Pilgrimages & Retreats

Composury Colleagues

Retreats & Pilgrimages

Retreats

Doug and Norvene have been leading retreats and workshops together and individually since the mid-1980s. Originally based principally in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, they are now in demand throughout the United States and Europe. Our topics are generally those of Christian spirituality, emphasizing the experience of God in ordinary life. Our approach is usually interactive, blending presentation, discussion, and opportunity for personal integration of material. We find that our strengths and weaknesses are mutually supportive; male and female, clergy and lay, spontaneous and systematic, people-centered and idea-loving. Topics are ordinarily determined mutually by the sponsor and the Vests at the time the retreat is scheduled. Sample topics include:

I. Differing Streams of Christian Spirituality:
Christianity’s many prayer ways

II. Benedictine Spirituality for the Common Life:
Foundational themes of Benedictine spirituality for life in the world

III. Praying the Scripture
Faith sharing through lectio divina in small groups

IV. Finding and Telling Your Sacred Story
As in the model of Scripture, finding God’s presence in personal and group life

V. Holy Wisdom Today
The classic figure of wisdom offers new images of God

VI. Women’s Ways of Spiritual Unfolding
Alternatives to the traditional way of envisioning the spiritual life as journey in the desert

VII. An Affirmative Way of Spirituality
Image and word as mystical openings to God

VIII. Becoming Peace-Makers
A transforming practice of personal and communal non-violence

IX. Pluralism and Diversity in Spiritual Life
Engaging other faiths as truth-bearers

X. A New Culture of Christianity
Re-visioning Christianity through imagination, feminist values, and the philosophy of Paul Ricoeur

XI. The Sacred and Public Policy
Restoring value concerns to the public arena

XII. Why Stress Keeps Returning: A Spiritual Response
A sense of “something missing” may be gift and invitation

Upcoming Workshop:

Dr. Norvene Vest and Dr. Linda Schultz will be offering a workshop at the annual meeting of Spiritual Directors International in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday, April 30th, 2011 at 2:00pm. Topic is "Participation in the God of Compassion: Imagination and Image in Spiritual Direction." Registration forrms for the conference can be found at www.sdiworld.org.

Pilgrimages

Norvene and Doug have led twelve pilgrimage groups from the United States to Europe, with assistance sometimes from Fr. Francis Benedict, OSB, and sometimes from Christopher McCauley and Frank Ramirez. Locations for pilgrimage have included England and Wales, Italy, Turkey and Greece. Our pilgrimages follow a Benedictine rhythm, including days and periods for rest and recreation, as well as visits to sites long held sacred, times for small group lectio divina or devotional reading of scripture, and some lectures on relevant topics. Generally the pilgrimages last about two weeks and are ecumenical in nature. A keen sense of God’s grace and presence is given to those who “pray with their feet.”

Image Gallery

The image gallery below offers a selection of photos from our pilgrimages.

Click the thumbnails for a larger image.
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WHISPERS

Her stern looks having failed,
along with unavailing threats,
Teacher turned to whispering;
and that brought the class to readiness
for listening –
even in the rearmost row
which hadn’t heard a muffled word.

Funny thing:
shouting can reverberate,
and stir resistance;
but soft whispering
hints there’s more
than what meets the ear.
A gentle breeze
gets more pollination done
than cyclones
ripping up the flowers.

It’s been so long
since the Voice from heaven boomed
that we’ve ceased waiting for the echo:
maybe we’ve stopped listening also
to “I love you” –
more personal when whispered.

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