Sunday evening at SpiritRest

Post by Rev. Sharon Wylie, Worship Leader

It’s Sunday evening at SpiritRest, our first evening together. We’ve had dinner, gathered for orientation to the week ahead, and concluded the scheduled parts of the evening with a short worship service (“vespers”). At the close of vespers, we enter into silence.

On the first night of the retreat, we are invited to write down—for ourselves, we don’t have to show anyone—our intentions and boundaries for the week ahead. We are encouraged to consider:

• Reading for spiritual nourishment and uplift
• Minimizing the distraction of electronics: telephone calls, texting, Facebook, email, internet news, video games, music, videos, photography
• Minimizing the input of news and recreational reading

• If you must (or want to) read news or be in touch with friends or family, consider designating a small window of time each day for such activity

This year more than ever, I am ready for retreat. In previous years, I have limited my news reading to designated times during the day, but this year, I feel fully ready to take a break from the news. This also means staying off of social media—where so much news gets shared—so this is a big leap for me personally. Looking at social media is a big way that I relax and have fun, but it is also where I read the most upsetting and sensationalist news stories. Right now I feel clear: the news I need to know will still be available to me on Friday, when the retreat is over.

Even though our retreat is just a few minutes away from the hustle and bustle of city shops and restaurants, I’m enjoying thinking of myself as tucked away in the mountains, far away from the exhausting ugliness of the world.
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Come to think of it, here at SpiritRest, I AM far away from the exhausting ugliness of the world. It’s a place and time to savor.