Advent Quiet Day

Friday, December 3, 2021

One of the great practices of transformation into new life is that of Holy Waiting. The season of Advent invites us to practice this art, awakening our deep anticipation and longing for a new Christ life to form within us, among us, and between us.

Now, more than ever, we are eager for this new life. Now, more than ever, we are hungry for new ways of being and doing. Now, more than ever, our impatience for new life grows.

So the questions rise, How are we to wait?

Must we wait alone? How can we stay nourished while we wait? How might we stay connected to Source? How do we access the resources we most need? How might we become channels of resource for others? What may we need to surrender in our waiting?

Can we locate the Sacred Instinct which guides each of us in this waiting?

Soul friends, as author Gayle Boss so keenly reminds us, All Creation Waits. And each member does so uniquely, guided by their own sacred instinct. For example, Red Fox stays nourished by allowing her shadow to guide her to true North. If you can't seem to escape your shadow, perhaps Red Fox might offer a new way of relating to it?

Northern Loon, following a lengthy season of rigorous performance, enters the long wait by grounding into a gentler, more restful stage of life without the responsibilities of children; due to a loss of feathers she couldn't fly even if she wanted. Empty-nesters, what gift might Northern Loon have for you?

Muskrat's waiting season is active, calling him to dive down again and again into the depths, while regularly retreating to breathe in spaces designed for just that. Perhaps his instinctual wisdom will guide your own.

How might your sacred instincts be guiding you to wait this season?

No matter our age, stage, or type, Advent invites each of us to a Holy Waiting. This Advent Quiet Day is a container of sacred time, space, and accompaniment in which we might discern what Holy Waiting means for each of us this year.

With Red Fox, Northern Loon, Muskrat —and many, many others— available as guides, you're invited to experience solitude in community, creative expression, one-to-one spiritual direction, hiking in forest or lakeshore, and— back by popular demand— a sound bath. As always, a nutritious lunch will be provided.

THE DETAILS:

WHEN: Friday, December 3. 9am-5pm

WHERE: Camp Blodgett, West Olive, Michigan. Located just 45 minutes from Grand Rapids, and nestled in the dunes of Lake Michigan, Camp Blodgett offers ample space for us to gather in community while also maintaining compliance with COVID recommendations. Enjoy the lakefront from inside the retreat space or venture out to the shore or adjacent nature preserve.

INCLUDES: Opening and Closing Circles. Invitations to experience: a healing sound bath; opportunities for creative exploration —natural object mandalas, collage, and painting, to name a few; private spaces for rest, contemplation and solitude; a nutritious lunch; 1:1 spiritual direction; hiking trails; and lectio-style reading from Gayle Boss' All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings.

COST: $125 or $140, with signed copy of All Creation Waits

FACILITATORS and SPECIAL GUEST:

Lorilyn Wiering is a certified spiritual director, Enneagram coach and teacher under the direction of Bea Chestnut and Uranio Paes, retreat leader, and founder of Soulcare Sanctuaries. She comes alive in the presence of Life's growth and transformation and delights in supporting individuals who are seeking to meet all of Life with all of who they are, integrating and balancing the wisdom of head, heart, and sacred instinct.

Rachelle Oppenhuizen is an expressive artist and Spiritual Director whose spiritual and creative passion is informed by a deep appreciation for the healing and wholeness available through encounters with Creative Spirit.

Jenn Gietzen is a certified sound therapist, Jenn uses sound and vibration to promote deep relaxation and meditation. Her use of instruments such as gong, drum, shakers, chimes, singing bowls and voice guide participants into a deeply calming and immersive experience.