It is no small thing to trust in the movement of the Living Spirit.

Tilden Edwards

I have held that wisdom close for a decade now as I wrestle with the pressures of daily life as a parish priest. Given the anxieties and fear we face in our culture—and in the perceived decline of the traditional congregation—our impulse may be to overly rely on a program maintenance model.

Might there be another way: to cultivate a deeper awareness of the indwelling presence of God so that our hearts are transformed to embody compassion in the world? Traditional parishes are being invited to ground themselves in this indwelling presence as spiritual communities who live out of an awareness of our oneness with God and each other.

Our whole business in this life is to restore to health the eye of the heart whereby God may be seen.

St. Augustine

This special retreat at Mepkin Abbey, outside Charleston, South Carolina, will focus on the current context of parish ministry–both the challenges and opportunities–as we wonder together how a deeper practice of prayer and discernment can nurture an awareness of the Spirit’s presence in our lives.

The event is open to anyone wishing to explore parish ministry and contemplative prayer.

To learn more about the retreat, and to register, here is a helpful link to Mepkin Abbey’s website.