Model for an Overnight Spiritual Retreat

Spiritual retreats can take on many forms. Participants can be a group from a church, an inter-faith community, friends or a sole individual. What all spiritual retreats have in common, however, are three elements:

A time of silence, a time of solitude and a time of reflection.

Preparing for your retreat is the opposite of preparing to go on vacation: where you make sure that everything is packed, plans are made, and comforts are provided for.

To go on a Spiritual Retreat is to go into the unknown: unarmed and unencumbered.

Bring only what you need and what will enhance your time with God. To retreat is to enter by the "narrow gate" where material and mental burdens are left behind.

"The first requirement for prayer is silence. People of prayer are people of silence." Mother Teresa.

Don't go on your retreat filling your external or your internal world with noise. When we are silent we allow the Spirit to dictate the direction of our thoughts and prayers. When we fill our times with lectures or music or entertainment (all of which in their own context are fine) we set the direction we want the Spirit to lead. Allowing for silence, allows for giving up control and offering it back to God.

Silence is like preparing your house for a guest. Now let the Guest be present among you. Retreats allow for God's presence to be known in the space of time and in the physical space. Holy Space allows for time, so if you must set an agenda create open ended space (and don't worry if someone is late for dinner. They may be with God!)

Holy Space also allows for symbols to remind you of God. A Christ Candle burning, an icon, prayer flags, the wine and bread of the sacraments. These can be constant calls to the retreat participant that God is in this Holy Space.

Lectio Divina is a traditional way of cultivating friendship with Christ. It is a way of listening to the texts of scripture as if we were in conversation with Christ and he was suggesting the topics of conversation.

The Guidelines

1. Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God's presence and action within. Examples: Lord, Jesus, Abba, Father, Mother, Love, Peace, Shalom

2. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God's presence and action within.

3. When you become aware of thoughts, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word.

4. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.

Coming off a Spiritual Retreat is a lot like returning from a long flight. You may experience "jet lag." Try and protect some time at the end of your retreat to slowly re-engage with the priorities of daily life.