Oasis Ministries-Letter from Glenn

We are always meeting deadlines; we are always short on time, we are always running out of time. Chant music, on the other hand, evokes a different relationship to time, one in which time, while precious, isn’t scarce. It conjures the archetype of the monk’s way of life, wherein time flows harmoniously; the time available is in proportion to the task at hand. The pure, serene, yet soaring sounds of the chant remind us that there is another way to live in this noisy, distracted world, and this way is not as out of reach as it might seem. --David Steindl-Rast, Music of Silence

Music heard so deeply that it isn’t heard at all, but you are the music while the music lasts. --T. S. Eliot

Dear Returning to the Well Participants;

I write to invite you to a very special Returning to the Well retreat, March 18 (Single Day Event) OR 18-19, (two day event) with a theme focus of: Chant in the Contemplative Life. The retreat will be held at Mariawald Retreat Center in Shillington, PA. The retreat will begin at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, concluding the single day at 3:30 p.m. Thursday and the second day at 3:00 p.m. Friday.

You have experienced, no doubt, that silent prayer in the company of others, takes on another level of experience. There is a certain sweetness in praying in community. And I’m sure that you have experienced as well the power present in singing with others whether it is singing hymns in worship, chanting through a candlelit Taize service, or in one of our SDSG openings. Both silence and singing carry us into spiritual experience beneath the words, beyond the usual ways we have of knowing and understanding. They both are precious carriers of contemplation.

In this RTW retreat we will experience a mix of silent prayer and singing. I’ve invited Melissa Stock to co-lead this retreat with me. Melissa brings a deep love and grounding in both contemplative prayer and contemplative singing. Together we want to go beyond simply talking about the place of contemplative chant in our spiritual lives to experiencing together a rhythm of silence and song. As part of our time together we will also share in a full Taize service. Of course, there will be our usual opportunities for individual retreat space, creative expression and shared direction.

Remember that we now offer the options of coming for the first day only or coming for the full two days. And note that the first day is open to all—has no prerequisites, (invite your friends to come!) with the second day reserved for those who have received some spiritual direction training.

I hope you can join us for this retreat. Don’t hesitate to call me for more information. Home: 814-422-8843; Cell: 814-574-0723.

Blessings,

Glenn Mitchell

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