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Silent retreat ideas

A personal reflection on taking an annual silent retreat with God.

Christians throughout history have spent time in silence with God. Every year for the past five years, my friend Nicole and I have a tradition of going to a retreat center for a weekend. It is a semi-silence and solitude retreat, which means we are alone and in total silence for all of the retreat except for two meals when we process our experience. Throughout the years silent retreats have been great spiritual resources for me. There are a variety of options for a fruitful silent retreat. Here is just one set of ideas based on my experiences.

What I do.

• First we pick a date, which takes a bit since Nicole and I have to coordinate our busy schedules.
• Second we pick a place.
• Third we each pick our books for ourselves, and one to share.
  

Where to go.

We usually go to a nearby Catholic retreat center because we like the simplicity (almost austerity) of its rooms. It has a bed, desk, dresser, bathroom and a cross, and every thing is stone, stone floor, stone bathroom shower, some stone walls. It also has a lake we can walk around while we think and pray. The simplicity of the setting helps me so I am less distracted. There is no mess to pick up, no tv to watch, no dishes or chores to do, and no internet to distract me.

I like to look for a place that is simple because the less distraction from myself and God the better. Some ideas for this that I've tried and enjoyed are: a cabin in the woods, retreat center, bible camps, house of someone who is out of town, and a tent in the woods. If you choose a more people filled option like a resort area or something inexpensive like a youth or elder hostel make sure there is an option to get away from people so you can experience silence. The more people around the more you will have to talk. A people filled location could work if it's near a park where you can walk or oceanfront where you could spend the entire day on the beach.

Consider the outdoor surroundings and alternate rooms. Does the place you are looking at have some place to walk or some place besides your room to pray? If you spend two days or more in silence it can help to pray, think and journal etc., in different places. Perhaps you'll find a fantastic tree to sit by, a place to express your prayer in artwork, a prayer room, or an on site chapel.

Consider food. You have a variety of choices on a silent retreat. Some people not only fast from noise and conversation they also fast from food. Others like Nicole and I find purpose in a meal. We use meals to intentionally process what God is saying to us. On my last retreat with Nicole we found joy sharing at mealtime our similar experiences of prayer. This confirmed the sense I was getting in my journal writing, bible reading, and prayer.

What to bring

What to bring depends on how your worship and devotional life best connects you with God. The rule I follow for what to bring is: Will it help still my mind and heart or muddy and distract my mind and heart? I only bring what will cause me to connect with myself and God, be still, and not escape. So I bring anything that causes me to be more present.

I bring a notebook, bible, things to draw with, candles, running shoes, and a couple of books that have been carefully chosen. I do not bring music, novels or books that are escapism, or my computer.

It's about being still enough to hear God and hear yourself.

I often bring a prayer or devotional book. If you go to a religious retreat center, you can find wonderful resources in their library or prayer room. I've brought books by: Henry Nouwen, Thomas Merton, Madeline L'Engle, Richard Foster, Macrina Wiederkehr, Joyce Rupp, Parker Palmer, and Kathleen Norris. One of the things Nicole and I have enjoyed as well is choosing a book for each other. We have found that often the book we choose is the exact type of message we needed to reflect on with God. And it can add to the fruitfulness of the retreat.

How to spend your time

Silent retreats are about being still enough to hear God's voice so I make sure I don't read the whole time. I vary things by spending time just in silence asking what God wants me to hear. I also take lots of walks. Getting to the place where you feel antsy with the silence because you don't have all the distractions of life or a schedule is a great place to be. It's just when I get antsy or frustrated with the silence that I find a stronger sense of God's presence. And that's also about the time when a lot of my internal clutter is left behind.

Hopefully this helps if you are planning a retreat. You might want to ask your pastor, a spiritual director, or friend who has gone on a silent retreat about their experience as well.

Heidi Griepp