The Wisdom of Aging
Living with Curiosity
Saturday, July 9 2022, 1:00 to 2:30pm with Linda Mastro and Meg Gallagher
Join us at the Retreat House at Hillsboro for a lighthearted forum for women and men to discuss the interesting, and often surprising, experience of aging. At this gathering we'll consider the mysteries and goodness of what we don't know and how this can lead us to new and interesting places. Be prepared to do a little listening, thinking, sharing, and--above all--laughing!
Suggested donation: $20
Register online to reserve your space or email info@retreathousehillsboro.org.
Save the dates for upcoming Wisdom of Aging gatherings:
- Saturday, August 13, 2022 - 1:00-2:30 pm: Topic to be announced.
- Tuesday, September 27, 2022 - 2:00-4:00 pm: Topic to be announced.
Penning Your Prayers
Journaling as a Spiritual Practice
Dates to be announced!
Hosted by the Retreat House at Hillsboro
This Wisdom Circle will meet via Zoom
Many people want to enrich their spiritual lives by learning new prayer practices. In this Wisdom Circle,
we will explore how putting pen to paper can be a form of prayer. When we share our hopes, ideas, or uncertainties with God in writing, we may relate to God in a different way.
Whispers of divine guidance take on substance when they show up on the page, revealing clues to our deeper thoughts and feelings about God, about life, and about ourselves. During this Wisdom Circle, we will play with penning our prayers. Using tools like writing prompts and thought-provoking questions, we will let our minds wander back and forth in time. The companionship of the group will help us discover new insights as we practice together.
Each week, we will pray through simple writing exercises that spark opportunities for reflection and
conversation. During the week, you will receive writing prompts to create prayerful awareness and to help
you develop a new perspective about journaling and praying.
This Wisdom Circle is inspired by Journaling as a Spiritual Practice: Encountering God through Attentive Writing by Helen Cepero. Having a copy of this book is helpful but not required. The only requirements are paper, pen and an open mind.
Prayerful Listening for Spiritual Guidance
A learning experience hosted by the Retreat House at Hillsboro
Facilitated by Linda Mastro
Dates for the next session to be announced
“… the Spirit of Truth is at work in the depths of our hearts – helping, searching, knowing, and interceding. (Prayerful listening) is an invitation to bend a prayerful, listening ear toward that Spirit who is with us always.” – Lois A. Lindbloom in “Prayerful Listening: Cultivating Discernment in Community”
The practice of spiritual guidance has many names: spiritual direction, prayerful listening, sacred listening, or spiritual companionship. In this Wisdom Circle we will learn how to seek and accept spiritual guidance by combining silence, prayerful listening and open-hearted response.
In social conversation, the usual pattern is a give-and-take of ideas and perspectives. In a prayerful listening group, there is an ebb and flow of words and silence. It is within the silence that the Holy Spirit whispers, inspiring us to respond for the sake of the one who has spoken.
During our sessions, we will practice the three essential parts of prayerful listening that take place when a group gathers for spiritual guidance:
- Pray silently, and listen for how God speaks to us.
- Listen attentively as others seek discernment for a specific situation.
- Pray on behalf of another and respond prayerfully to that person.
In the last session we will bring together all three practices for the full experience of a prayerful listening group. We ask that you attend all four sessions. Come on your own, bring a partner, or join with a few friends. People of all faith traditions and spiritual experiences are welcome.
