Day 18 #formationFOUNDATIONS | Retreat

 

Today is the eighteenth day of our #formationFOUNDATIONS series. In case you're new here, you can read more about this series or start from the beginning at SacredOrdinaryDays.com/FF. Our goal for this series is to help you...

  • LEARN about different spiritual practices that you can adopt for your own walk. You will learn how to make the most of your Sacred Ordinary Days planner or the FREE Essentials Workbook you got when you joined our newsletter list, which has all the most essential pages from the planner that we don't want anyone to miss out on.
  • PRACTICE these things on a daily, weekly, seasonally and yearly schedule. You will be able to lay (or bolster up) a strong spiritual formation foundation by clearing the space for your new spiritual practices to deepen.
  • SHARE your experience with people who speak the same language. You'll get to know the other members of our community, who are some of the wisest, most interesting, super fun, and most real people I know by following along on Instagram or Facebook or inside Common House, our ecumenical online community.

Day 18 | Retreat

What does it mean to you to "retreat"? Is it running away from something? Is it about quiet alone or about gathering together with others? 

When and how do you find a retreat that allows you to connect with God and with yourself? What does your soul need? How do you make the time for that care of your soul? How do you place soul care in your budget?

I often want to try and set time aside for retreat on my own, either because it fits my schedule or my budget better, but I have found that joining others on retreat has benefits for several reasons: the accountability of showing up, the food prepared for me, the invitation to participate in or learn something new, and the opportunity to connect with others. While a personal retreat can be really beneficial, so can going on retreat with others, especially as you enter into this practice. 

Even when I take a personal retreat, I have found it really helpful to be intentional about going somewhere that will care for me so that I am free to be with God. For me, it is a retreat center a few hours away from home that provides rooms and meals on a donation basis. Spiritual directors are available if I want to met with one and there is a library if I want to read. Prayer times are available at a local church and I am invited to participate, but not required. 

As you look for retreats that you can participate in or a retreat center you can go for your own time, consider what you are drawn to in your daily practice: is there a spiritual practice that you are curious about and want to learn more? Is there a location, in the city or in the country, that you are drawn to and want to visit? Are you longing for connection with others? Or are you longing for a time of extended silence? 

You might enjoy watching this video I recorded with my friend, colleague, and co-host for season one of the Sacred Ordinary Days podcast. We recorded it on April 4, 2016.

The video is 40 minutes long, about the length of a podcast episode. I recommend you just watch the minutes 24 - 31 or so, where we talk about about the practice of retreat.

  • 24:00 – Why retreat is important (and can be hard!)
  • 27:25 – What we look for and value in a retreat

 

Now it is your turn ...

What is your practice of retreat? How often do you retreat? Do you have a place you like to go or have been wanting to go? What get in the way of you going on retreat? How has going on retreat been beneficial for you? Is there anything you would like to change in your practice of retreat?

Head over to Instagram or Facebook and share your experience with this practice using #formationFOUNDATIONS and tag us @sacredordinarydays, please! Or, join the conversation inside Common House, our ecumenical online community.

Join us this week as we focus on seasonal practices! You can always see the latest blog post in the series at SacredOrdinaryDays.com/FF when it's live. So, check there each day for the latest!

If you'd like to use the planner alongside us, you can order one today or get August for $2. You might even already have a planner, either the new Academic year or the previous Liturgical year. If not, today's the day to order yours since they just started on August 1st!