Silent Retreat

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

Silent Retreat│ November 9

  • When and Where

    Come join us for a Silent Meditation Retreat right here at home. On Saturday, November 9 join Father Hendree and the Rev. Tom Ward in the worship space for a day of contemplative teaching and silence. The retreat will unfold in four movements.

    Scroll further to read more about Rev. Tom Ward.

  • Schedule Overview

    The day will begin at 8:30 a.m. with a brief welcome, introductions, and notes on the structure of the retreat.  We will then enter into silence which will be maintained all day long.  The teachers will speak when offering their teaching at appointed conference times, beyond that all will remain in silence throughout the day.  Lunch will be provided in the undercroft.  The retreatants will maintain silence during lunch while a contemplative text is read and a brief lesson on the text is offered.  This is in keeping with the monastic tradition of the reading of sacred texts during meals.

    The retreat is in four movements.  Morning, lunch time, afternoon, and late afternoon.  You may come to one, two, three or all four of the movements.

    Keep scrolling for more information.

  • Why Participate?

    This is a great retreat opportunity for people who have never experienced a silent retreat to do so without leaving town.  It is also a wonderful chance for people who have a meditation practice to get a retreat experience right here at home in the midst of the busyness of life. 

    Please note that although Centering Prayer is the practice method used by many of us at Good Shepherd, it is not a retreat requirement. Should you like to learn the method, it may be learned in a group setting at the start of our regularly scheduled Centering Prayer offering at 5pm on Mondays in the worship space. Should that time not work for your schedule, Good Shepherd parishioner, Woody Snowden, would be happy to schedule a mutually convenient time to introduce the practice to you.

Retreat Schedule

Note: The retreat is in four movements.  Morning, lunch time, afternoon, and late afternoon.  You may come to one, two, three or all four of the movements. Meditation sits take place in the worship space and each sit is followed by a meditative walk.

  • 8:30

    Welcome/Introductions to each other and the day

    9:00

    Talk 1

    Silence Begins

    9:30

    Meditation Sits (2)

    10:15-10:30

    Break (Participants may enter)

  • 10:30

    Talk 2

    11:00

    Meditation Sits (2)

    11:45-12:30

    Silent Lunch (with a reading from ‘Open Mind Open Heart’)

    12:30-1:00

    Break (Participants may enter)

    Grand Silence Begins

  • 1:00

    Talk 3

    1:30

    Meditation Sits (3)

    2:45-3:00

    Break (Participants may enter)

  • 3:00

    Talk 4 

    3:30-4:15

    Meditation Sits (2)

    Silence Ends

    4:15

    Final Talk

    4:45

    Go in Peace to love and serve the Lord!

About the Reverend Tom Ward

The Reverend Tom Ward has been an Episcopal priest for over forty years, serving parishes in Mississippi and Tennessee; from 1994 through 2005, he was University Chaplain at Sewanee, the University of the South (the one university owned and operated by the Episcopal Church in this country). Tom now focuses on the contemplative dimension of the gospel, teaching centering prayer and leading retreats.  He has a special interest in fostering this practice in local congregations.  For more than twenty-five years Tom worked closely with Thomas Keating and Contemplative Outreach Ltd, a network which seeks to foster contemplation.

Invitation Video

Father Hendree’s Videos