Step into the silence
This past weekend, fourteen women gathered at Cedarbrake Retreat Center in Belton for an Eremos Retreat. Each of us came with all the challenges the world has pressed upon us to experience this place of rest, “no rules,” nutritious, delicious meals created and provided by the group, and nature’s peace and beauty.
We came together as a community of seekers and stepped into the silence to listen for the Voice of God. This weaving together of times of silence, sharing, and laughter offered us space to receive the healing, solace, and connection we sought. As we gathered on Sunday to leave Cedarbrake and return to our busy lives, each one was challenged to develop a “practice” to carry this silence into the everyday. In the same way, you can intentionally set aside time this season for silence and listening. Create a “spiritual practice’ that gives you space to listen.
Julie Bowman captured our experience in a PrayerSong below. The next Eremos retreat at Cedarbrake is scheduled for February 7th-9th, 2020, if you would like to join us.
Cedarbrake PrayerSong
I do not know its name…
But it looks like a stone labyrinth, intertwined with oak and juniper
And like a full moon emerging from glowing night-clouds.
It smells like earth and leaves and grass baking in September heat
And like pecan-roasted coffee and lavender oil.
It sounds like silent prayer at daybreak: crunching gravel beneath a pair of feet, crows and wrens chiming in
And like riotous laughter rising very non-silently from the dining tables.
It tastes like rice and veggies and apple crisp prepared with care
And like dark chocolate wrapped in deep wisdom.
It feels like soft couches and hard chairs drawn in a circle.
It feels like souls easing.
It feels like Mystery.
It feels like Love.
Julie Bowman, September 15, 2019
Photo Courtesy of Julie Bowman
