How does one learn about silence? By being silent.
How does one hear the voice of God? By listening.
We know that both of these are much easier said than done. So the goal of this retreat will be to help us minimize distractions and noise, so that we might gain a better understanding of how to be silent and how to truly listen for the voice of God.
This retreat will be in silence. That means limited talking, no cell phones and no tv's.
Don't worry you won't be alone though. We will be doing this in community, but more importantly you will be doing this with God.
Union with God in prayer requires us to learn to quiet ourselves--yes, from the noises which surround us, but also from inward noises (restlessness, fears, our agenda's, etc.) It is this stillness and emptiness which allows us to be open to hearing the voice of God.
Retreats are designed to be "springboards" or "catalysts."
By deeply immersing ourselves for a short time within a setting which is away from our everyday tasks and duties, it gives us the opportunity to re-focus and re-prioritize our busy and noisy lives.
This retreat will be no different. You will be immersed in an ancient culture of silence. My prayer is that this experience will be that "jumpstart" that you need to bring the spiritual disciplines of silence, prayer, Scripture reading, meditation, and solitude back into your everyday lives.
Are you looking for a true retreat, a chance to read, pray, rest and enjoy nature? There will be no agendas, no schedules, and no requirements--just being quiet before God and listening for His voice.
If this is what you are looking for then,
REGISTER HERE
Unfortunately, we only have 41 spots, so "first come first serve."
The cost for the retreat is $60. This can be paid in two installments of $30 each, one paid at registration and the other paid by March 14. This cost covers your transportation as well as a donation to Gethsemani for room and board. If you feel led to donate any additional money to Gethsemani, there is an opportunity to do that at checkout, this retreat center functions solely on the generosity of its guests.
There will be a MANDATORY pre-retreat session (Sunday, March 30 at 1 PM in the President's Dinning Room) that will give you all the specific details as well as give you tools and resources to help you make the most of this experience.
Schedule
April 4
2pm Load up at TNU (Jernigan Student Center)
2:30pm Pray & Leave TNU
5pm Check-in at Gethsemani
Silence begins
6pm Dinner (Silence in Community)
6:30pm Orientation (Lead by Bro. Christian)
Silence...
April 5
Silence...
7am Breakfast (Silence in Community)
8:30am Session on Monastic Life (Lead by Bro. Christian)
12:30pm Lunch (Silence in Community)
6:00pm Dinner (Silence in Community)
April 6
7:15am Breakfast (Silence in Community)
12:30pm Lunch (Silence in Community)
Silence ends
1pm Debriefing (Lead by Brent Tallman)
3pm Leave Gethsemani
6pm Arrive back at TNU
The monks would like to encourage you to participate with them in the hours of prayer (these are not mandatory.) Should you choose to participate in the services, then a guidebook will be provided to help you follow along with the chants and readings.
These services are offered at the following times:
3:15am
5:45am (6:45 Sunday)
6:15am (10:20 Sunday)
7:30am
12:15pm
2:15pm
5:30pm
7:30pm
