Description
Lent represents a time of searching for God amidst the brokenness and beauty of life, a season of intentional fasting before a time of feasting. We give up something during Lent as a symbolic way to refocus our energy on our relationship with God. We also take on new rituals and habits to live closer into the heart of God.
Lent is a great time for us to refocus on what matters most to us and our intention with this retreat is to help you do just that.
Retreat Description
Retreat Goals
During this retreat, we will learn:
~ to live more closely in the Presence of God
~ to practice the Presence of God in everyday tasks
~ to love more deeply
~ to live and move and have our being in God.
Mondays
You will receive one email during the week.
The email will include three prayers to practice during the week; a Breath Prayer, a Body Prayer and a Daily Awareness Prayer. It will also include links to a 3 min recorded meditation and selected passages from Brother Lawrence’s letters. You may choose to read and meditate on his letters during the week.
Wednesdays
5:30 pm
~ a Contemplative Service on Zoom with Rev. Liam Collins
Facebook group
~ Members-only Facebook group; all retreat members are invited to share and connect. Additional posts, prayers and videos will be shared.
Spiritual Direction
We are offering optional individual spiritual direction during this retreat. Please visit Spritual Direction for more information on Spiritual Direction.
Spiritual direction sessions can be scheduled throughout the year!
Please contact me at hello@bettinaschuller.com with any questions you might have about this retreat. I look forward to hearing from you.
If you would like to purchase my book, ‘This is Living. Practicing the Presence of God.’ please go to Amazon
It is not necessary to fully enjoy the retreat but might be helpful to go deeper in your journey into the Presence of God.
Retreat Details
The following Prayer of Presence is one example of what we will send to you every week. We will send three prayers and you can choose to practice one or all three prayers. Start slowly and add, rather than giving up because you are doing too much. And most of all, have a joyful and open heart practicing these wonderful prayers.
A Breath Prayer
Breathing in God’s Love
Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
—Matthew 22:37-39 (MSG)
Praying the “I love you” prayer has countless blessings. By practicing Jesus’ first and second commandments as quoted above, we learn to love ourselves and others in a new way. Most of us did not experience unconditional love in childhood and it is hard to know what healthy love feels like. How can we love others if we don’t love ourselves?
This prayer will help you feel God’s unconditional love, which accepts you exactly as you are this moment. It is particularly helpful when you feel unloved and are plagued by low self-esteem. Repeating and hearing “I love you” throughout the day will increase your self-esteem and lower the anxiety level in your life. If you experience the world through love, you will discover a world of love. Another way to pray this prayer is to simply hear God say, “I am love,” or say to yourself, “I am love,” in the spirit of knowing that “God is love” (1 John 4:8 NIV). Take a few minutes and think of the people who love you and feel how much you are loved.
God refuses to be known; God can only be loved.—St. John of the Cross (1542-1591)
~ Be aware of your breathing and breathe slowly and gently… God’s love is within you…
~ As you breathe in, hear God say, “I love you… (your name)” and feel God’s love for you…
~ As you breathe out, pray “I love you” to God…
~ Practice this prayer for a few minutes and gently guide yourself back to God’s love when your thoughts stray away to other topics or self-doubt…
~ Continue to pray this prayer during the day, feeling the truth of God’s love for you…
~ Feel God’s unconditional love today, so everyone you meet will be blessed by God’s love through you.
