For the summer term Open Spirit has been working with Cynthia Bourgeault’s book ‘The Wisdom Way of Knowing… Reclaiming an Ancient Tradition to awaken the Heart’. In our meditation sessions on alternate Monday afternoons, we have reflected on each of the chapters and taken time to practise the spiritual exercises given, including centering prayer, Lectio Divina and sacred chanting.
We held our second day retreat at the Vicarage on a lovely sunny May day (and looking back from a soggy summer that was a delight in itself!). “The Wisdom Way” retreat day was a “taster” for the wisdom “tools” that Cynthia Bourgeault offered in her book. Drawing on her wisdom teaching of “three centred knowing” (head, body and heart) we started with some time of group reflection on one of the chapters in the book (intellectual centre), leading on to a session of body meditation in the garden (moving centre) and then a time of silent personal reflection (emotional centre).
Delicious home made nettle soup and scones on a beautiful hand made plate donated by Open Spirit, Claire
We then carried on the silent time whilst we prepared lunch silently together (drawing on the monastic tradition of prayer and work). It was a real pleasure to experience this shared silent work… and to tuck into the delicious nettle soup and scones that resulted from it!
After lunch Abigail led us into a very profound experience of sacred chanting using a Taize chant, after which we moved into a gentle and quiet closing ceremony. It was a day full of rich practice to help us deepen our spiritual path.
“It was very special to feel the synthesis of wildness, wilderness and the interior journeying into silence which is so much at the heart of what calls me to the christian story. It touched me to feel the gentleness and warmth and nourishment in the structure and content of the day. I thank you both for daring to bring all these elements together….It was a joy to feel the freedom and unfurling of spirit with us all at the lakeside”. (Abigail)
Open Spirit’s first retreat day was held at Debbie’s house deep in the Devon countryside. It was a fabulous day of poignant sharing, vibrant discussion, descending deeply through meditation into an extended period of silence. There were 10 of us including 3 canines, who weaved in and out, providing inspiration for at least one of us in her final sharing.
In our Open Spirit meditation sessions we’ve been studying Rowan William’s book “Silence and Honey Cakes”, which draws on the desert Mothers and Fathers, Ammas and Abbas, a short but wonderful distillation of four themes central to living the contemplative life: community, personhood, fleeing and staying. Through a spontaneous dialogue, aided by some notes, we dug into these themes together in our first session. Jeanne asked us all to speak about what community meant to each of us, Debbie and Sam dialogued about personhood: the difference between individualism and vocation, and we all shared in the challenge of “staying with” whatever life is presenting to us at this point in time.
Sam then led us in a guided meditation into the desert to engage with our inner source of Wisdom. Meditation enables us to “drop down” into a place of quiet and rest and from that place we each silently explored the themes that had emerged, through painting, writing, praying, and just being. After a silent lunch some stayed in the house to continue their explorations, and some of us went on a meditation walk to a hidden lake, deep in the woods nearby.
Silence was broken somewhat prematurely by our shouts of laughter and shock, as Abigail stripped off to swim in the lake, followed by Debbie and Sam, bravely but briefly. Yes it was cold!
Back at the house, with tea and cake, we gathered together for our final sharing and ritual. Sam instructed us in the art of lighting a floating candle (easier when you know how!), and as we each shared what insights the day had given us a lovely glow of purple candles floating in a pool of water marked the end of our time together. A very wondrous day, which we plan to repeat 3 more times this year (see website for details).
