let's talk retreat (erin jean warde)
As I have tried to discern the question — What is holy rest? My soul seemed to offer a real answer — Retreat. So, now I have an awareness of the new question — What does it mean to retreat?
let’s talk retreat
As I have tried to discern the question — What is holy rest?
My soul seemed to offer a real answer — Retreat.
The answer offered a quick feeling of security, a sense of having figured it out, before it became a trap door. The slip of the trap door, the loss of the security, the gateway into the next set of questions. (The question “What is holy rest?” came out of the original question, “What does my soul need?” It’s trap doors all the way down apparently.)
So, now I have an awareness of the new question, born out of falling — What does it mean to retreat?
Recently I crowd sourced retreat ideas with a small community I love. The responses were inspiring; I’ve read through them a few times and will read through them a few more times.
This week, I posit these questions to you, in hopes you’ll share your thoughts below, in the comments. I wonder if this might be helpful for all of us.
What is retreat to you?
What are some ways you have carved out rest & retreat time?
Where are places you have gone on retreat, that you love? (Recommendations for places generally, like cities or towns you’ve visited, as well as retreat centers, spas, pilgrimages, etc.)
Where are places you have gone on retreat, that you love, that are fairly affordable?
If you were to construct your own retreat, what activities would you include?
Is there anything that feels like retreat to you in your daily life? Do you have practices of retreat that you engage in while you are at home?
Thank you for entertaining this communal exploration of retreat. I love crowd sourcing because it helps me so much and hopefully helps someone else too! I’m praying someone else is able to go to the comment section and get inspired in their own pursuit of rest.
Thank you in advance for sharing some of your favorite places & practices with us,
EJW
podcasts & articles
Sober Spirituality with Erin Jean Warde (Soberful Podcast)
Enjoy my conversation with Veronica Valli, in which we explore the role of alcohol in religion and how it has been misrepresented, what spirituality means, faith-based recovery, and more. Take some time to explore the full podcast, an incredible resource from Veronica & Chip.
A Few Minutes With… The Rev. Erin Jean Warde (Matt Rhodes)
I was delighted to be a guest on Matt Rhodes’ podcast to talk about Sober Spirituality and more. There was a bit of an audio/volume issue, so please note you can watch the episode with captions on YouTube. Enjoy!
Erin Jean Warde on How to Have a More Mindful Relationship with Alcohol (The Learner’s Corner with Caleb Mason)
It was such a joy to chat with Caleb about the intricacies of sobriety and spirituality. I hope you enjoy this deep dive on his podcast. I’m partial to the title, as an avid lifelong learner!
Sober books for Autumn 2023 (Club Soda)
I’m so honored to see Sober Spirituality make the list of sober books for Autumn 2023, from Club Soda! Club Soda is an amazing group in the UK that encourages mindfulness around our relationships with alcohol. Enjoy the article and browse the site for more wisdom!
october events
Discerning Sobriety Retreat — October 27 & 28 (Bellwether Farm in Wakeman, OH)
Join us for a 24-hour retreat exploring tools to help you dig into your relationship with addictive choices, coping, joy, and more. Erin Jean Warde, ordained Episcopal priest and author of Sober Spirituality, will share the personal journey which led her to quit alcohol. She will provide additional tools to help each participant explore a more mindful relationship with our substance misuse and dependencies and the richer sobrieties we might seek or experience.
learn with me
Sober Spirituality: Discerning Our Relationship with Alcohol Online Course — November 8-January 31 (Stevenson School for Ministry)
Join the Rev. Erin Jean Warde in a 10-week discernment of how we are in relationship with alcohol. In this course, the discernment will be both interior and exterior, as you learn more about alcohol in the global and cultural context, and are given tools to look inward spiritually. You'll explore how alcohol affects us in mind, body, and soul, such that you will be encouraged to get prayerfully curious about how drinking shows up in your life, while trusting how the Spirit leads you into answering the question: How do I want to be in relationship with alcohol? This course will engage spiritual reflection and practical theology, as it covers how alcohol affects a variety of aspects of life and faith, such as: cultural norms, its use in religious spaces, hospitality, embodiment, trauma, social justice, releasing judgment around substances, and caring for those who struggle in their relationship with alcohol.
This course will be offered via Zoom on Wednesdays from 5:30-6:30 pm EST, beginning November 8, 2023 and ending January 31, 2024 (with breaks for holidays). The course can be taken for credit as a part of the Stevenson School for Ministry for $300. It can also be taken as a continuing education class that allows you to sit in on classes, participate in conversations, and no assignment submission is needed for $150.
To retreat to me is simple -- it is to rest. But actually resting is the hard part. I really love the book Rest is Resistance. We can (and need) rest and retreat regularly.
Going on a retreat is experiential. It allows me to unplug and be with like-minded people who also want to experience whatever the retreat is centered around. A retreat, as an experience, is somewhere that isn't my home, is in community with others, but offers plenty of alone/solo time for rest and relaxation. The group activities/discussion center around some aspect of healing or processing.
I work and live at a Ecumenical Christian retreat center. We are called Richmond Hill and we are smack dab in the city of Richmond. Some might think, "what a retreat center in the middle of the city, how can that be relaxing." But even though it is in the South, it is essentially as a mid-western city feel. So not like DC or New York (though those places are cool too!) We are in the historic neighborhood of church hill and it is fairly quiet. Occasionally you can hear sirens and loud music but not always. Additionally, being in a city allows us to be accessible for those who may not be able to drive here. Buses in Richmond are free until I believe 2025. We have a strong history of engaging in racial justice initiatives in the city and other social justice issues. And because we are on a hill, we have a beautiful view of the city. We hold prayers three times a day for about 15 minutes with worship on Tuesday evenings. We offer a variety of options: we have Richmond Hill sponsored day retreats, we have opportunities for individual retreats, and we also hosts outside groups.
We have a beautiful garden and labyrinth. We have a deck outside the dining room that overlooks the city and a beautiful chapel with stained glass windows.
Our website is: https://www.richmondhillva.org