Hello –
The next morning, by 9am, they will take a bus to St. Paul’s where they will be joined by over a dozen local folks and will be greeted by over a dozen of us. All of us will be mixing and mingling in Duncan Hall until, at 9:30 this Friday morning, we all go into the church, receive a beautiful and carefully assembled bag with all the materials needed for the Retreat itself. And then it will begin!
This Retreat has been years in the making. In a way, it is the culmination of our 14 years together. I came to St. Paul’s because I loved you, and part of the reason I loved you is that you had both a vibrant Christian meditation group and a deep commitment to San Quentin’s Death Row. You already had elements of the Inner Pilgrimage of Prayer and the Outer Pilgrimage of Service. I wanted to learn how we might together grow and mature as Christians, specifically through the structured small groups we now call Discipleship Groups.
Finally, we get to both share our experiences of Discipleship Groups and our Seven Core Christian Practices with others AND, at the same time, learn from them. Many of the people coming are already in Discipleship Groups and will have much to teach us too. This weekend is as much about building a national community of support as it is about teaching and learning.
Please email me right now if you want to either participate in the Retreat or volunteer to help. (c.h.mrtn@gmail.com) Even if participating or volunteering doesn’t fit for you, come on Saturday afternoon at 5pm to the church as I offer the debut of my one man, one act play, Pelican. Pelican is an imaginative pilgrimage we take together. It is one hour and is followed by a reception in Duncan Hall.
Please join in this weekend and please pray for our first ever PrayWorshipServe Retreat.