seasonal Sabbath Retreat Days follow the theme of calendar seasons. Each season, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring brings unique insights and invitations for the spiritual journey. Even in climates where there is very little seasonal change in temperature, the trained eye can notice little nuances suggesting the slightest interior movement of God’s divine creating. Each season you are invited explore the interior landscape of your heart while experiencing the beauty and joy of the season through a photo pilgrimage prayer walk. In addition to the photo pilgrimage, each Seasonal Sabbath Retreat will have three additional guided prayer practices.
FALL – Rhythm of Life
As the seasons change and the barrenness of life emerges with the fall foliage falling from the trees, plants and shrub; you are invited to contemplate how the seasons are shifting within your life. What view of this fall season do you resonate with: the brilliant colors of the fall leaves? The softly, tenderly floating leaves to the ground while leave taking from all that gave them life before? Possibly the naked branches reaching upward to the sky offering praise or living a hidden life. Or maybe for you it is a yet to be named image. However you come to this season of transition, you will have the gift of God’s holy surprises as they explore shifting areas of life. In addition to the quarterly photo pilgrimage, you are invited to enter into a rhythm of life by practicing two Ignatian and one Benedictine spiritual disciplines during this Seasonal Sabbath retreat Day: Lectio Divina, Imaginative prayer, Examen
WINTER – Standing at the Threshold
I was struck when I first read this phrase “Standing at the Threshold” and the image of standing at the doorway way awakened something deep within me. I am indebted to Christine Valtners Paintner (Abbey of the Arts) for this phrase.
New Years is a threshold moment for me. In the bleak of winter, in the northern hemisphere, when the daylight hours are much less than the hours of darkness on the clock – I find myself looking backward and forward. Richard Rohr, a Franciscan monk spoke one time of mid-life spirituality that being like on the threshold between two rooms of a house – one foot just leaving a place and the other foot just entering a new space.
Mid-winter is the threshold moment of this year’s Sabbath Seasonal Retreats. Join me for this time of Sabbath as we explore leave taking and entering new possibility. In addition to the prayer-filled photo pilgrimage we will look at encouragements, restraints, opportunities and threats which impact our next steps on the spiritual journey.
SPRING – Unleashing the Creativity & Power
The Day of Pentecost in the Christian tradition of faith celebrates the Holy Spirit of God rushing into humanity on the breath of God which has forever empowered people with the gifts of the Spirit. This Sabbath Day of spiritual refreshment is filled with prayerful pauses woven through narrated instructive power points, which guide you into a power- filled creative experience of the Holy Spirit and discernment of your unique gifts of God’s spirit.
SUMMER – Fertile Soil
With gardens springing up and the beauty of flowers dotting the landscape, this Sabbath Retreat Day gives retreatants a balanced rhythm of instruction, contemplation and creativity. Together we will wonder how being deeply rooted and grounded (Ephesians) in the heart of God as you journey throughout your daily activities brings stability to all facets of life. In addition to your photo pilgrimage, you will have opportunity to create a mandala, enter into the stillness of God and give expression to your hearing of God’s still small voice in the midst of daily life.
REGISTRATION & COSTS
PRICING
Each retreat is $49.00
Or if all four retreats are purchased at once there is a special price: BEST DEAL to purchase all four retreats now for $150.00
TO REGISTER
Click the button below to register online for Seasonal Sabbath Retreat Days. Upon receipt of your request, you will receive an email with complete registration information within 24 hours.