Parish Retreat, Old Alresford Place, Hampshire, 10th – 12th October 2008
Sixteen members of St. Thomas’s appreciated a weekend retreat led by Reverend David Linaker in the attractive house and grounds of the old rectory, now newly refurbished and run by the Diocese of Winchester. The main focus was the Rule of St. Benedict with acts of worship interspersed with study and discussion.
Personal time allowed people to choose whether to remain alone or in company, to remain inside or to wander afield. The glorious, golden weather certainly encouraged strolling in the garden or past the watercress beds into the delightful village of New Alresford.
The following comments from some of those who took part give insights into a special and rewarding experience:
The study sessions led by David on the history and present-day application of the Rule were informative and deceptively light-hearted - packing real challenge. Of special value to me was the way in which the days were carefully structured around the high points of morning and evening Offices and the Eucharist celebrations, these being counterbalanced by the personal times of reading, listening, seeing, strolling or just "standing and staring".
For me it was especially good as I arrived knowing a few faces and fewer names, and left knowing everyone's name, and having had a good conversation with many of the people. It is hard to get beyond niceties on Sundays, so it was really good to feel that I got beyond that and began to get to know a good handful of people in the St. Thomas's community.
It was good to join together in fellowship, worship, prayer, study, recreation, laughter, to share joys and sorrows. Picking up on one of the scripture readings during our times of worship, of the Emmaus journey of the disciples, it was good to travel together along for a short time on our own Emmaus journey talking, listening and supporting one another.
Listening to God and one another increased the sense of community even more than the enjoyment of those memorable meals. We experienced St. Benedict’s Rule in the most loving, gentle way and found we had ‘Life most abundantly’.
I know that everyone found it both stimulating and restful which sounds a contradiction but it really was!
John Cox
Link to Church Activities 2008
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