Resting in God: A Weekend Meditation Retreat

In returning and rest, in quietness and trust,
God draws us to the silent depths of who we are in him
(Isaiah 30:15)

The essence of prayer is radically simple. As prayer deepens, it becomes less and less a matter of what we think about, what we do, and increasingly a matter of simply being, of resting within what God is doing.

But it can be difficult for us to release ourselves into its welcoming simplicity.

With help from the teachings of Julian of Norwich, Martin Laird OSA and others, we will explore the path of interior surrender, of releasing into and resting in God through our deepening stillness and shared silence.

“Prayer is not content to stay up in the branches of our minds with all the other things we think about,” writes Martin Laird, “it works its way down through the branches and trunk, into our roots where it is one with the Ground of all.”

The central focus of this experiential retreat will be silent meditation practice. We will consider such things as the subtle challenges we meet in something so simple as being still, the interior skills that develop as our practice develops, and how silence and self-forgetfulness help us to be places of peace in the world.

Surrendering our resistances, letting go of all that gives rise to the sense of separateness, we come into the open pastures of belonging where we are one with each other and all creation in the oneness of God.

“When it is truly seen,” says Julian, “no person can separate themselves from another.”

The retreat has been carefully crafted to be relevant and accessible to anyone searching for truth and peace, regardless of their faith, beliefs or previous experience of meditation.

A detailed timetable for the retreat will be sent to everyone attending. The retreat starts on Friday at 4:30 pm with an orientation talk, followed by a period of silent meditation before dinner. Short talks across the weekend will be balanced with periods of sitting meditation, walking meditation, time for private reflection and enjoyment of the beautiful grounds. The retreat will finish after lunch and a closing conversation on Sunday.

Early morning practice

Saturday and Sunday begin at 6:30 am with meditation practice. Early morning meditation is a wonderful way to greet the day together. While we very much encourage everyone to attend this session, if this is difficult for you for any reason please don’t worry. It is always enough to do what we can – or what our life allows.

One-to-one spiritual counsel meetings

One-to-one spiritual counsel meetings are offered during the times set aside in the retreat for private practice. These times are not counselling or coaching, but provide a dedicated opportunity for someone to explore a question or two about their meditation practice, or how practice relates to what they have heard during a talk or to daily life. Lasting approximately 15 minutes, meetings are deliberately short to provide focus.

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Being on retreat is a precious opportunity to be still, to be silent, to practice living simply and peacefully and cultivate the gift of loving awareness as we devote ourselves to the depth-dimension of faith and life.

The focus of the retreat is silent meditation practice and we will practice bringing loving awareness to all our daily activities – while sitting, while walking or eating, when we are simply enjoying a glass of water. We will practice living each moment deeply.

The practice of silence will commence when the retreat begins at 16:30 on the Friday and continue until after lunch on the Sunday.

Although the practice of silence may be new to some, most people find this a powerful and wonderful experience. Maintaining a quiet and peaceful environment – walking, moving, and doing things quietly – is important for our practice and a gift we can offer to each other.

The last session of each day will be an opportunity for conversation together, to reflect on the content of the talks and what we have experienced in our meditation throughout the day.

The retreat timetable includes periods of private practice time for sitting and walking meditation. Some people find it helpful to bring a craft activity to accompany times of private sitting meditation. If you decide to do this, the craft should be very simple and not likely to stimulate thoughts. The Desert Fathers and Mothers were famous for weaving baskets!

You may wish to bring warm, comfy clothes and a waterproof jacket/umbrella for walking meditation in the event of inclement weather. A notepad and pen will also be useful.

Below is some feedback from the ‘Resting in God’ retreat from 2024:

• • “There are innumerable things that I valued about this retreat. It was highly organised, yet there was true space for the self to sit, rest and be free, with God. I felt guided and nurtured. I came away with an almost elated sense of peace and joy, knowing that God was with me at all times, and that the journey of my life (which has struggles but also many blessings) would be a continual encounter with God. I feel that, through this retreat experience, I ‘met’ God (who was always there!). I came away feeling ‘in love’, with God, with my life, and with creation. I am so full of gratitude for this moving experience, which will stay with me forever.”

• • “The opportunity to step away from the world for 48 hours, be silent and not think about any of the things which are usually whizzing around my head over and over again was wonderful. I now see that many of these ‘stories’ I repeat over and over are not healthy. I feel I have pressed a reset button and, by the time I left, it completely changed how I felt – a feeling which has continued since. Being given permission to simply sit still and ‘be’ was absolute luxury”.

Rev’d Dr. Rowan Williams says  “The School of Contemplative Life will provide an opportunity for Christians of all traditions to discover new openings for growth in contemplative maturity.”  

Retreat Leader

Chris Whittington is the Founder of The School of Contemplative Life. He was introduced to contemplative practice during several years of formation when he lived at the Benedictine monastery of Prinknash Abbey. Chris’ monastic teachers, including Sylvester Houedard OSB, taught meditation as a universal wisdom found within all the great spiritual traditions, a pathway to peace and solidarity with people of all faiths and none. Following an introduction by the Abbot of the Prinknash community, Chris subsequently studied at the Dalai Lama’s monastery in Dharamshala, India. Chris regularly delivers talks, workshops and retreats and has introduced the practice of meditation in the Christian tradition to thousands of people in the UK and abroad.

For information about the School of Contemplative Life, please visit: www.schoolofcontemplativelife.com OR https://www.youtube.com/@schoolofcontemplativelife 

Retreat price: £350 (standard room) or £380 (character room)
EARLY BIRD RATE: £330 (standard room) or £360 (character room) if booked by 15th November 2024!
Price includes en-suite accommodation, all meals, and all retreat resources. It may be possible for you to extend your stay with us by adding an extra night before or after this retreat. Please contact the Abbey directly if you would like to extend your stay.

Click here to book your place on this retreat now:

For any questions, or queries or if you’d like to know more, please call  01572 717254 or alternatively email us: [email protected]