Sanctuary in Lockdown
Coronavirus update
Sadly, this is a difficult time for many and we are praying that you all stay safe and well.
At the moment we are closed to people staying overnight. But, all going well, we hope to open again from July 4th in line with government guidelines, though this may of course change.
Please pass this message on if you know anyone who needs some time out and refreshment. If you would like to make a booking in July, August or September we will waive the current cancellation fee and offer to postpone the booking if changes are necessary. Meanwhile, we are keeping the Labyrinth mown and garden weed-free.
We hope to see you all soon.
Monday Meditation
Thanks to those that have been joining us in our weekly half hour of silence and reflection. We have been using the teaching of the World Community for Christian Meditation to help prompt us at the beginning. Though of course meditation is practiced by people of many other faiths or none. Some of us have struggled this week with keeping the silence, especially in our head, and have then fallen asleep! So I love the video about meditation on previous Treargel owner Clare Shearman’s new website, where it says ‘Failure is actually success’. I will just have another go next week and continue my search for something deeper.
Sanctuary
I don't know about you at the moment, but every day I seem to encounter a different mental strain. So in seeking some sanctuary I listened to a great podcast as a kind of guided retreat at home. It’s one of 3 made especially for this time of lockdown. Anna takes us on an imaginative journey where we are invited to acknowledge our fears and concerns and give them to God. She does this very slowly and gently, which I really appreciated.
Interesting discussion
This week whilst painting, weeding and walking the dog, I have also been listening to other interviews from the ‘Nomad Podcast’. Their tagline is ‘Stumbling through the post-Christendom wilderness looking for signs of hope’.
Lockdown is the perfect opportunity to catch up on our reading, watching and listening. A book one of our new meditationers recommends is 'Common Prayer for Ordinary Radicals' surprising herself in finding ‘such a liturgical book so useful and helpful (being of a charismatic background!).’
Having no guests here has been a struggle for us, so I am taking the time to update our presence on the web. If you would like to help spread the word about Treargel please review us on Google. Thank you.
I am also thinking of writing up the weekend retreats I would have run these last few weeks here at Treargel and Buckfast Abbey. These would be prompts to reflection. Let me know if this would interest you and whether you would prefer written form or video clips. I am never sure whether people have more or less time at the moment?
Take care everyone and don't forget to be kind to yourself and take time out.
