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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT RETREATS

1. I am considering a private individual retreat, but have never been on one before. What happens on such a retreat? A private individual retreat is intended to provide space and time for an individual to pray and reflect in private in a quiet, meditative setting. From a spiritual perspective it is a time to "step out of" one's regular daily routine to quiet oneself. In the quiet and serenity of the space at Evensong an individual retreatant may take time for prayer, meditation and reflection - it is a time to take stock of where one is on the spiritual journey, and perhaps to discern where one is being called to go. From a religious perspective it is time to spend "walking with God," listening in the quiet - it is an opportunity to deepen or renew one's relationship with God and perhaps to discern where God is calling one to go next on the journey. You'll notice that the key words above are words such as "quiet," "meditative," and "reflective." Evensong asks that private individual retreatants respect the atmosphere of silence that we cultivate. Retreatants are asked to be silent during their retreats, including meals. The notion of being silent while reflecting is thousands of years old, and an important element in virtually all spiritual traditions. It is something sadly lacking in our own day to day world. Most of us are surrounded by noise from the moment we awake to our clock radio until we turn off our television to retire for the night. To remove oneself from the daily noise that surrounds us is not easy - but it can be very fruitful and it is an important part of our retreats.

2. I am currently experiencing a crisis in my life and am looking to get away to think it through - is a private individual retreat the right thing for me at this time? In general a private individual retreat is engaged periodically as a normal part of a person's spiritual journey - as explained in question 1 it is a time to get away from daily routine and reflect upon the journey. If this is the first time you have ever considered a silent private retreat, a time of crisis is probably not the best time to attempt this new experience. If you have been on silent retreats before we would ask that you consult your spiritual director, pastor, or counselor if going on a private silent retreat would be a good thing for you to do at this time in your life.

3. Will going on a private silent retreat give me the answers that I am seeking in my life? Again, speaking generally, a private individual retreat taken in silence is a time for reflection. Certainly it is a time to look at the questions with which your life is persenting you at this time - that is a part of your spiritual journey. It is a practice of many people on the spiritual journey to go on retreat at times when they are considering a new path in their lives - from a religious perspective they use the time on retreat attempting to discern where God is calling them to go at this time in their lives; - from a spiritual perspective people use the time on retreat to discern which path in their lives will lead to greater wholeness. It is important to understand that time on retreat provides no "magic answers," and does require effort and concentration from the retreatant.

4. Is Spiritual Direction available during private individual retreats? What role does it play? Directed retreats may take a variety of formats. There are structured retreats such as the 8-day Ignation retreat which is centered around use of the Ignation Exercises. There are 5-day retreats which, while they also work with Scripture, are more adaptble to an individual's particular prayer style. There are also private individual retreats of shorter duration during which a person sets her or his own rhythm of prayer. Spiritual Directors during these retreats work with the individual to companion them on their retreat. A retreatant may choose to meet with a director at the beginning and end of their retreat, or daily. In the case of structured retreats there are daily meetings during which the director helps guide the retreatant through the retreat exercises. In less structured retreats the director works with the retreatant to identify the goals they have for their retreat. Using a combination of listening skills and knowledge of retreat patterns and exercises, the director helps the retreatant to discern God's hand at work during the time of the retreat. The fee for Spiritual Direction during retreats is $30 for 30 minute sessions Learn more about Long-Term Spiritual Direction