Meet me at the beautiful Bon Secours Retreat Center in Marriotsville, Maryland (between Baltimore and Washington DC) the last week of June for an in-person retreat on the English Mystics and the Contemplative Imagination!
Click here to learn more about this retreat and/or to register.
Julian of Norwich proclaimed that “All shall be well.” The Cloud of Unknowing reminded us that love is the key to divine union. Evelyn Underhill insisted that artists are mystics in their own way, for beauty gives us access to the presence of God. These are just a few examples of the wisdom and wit of the English mystics and contemplatives, spiritual teachers whose insight remains surprisingly relevant for seekers today.
This retreat will draw from the poetic words of the English mystics themselves, always with an eye to how their teachings invite us into a deeper and more beautiful encounter with the mystery of God. We will balance consideration of the writings of the mystics with time for prayer, journaling, imaginative meditation, contemplative silence, and personal reflection. It’s been said that “the mystic is not a special kind of person; each person is a special kind of mystic.” With that in mind, we will explore the unique gifts of each mystic we consider, with an eye to how we can discern, claim and celebrate our own unique way of “being a mystic” — our unique way of responding to God’s love in our lives.
This retreat will include a 24-hour period of silence, as well as other shorter stretches of observed silence, including some of the mealtimes. Check-in begins at 4pm and a brief orientation session will be held prior to dinner at 5pm. Dinner will follow at 6pm and the opening session of the retreat begins after dinner. Silence outside of presentation and group sharing times will begin at that time.
Click here to learn more about this retreat and/or to register.
