First ANNUAL Reading Retreat
This weekend, Oct 17-19, was sweet and tender. A dream that started to have some flesh to it. A year ago I had a longing of how to draw in those that are introverted and bit overlooked when so much of ” ministry” or “outreach” is designed for the extroverted, fast paced, louder volumed population. The question was what “Invitation of Presence” could look like.
And so a book club was formed. Ladies who are not yet believers along with those that are, church hurts and pains, church restoration and healing, all stories journeying together but in a spirit of invitation. At this point we are reading historical fiction from different cultures. The dialogues are so rich and insightful!
This weekend was our first Annual Reading Retreat. We all brought a variety of books. And people could do as they like…. Read, walk, gather, be alone. No one needed to say sorry for going off on their own. No apologies for heading off to bed to read those last chapters they were thinking about. No worries for laying in a hammock for hours on end taking up the quiet and beauty of being.
At night we would gather and cook a meal together. Laugh and share about our books. And then as we rolled from fiction stories to our own personal stories, the beauty of deep connection was brought to light.
Both nights all of us shared heavy things from our own lives. Questions were asked, ears listened, truth shared building a bridge of further grace and peace.
This is what I kept praying into… Let us hold space for tender hearts to share and receive.
May each of us be still enough to hear the guiding spirit of our Triune God.
During this weekend deeper safety for tender stories were further cemented. The beauty to not just preach the idea of rest and slowing down but to do it together and grant the permission to be fully present in the here and now. I am touched and in awe of the depth of this very simple weekend has brought. With no big bells and whistles… Just a simple invitation to be.
Peace on Earth as it is in Heaven. I want to taste, and hear, sense a bit of Heaven more and more in my life.
i want to say a special thank you to Long Beach Bethany Church in California. Last year they gave a large donation to help jump start this book club (covering cost of books for those that needed) and due to the donation allowed this weekend to happen. We were able to keep cost low on the ladies that came (asking just enough for “buy-in’“ from them but doable to make sure everyone had access to this opportunity).
Thank you to all of our churches, family members and friends who give sacrificially so that we can create space to share and show the freeing Gospel.
Greg and Jen Weaver