the leaves believe such letting go is love
such love is faith, such faith is grace, such grace is god
i agree with the leaves
~Lucille Clifton
This autumn, Julie Johnson and Alan Claassen invite you to help create a Circle of Trust® where we can harvest the wisdom received in the challenges and gifts of the past nine months. Using metaphors from nature and the garden we will have a slow time to listen to the land, our inner teacher, and one another. We will create a safe space to consider what we want to harvest, what we need to compost, and what we hope to remember for next year. We welcome anyone seeking a time of reflection, renewal, and good company to this retreat that will be guided by the principles and practices of the Center for Courage & Renewal®.
Please know that we move at the pace of invitation, and provide lots of time for silence and for reflecting on poetry, music, art and the beautiful forest, water and mountains that will surround us. There will be a Clearness Committee offered at this retreat.
Based on the work of author and spiritual elder Parker J. Palmer, this retreat will provide opportunities to:
- Discover a place of solitude in community where you can seek renewal and clarity of purpose.
- Reflect on who you are, and on the invitation to connect who you are with what you do.
- Learn healthy ways to embrace paradox and hold tension in life-giving ways.
- Be within a community of mutual respect and caring that welcomes the soul.
You can find more information about the Center for Courage & Renewal® at www.couragerenewal.org.
What to Expect: In the retreat, skilled facilitators help to create a quiet, focused, and disciplined space – a Circle of Trust®– in which the noise within us and around us can subside and we can begin to hear our own inner voice. Our group of 15-20 will explore the places in which we feel near to home and far from home using large group, small group, and solitary settings. We will make use of stories from our own journeys, as well as insights from poets, storytellers, musicians and various wisdom traditions.
The Center for Courage & Renewal and its facilitators do not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, height, weight, physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations, and marital status.
