Finding God in the Wilderness

Finding God in the Wilderness - Annual Church Retreat

This year’s retreat focused on centering yourself from your hectic surroundings to make room for your spiritual growth. “Contemplation is not so much a matter of transcending mundane existence as it is becoming present to the realities of the human experience.”— Mirabai Starr Silent meditation, prayer and reading sacred texts are just some spiritual practices we encountered to provide tools and an opportunity to refresh and re-focus and to find our balance. We took the time to be quiet, be mindful and be focused on our connection to GOD.

On Saturday, we walked the labyrinth, explored the garden, engaged in silent or community prayer, worshipped and fellowshipped with our FWCC family.  We had a phenomenal discussion in our afternoon panel discussion with Linda Sarsour, an award winning racial justice and civil rights activist and Sunita Viswanath who’s worked in women's and human rights organizations for almost three decades.

The retreat continued on Sunday with the celebration of  “World Communion Sunday.”  We had early morning prayer and meditation, followed by a Retreat themed worship service with a Guest Preacher Sister Simone Campbell, NETWORK Executive Director. Afterwards we had an “International Potluck”closing luncheon.

There was also a youth component that specialized on youth centered and appropriate exercises and provided childcare is available.