Retreat for Deepening Spiritual Worship Saturday and Sunday, January 4th and 5th - Led by Christopher Sammond
Enlightenment is an accident. Practice makes us accident prone. ~ Zen Proverb
Worship is at the heart of our practice as Friends. And we mostly leave each other to find our own way in this crucial part of our lives. This need not be the case. While Spirit-filled worship is something we can’t make happen, there are practical skills we can learn which will enhance our ability to enter into deep, transformative worship. This retreat will focus on practices which can make us more ready to receive that blessed gift of powerful worship which can nurture, heal, and transform us and our lives; and draw us closer together as a community.
In our time together we will explore how we prepare for worship, how we center down, how to listen to each other with our whole being- body, mind and spirit, and how we open more to each other and to the Divine during worship. We will also work on accessing the place within us from which discernment arises, and, as time allows, how to practice discerning between vocal ministry and an impetus to speak that comes from ourselves alone. We will use these processes as a group to create a deeper sense of community from which it is easier to access our individual and collective wellsprings of the Source.
Please join Christopher for this special retreat and workshop - a rich opportunity for us to draw closer and more supportive as a community and open more deeply to the Inner Teacher, the Source, the Divine.
Christopher has led workshops and retreats for Friends over many years at the FGC Gathering, Pendle Hill, Earlham School of Religion, Powell House in NY, Woolman Hill and World Quaker gatherings. He has facilitated different versions of this particular topic for monthly, quarterly, and regional meetings over the past fourteen years.
Retreat Registration and Schedule
The retreat will run from 9 – 4:30 on Saturday and from 9 – 1:30 on Sunday. Childcare will be provided. Pay as Led. Suggested donation is $30 per person, $50 per family, but pay whatever you feel you can. You must pre-register by December 15th so that we can plan for the number of folks attending. You may pay when you come or send a check in advance.
Saturday
8:30 Breakfast
9:00 – 12:00 Morning Session
Lunch Provided by Meeting
1:30 – 4:30. Afternoon Session
Sunday
9:00 Breakfast
9:30 – 10:30. Morning Session
11:00 – 12:00. Meeting for Worship
12:00 Potluck Lunch followed by Closing
Registration is due December 15th!
The registration form is available online at http://www.oldchathamquakers.org/uploads/1/3/2/8/1328051/retreat_registration.pdf
You may pay at the door or mail a check to.
OCMM physical address: 539 County Route 13, Old Chatham, NY12136
Call or email us for information, 518-794-0259, [email protected]
Queries for the Opening to the Heart of Worship from Christopher Sammond.
Dear Friends, We will soon be together in the Opening to the Heart of Worship workshop. I am very much looking forward to plunging into ways of accessing deep, nurturing worship with you all. Here are some queries for the next few weeks:
1. What nurtures your spirit? This could be anything from a morning walk to writing a friend to taking time to just sit and breathe, or more formal spiritual practices like prayer, meditation and devotional reading. Don't let expectations of what "should" nurture your spirit color your exploration of what actually does do so. What helps you to feel more alive? What helps you to feel more in your body? What helps you to feel more centered and grounded? What helps to open your heart?
2. Seek to practice this activity at least 20 minutes a day for the days between now and when we meet. If you did not find the time to do this practice, notice, without any judgement, what took priority?
Worship is at the heart of our practice as Friends. And we mostly leave each other to find our own way in this crucial part of our lives. This need not be the case. While Spirit-filled worship is something we can’t make happen, there are practical skills we can learn which will enhance our ability to enter into deep, transformative worship. This retreat will focus on practices which can make us more ready to receive that blessed gift of powerful worship which can nurture, heal, and transform us and our lives; and draw us closer together as a community.
In our time together we will explore how we prepare for worship, how we center down, how to listen to each other with our whole being- body, mind and spirit, and how we open more to each other and to the Divine during worship. We will also work on accessing the place within us from which discernment arises, and, as time allows, how to practice discerning between vocal ministry and an impetus to speak that comes from ourselves alone. We will use these processes as a group to create a deeper sense of community from which it is easier to access our individual and collective wellsprings of the Source.
Please join Christopher for this special retreat and workshop - a rich opportunity for us to draw closer and more supportive as a community and open more deeply to the Inner Teacher, the Source, the Divine.
Christopher has led workshops and retreats for Friends over many years at the FGC Gathering, Pendle Hill, Earlham School of Religion, Powell House in NY, Woolman Hill and World Quaker gatherings. He has facilitated different versions of this particular topic for monthly, quarterly, and regional meetings over the past fourteen years.
Retreat Registration and Schedule
The retreat will run from 9 – 4:30 on Saturday and from 9 – 1:30 on Sunday. Childcare will be provided. Pay as Led. Suggested donation is $30 per person, $50 per family, but pay whatever you feel you can. You must pre-register by December 15th so that we can plan for the number of folks attending. You may pay when you come or send a check in advance.
Saturday
8:30 Breakfast
9:00 – 12:00 Morning Session
Lunch Provided by Meeting
1:30 – 4:30. Afternoon Session
Sunday
9:00 Breakfast
9:30 – 10:30. Morning Session
11:00 – 12:00. Meeting for Worship
12:00 Potluck Lunch followed by Closing
Registration is due December 15th!
The registration form is available online at http://www.oldchathamquakers.org/uploads/1/3/2/8/1328051/retreat_registration.pdf
You may pay at the door or mail a check to.
OCMM physical address: 539 County Route 13, Old Chatham, NY12136
Call or email us for information, 518-794-0259, [email protected]
Queries for the Opening to the Heart of Worship from Christopher Sammond.
Dear Friends, We will soon be together in the Opening to the Heart of Worship workshop. I am very much looking forward to plunging into ways of accessing deep, nurturing worship with you all. Here are some queries for the next few weeks:
1. What nurtures your spirit? This could be anything from a morning walk to writing a friend to taking time to just sit and breathe, or more formal spiritual practices like prayer, meditation and devotional reading. Don't let expectations of what "should" nurture your spirit color your exploration of what actually does do so. What helps you to feel more alive? What helps you to feel more in your body? What helps you to feel more centered and grounded? What helps to open your heart?
2. Seek to practice this activity at least 20 minutes a day for the days between now and when we meet. If you did not find the time to do this practice, notice, without any judgement, what took priority?