First Individually guided Silent Retreat for 2014

The first 3 day Individually Guided Silent Retreat for this year to be led by Dave Newton will be at Volmoed Retreat Centre in the Hemel-en Aarde Valley, near Hermanus in the Western Cape, from 10th - 13th March 2014.

As always the focus of this retreat is on the Individual's journey with God, and themselves, and others, leading to a renewed sense of call or vocation. So every attempt is made to avoid being prescriptive in any way. This will be a time for you to focus on God and to be taught and guided in the ancient disciplines of listening to God.

Cost of the retreat is R900 per person.

If you want to know more or receive a registration form then please contact Dave Newton at either e-mail: revdavenewton@gmail.com or 0725865241 or 021-9198322

SILENT RETREATS FOR 2014

Dave Newton will be offering a program of Silent Retreats through the year 2014 on the following dates. Please note that these are 3 day Individually Guided Silent Retreats where the emphasis is on the participant's journey with God, themselves and others, and their particular call to service and ministry in their own context, whether as a lay or ordained person. So every attempt is made to avoid being prescriptive in any way, so that the focus is on the participant and where they feel God is leading them.

The venues for these retreats will be either Volmoed, in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley near Hermanus, or Springfield Convent Retreat Centre in Wynberg, right in the shadow of the mountain. We will decide the venue finally based on availability (of the venue) and preference of the participants.

Dates:

10-13   March 2014
2-5       June 2014
15-18   September 2014
10-13   November 2014

Costs are kept to a minimum for these retreats so that any who need to come will not be prevented from doing so because of cost. 

If you would like any further information or would like to receive registration forms for any of these retreats then please contact Rev. Dave Newton at:

E-mail: revdavenewton@gmail.com or newtond@telkomsa.net
Phones: 021-9198322 or 0725865241

The next Silent Retreat will be at Volmoed from 2-5 September 2013.

This will be time for you to reflect, in 3 days of silence, on your relationship with God, yourself and others, and on His call for you to serve and follow Him.

The emphasis in his kind of retreat is on your own spiritual journey, and therefore every attempt is made to be as non-prescriptive as possible.

For further information, together with costs and for application form please either message revdavenewton@gmail.com or call 0725865241.

True Vocation - God's call.

From My life for the poor by Mother Theresa

Once I asked my confessor for advice about my vocation. "How can I know if God is calling me and for what He is calling me?"
He answered,"You will know by your happiness. If you are happy with the idea that God is calling you to serve Him and your neighbour, this will be the proof of your vocation. Profound joy of the heart is like a magnet that indicates the path of life. One has to follow it, even though one enters into a way full of difficulties."

In A Guide to Prayer for all who seek God :Upper Room Books

Whether in struggle or suffering, or consolation and contentment, God's call is known by a deep sense of joy; the overwhelming "Yes, this is what I am for."

Next Individually Guided Silent Retreat led by David Newton

The next Silent Retreat will be at Volmoed from 3-6 June 2013.

This will be time for you to reflect, in 3 days of silence, on your relationship with God, yourself and others, and on His call for you to serve and follow Him.

The emphasis in his kind of retreat is on your own spiritual journey, and therefore every attempt is made to be as non-prescriptive as possible.

For further information, together with costs and for application form please either message revdavenewton@gmail.com or call 0725865241.

Announcing Daily Worship - by John Van De Laar

As you prepare for Christmas, you may have begun to turn your thoughts to the New Year and how to carry the truths we're celebrating  with you into your every day routine. If so, Sacredise has a new resource that is designed just for you

Daily Worship is a new section to the Sacredise.com site that provides daily guides for personal worship based on the daily readings of the Revised Common Lectionary. What this means is that if your church follows the Lectionary on Sundays you'll be able to connect your daily spiritual exercises with your Sunday worship. Even if your church doesn't follow the Lectionary, Daily Worship will still give you all you need for a meaningful daily spiritual practice.

Each day includes a Scripture reading, a short reflection, a daily practice to carry through the day (helping to make your worship a practical part of your life), and a short breath-prayer to carry with you through the day. You can also sign up to receive the entire week's guides in advance by email.

For more information check out the FAQ page.

“WILD WOMB” Wilderness Spirituality Retreats

Wilderness Spirituality is a return to an important dimension of Biblical Spirituality. By this I mean that Wilderness areas were places in Biblical times in which people were formed, reformed, transformed, conformed and informed into agents of God’s story in their time.

It was especially in wilderness areas that individuals experienced God as the potter and they as the clay. It was in wilderness areas that some of the most profound encounters with God took place. It was precisely the very real human vulnerability in wilderness areas that humbled people into a state of awe and openness. Those who emerged as agents of God were often prepared for their role by spending time in the fierce landscapes of the wilderness areas of the Biblical lands. This applies to the people of Israel and individuals like Jacob, Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist and Jesus and many others.

In many Biblical examples we see that time in wilderness areas was not a once off event that set them on their path, but was an experience that they sought (or were pushed to) at various times in their life. In other words time out in a fierce landscape was vital for people who were God’s agents in the world.

Previous participants in the Wild Womb Wilderness Encounter Retreats typically say words similar to Jacob:

“Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” 17 And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” (Genesis 28.16+17)

Wilderness Spirituality is also an important movement today as we face the global environmental crisis. The environmental crisis that we face is essentially an ecological crisis because humans have forgotten that we are part of nature. In Wilderness Spirituality nature is not viewed as an object like visiting an animal in the zoo, rather you join nature, live in nature and immerse yourself in nature. At the heart of this is the reality and profound experience that we are part of creation, we share the same Father and Mother, and we can really know each other and bless each other. As Ian Mc Callum says “To understand wildness is to discover the thread that binds us to all living things.”

I continuously plan new dates for “Wild Womb” retreats: The next “Wild Womb” retreat is for women only (24th to 26th March 2012).

Men only “Wild Womb” retreat (20th to 22nd April 2012).

Let me know if you are interested at john@rosebankmethodist.org.za or 021-6863271.

The Programme is facilitated by Rev. John Wessels and includes:

· A 4 hour hike on two days carrying your supplies.
· Spending one night together in a cave or cedar ‘forest’.
· Solo Time (Spending 24 hours on your own. Solo Time includes fasting.)
· Lots of time for silence
· Group sharing (when it is a women’s only retreat my wife Angela Wessels, a trained counsellor, facilitates the Group Sharing. I am not present during times of group sharing.)

COST is approximately R600 per person including Park fees and meals.

Travelling costs will be additional.

Feel free to pass this information on to any person you know may be interested. These retreats could be meaningful for those interested in: Contemplative Spirituality; Blending love of God and love of Creation; Men’s Work; Women’s Work; Team Building; People at critical stages of their life; Personal Growth; Those working with recovering addicts or rehabilitating criminals; Environmental crisis………..

“Whose permission are we waiting for to enter that ‘uncertain ground’ where the voice of our wild history can be heard? How long is it going to take to acknowledge that there is indeed a menagerie within each of us … a wolf, a hyena, a lion … a wild man and a wild woman.”
- Ian Mc Callum