Past Retreats
This series, facilitated by Sr. Joetta Huelsmann, PHJC, will be using booklets written by Chris Pritchett and Marjorie J. Thompson who incorporate Henri Nouwen’s thoughts and writings. It will take place every other month on a Saturday from August 2022 through April of 2023. Come to all or as many as you can.
Reading each booklet before each session is encouraged. Bring a journal and an open heart as well as the booklet for the series (to be purchased through Lindenwood’s Bookstore). This is a day retreat, if wishing to stay overnight check with Lindenwood for availability and extra cost.
Cost: $50/session - $200 for series
Time: 9:00am - 4:30pm Includes lunch
2022 Dates
August 27 “Identity, Finding Myself in God” -This retreat will explore the question of “Who am I?” Henri Nouwen suggests that we need to look at ourselves in the light of the person that God created us to be. Topics include: Belovedness, Belonging, Imago Dei, False Narratives, and Acceptance.
October 29 “God: Discovering the Divine”-Discover that “finding God is really about awakening to the truth that God has found you.” Through the spiritual writings of Nouwen encounter God in today’s world. Topics include: What is God Like?, How Can I Heal My Image of God?, What Does God Want from Me?, How Am I Found by God?, How Do I Move from Fear to Faith?
December 3 “Love: Experiencing Deep Connection”- Explore love as Nouwen wrestled deeply and personally with love of self, God, and others. Discover how experiences of love in our daily lives help deepen the connection we have with God and with others. Topics Include: To Love and Be Loved, Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places, Friendship, Forgiveness, From Loneliness to Belonging.
2023 Dates
February 4 “Suffering: Transforming Our Pain” Discover how Nouwen saw suffering as a conduit through which faith could be revealed. Topics Include: Befriending Our Pain, Mourning Our Loses, Choosing Joy, Suffering in Christ, Dying Fruitfully
April 15 “Freedom: Finding Peace in Anxious Times” We live in a world of rapid change which affects our lives entirely. Discover how Nouwen found peace and freedom amidst all that challenged him. Topics Include: From Fear to Love, From Resentment to Gratitude, From Grasping to Freedom, From Anxiety to Peace, From Life to Death.
