I'm thinking about going on a guided retreat...

[Glass*Soul]

Here: http://www.thedome.org/SeekGodWithUs/sm/programs.html

This is the one I'm thinking about going to:

Directed Retreat
September 7-14, 2007
6:30 p.m. Friday to 1 p.m. the following Friday (Program held at Kordes Center) Reflect upon God’s presence in your life. Opportunities for daily conferences with a director. Body prayer and meditation experiences will be available during this silent retreat. A team of trained spiritual directors will help to guide your spiritual journey this week.
Cost: $485

I'm mulling it over. I haven't been to a retreat since I stopped believing in God. These sisters are very open and loving, but still...I'm not sure how they would feel about working with someone who wasn't allowing for the supernatural.

I have no idea what they mean by "body prayer."

I wouldn't mind someone savvy helping me sort things through at this point. Plus a whole week of someone else cooking for me and no interweb....

What do you guys think?

 

[Abiel]

I guess they wouldn't even be slightly phased by the idea of you not being open to the supernatural. I should think they would understand that to be God's job in your life, not theirs.

 

[Catherineanne]

Here: http://www.thedome.org/SeekGodWithUs/sm/programs.html

This is the one I'm thinking about going to:

Directed Retreat
September 7-14, 2007
6:30 p.m. Friday to 1 p.m. the following Friday (Program held at Kordes Center) Reflect upon God’s presence in your life. Opportunities for daily conferences with a director. Body prayer and meditation experiences will be available during this silent retreat. A team of trained spiritual directors will help to guide your spiritual journey this week.
Cost: $485

I'm mulling it over. I haven't been to a retreat since I stopped believing in God. These sisters are very open and loving, but still...I'm not sure how they would feel about working with someone who wasn't allowing for the supernatural.

I have no idea what they mean by "body prayer."

I wouldn't mind someone savvy helping me sort things through at this point. Plus a whole week of someone else cooking for me and no interweb....

What do you guys think?

I don't know who these people are, so I can't comment on your choice. Some of it sounds positively scarey to me; I also have no idea what body prayer is when it is at home.

I would say a retreat is an essential part of any Christian life, and is a great blessing. But be careful of where you go, and if possible ask a minister to recommend somewhere, or go with a church group. I have no idea of the cost of retreats these days, as it is some time since I made one, but in my experience the cost was always left to the person visiting, rather than set in advance.

 

[Glass*Soul]

I don't know who these people are, so I can't comment on your choice. Some of it sounds positively scarey to me; I also have no idea what body prayer is when it is at home.

I would say a retreat is an essential part of any Christian life, and is a great blessing. But be careful of where you go, and if possible ask a minister to recommend somewhere, or go with a church group. I have no idea of the cost of retreats these days, as it is some time since I made one, but in my experience the cost was always left to the person visiting, rather than set in advance.

Thanks for the words of warning. I think if you click on the "about us" icon at the top of the page you'll be somewhat reassured. The retreat center is on the grounds of the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception and is run entirely by Benedictine sisters. I've been there many times, both with my old church group and by myself. I would actually be more likely to ask one of the sister to refer me to a minister than the other way around.

I don't know their current prioress, but the sister that preceded her is someone I respect very much.

Whatever "body prayer" is, I'm sure it's nothing creepy. I've never run into anything remotely creepy there. My main concern is that I not create a problem by not being able to participate in some forms of corporate prayer. If it's centered prayed, I'm good to go with that.

I just need to get up my courage and call them and talk over my concerns before I sign up. The deposit is non-refundable.

 

[Izdaari Eristikon]

I don't know how much benefit it would be, but I would say hanging out with Benedictine nuns should be safe enough.

 

[Protinus]

Thanks for the words of warning. I think if you click on the "about us" icon at the top of the page you'll be somewhat reassured. The retreat center is on the grounds of the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception and is run entirely by Benedictine sisters. I've been there many times, both with my old church group and by myself. I would actually be more likely to ask one of the sister to refer me to a minister than the other way around.

I don't know their current prioress, but the sister that preceded her is someone I respect very much.

Whatever "body prayer" is, I'm sure it's nothing creepy. I've never run into anything remotely creepy there. My main concern is that I not create a problem by not being able to participate in some forms of corporate prayer. If it's centered prayed, I'm good to go with that.

I just need to get up my courage and call them and talk over my concerns before I sign up. The deposit is non-refundable.

I think that it would be amazingly uplifting!! I'm so glad that you shared this with us. Can you report back what you encountered and what you derived?? Bless you G*S.

 

[brel]

Whatever "body prayer" is, I'm sure it's nothing creepy. I've never run into anything remotely creepy there.

It might be derived from hesychasm: focusing on the heart and breathing. And it probably involves getting into the feel of specific postures, like standing, kneeling, bowing. Just a guess.

 

[Catherineanne]

Thanks for the words of warning. I think if you click on the "about us" icon at the top of the page you'll be somewhat reassured. The retreat center is on the grounds of the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception and is run entirely by Benedictine sisters.

Benedictines are certainly safe. I have been on retreat with Benedictine sisters myself, several times.

My main concern is that I not create a problem by not being able to participate in some forms of corporate prayer. If it's centered prayed, I'm good to go with that.

I just need to get up my courage and call them and talk over my concerns before I sign up. The deposit is non-refundable.

From my experience, Benedictines accept people for who they are, and do not expect more from them than they can offer. I really encourage you to phone them, and I wish you all the best on your retreat.

 

[tashiseisei]

Probably this.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...002-7384678-7763229?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Christian mudras, or yoga, sounds like.

 

[Glass*Soul]

I think that it would be amazingly uplifting!! I'm so glad that you shared this with us. Can you report back what you encountered and what you derived?? Bless you G*S.

Thread necromancy! WoooooOOOooOOOoooo.

I wanted you all to know that I did go on the retreat in question.

The mysterious body prayer turned out to Tai Chi combined with centered prayer.

My spiritual director was Sr. Antoinette Purcell. I liked her very much. She was warm and direct. I think she was somewhat nonplussed that a non-theist would come to a religious retreat at a monastery, but she waded in willingly enough and worked with me.

On my first afternoon there, I had a close encounter with a great horned owl by the lake. The silly thing flew up into a tree and perched hanging upside down until a pair of crows bothered it. What enormous, solemn orange eyes. Being stared at by it was much like being stared at by a large cat. I went back at dusk to see if I might observe it on the wing. All I found was a diamond-backed water snake swimming.

Sr. Antoinette asked me if I thought the owl might be God talking to me. I answered her that I thought the owl was an owl, and the snake was a snake, and the wind was the wind, but that I was willing to take a lesson from the owl and seek a new perspective. Sort of like the hanged man in the Tarot...

And I think I did. I did quite a bit of reading that week. In particular I studied the book of Matthew and the Tao ti Ching side by side. I did four chapters of Matthew and twelve stanzas of the Tao ti Ching each day and found Jesus and Lao-tzu to be like wise old friends telling the same story. There were parts I might have sworn the two of them were accustomed to reciting together.

 

[Izdaari Eristikon]

And I think I did. I did quite a bit of reading that week. In particular I studied the book of Matthew and the Tao ti Ching side by side. I did four chapters of Matthew and twelve stanzas of the Tao ti Ching each day and found Jesus and Lao-tzu to be like wise old friends telling the same story. There were parts I might have sworn the two of them were accustomed to reciting together.

Mmmhmmm. I had a coffee table edition of the Tao Te Ching that I loved. Maybe I can find another copy somewhere. There's a lot that Lao Tzu and Jesus would agree on.