On March 28, members of the St. Peter’s Eat, Pray, Laugh group gathered at Wapiti, our Diocesan retreat center in Maryland, for a weekend of prayer and reflection. One of the attendees, Barbara Tobin, wrote this account of the experience:
“Pouring rain, a roaring fire, a panoramic view of the Chesapeake, good Christian friends, good food and a comfortable bed: life does not get much better than this! That was the experience of the Tuesday Morning Prayer group members who attended a retreat at Wapiti, our Diocesan center, the weekend of March 28.
After a delicious dinner (preceded by some good wine, of course!) and Compline, we settled into a blessed silence. The silence was broken only by the soft lullaby of the wind and rain swirling outside our windows. We woke in silence, then prayed in gratefulness for the day.
During the day, we had several sessions of Lectio Divina, an ancient gift of listening to Scripture with an open heart and soul. As we sat in the presence of God and Claire read each passage, we listened, reflected, and shared (as moved by the Spirit) what part of each passage was speaking to us and how….and why. Not an intellectual pursuit, this was a sharing of the heart. Between our sessions, we rested, ensconced in the warmth of the fire and the presence of one another.
Our routine quickly settled around sharing good food (plus some more wine) and great company! Sunday morning came with unwelcome haste. After breakfast, we shared in the food of life, the Bread and Wine of the Eucharist. Then, after another (sinfully) gluttonous meal, we departed on our separate ways, out into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit. Thanks be to God!
And thank you, Claire, for arranging and shepherding us through this retreat.”
All are welcome to join Eat, Pray, Laugh group. We meet every Tuesday at 7:45 a.m. in the parlor at the parish house at 313 Pine Street. Start your day with prayer followed by conversation about life and faith, coffee and pastries. If you’d like more information, feel free to contact me at [email protected].