2023 Living Retreat

A Living Retreat

In simple terms, a retreat is a few days spent away from our normal life for the purpose of connecting with God.

Spiritual retreats often center on a specific theme that reinforces our values, principles, and scriptural understanding. Retreats may be individual or as a group. We usually think of them being held at retreat centers that offer accommodations, meals, activities, meeting rooms, chapel space and so on.

While such retreats are wonderful, the problem can be finding the time to get away from our regular routines and the other resources needed to separate ourselves from the demands of life.  An alternative to going away for a retreat is to live a retreat.

In a Living Retreat, we make a covenant to set apart time during each day to intentionally be with God through specific ancient practices.

List of Practices

In a Living Retreat, we make a covenant to set apart time during each day to intentionally be with God through specific ancient practices.

Here is a list of practices with a brief description of each one. You may choose from this list to craft your own retreat.

  • Daily Prayer. We will covenant to pray Psalms and the Lord’s Prayer every day.

  • Weekly Worship. We will covenant to attend Sunday Worship every week.

  • Holy Meal. We will covenant to participate in Communion each week.

  • Additional study. We will covenant to participate in additional study.

  • Pilgrimage. We will covenant to make an intentional trip to a Holy site.

  • Fasting. We will covenant to refrain from food or drink one day a week in response to the needs of our community.

  • Sabbath. We will covenant to take 24 hour periods refraining from work and refraining from requiring others to work for us.

  • Tithing. We will covenant to extra giving in response to the needs of our community and world,

    Although not required, please consider journaling throughout your living retreat to enhance your experience.

 

Daily Psalms for an Advent & Christmas Living Retreat

November        Psalm Verses December Psalm Verses

26th                   119:169-174      14th 73:14-18

27th                   125 15th 78:40-43

28th                   136:1-3, 7-9 16th 82:1-5

29th                   139:10-16 17th 89:14-18

30th                   147:1-5 18th 96:9-13

December         Psalm Verses 19th 101:1-4

1st                      8:4-7 20th 104:32-37

2nd                     12:1-5 21st 106:1-5

3rd                     18:3-7 22nd 109:2-25

4th                     22:22-25 23rd 115:9-13

5th                     27:1-4 24th 118:19-24

6th                     33:18-21 25th 119:89-93

7th                      37:1-4 26th 119:164-68

8th                     41:1-3, 13 27th 128

9th                     48:2-7 28th 136:1-3, 23-25

10th                   54:1-6 29th 143:7-11

11th                    59:1-5 30th 147:1-5

12th                   65:5-8 31st 150

13th                   69:6-7, 14-15