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Retreats & Events

 

 

Silence: An Invitation to Love

This daylong silent retreat will focus on the Divine invitation to Love through a variety of contemplative practices. It will include periods of silent meditation, body movement, walking meditation, walking the labyrinth, lectio divina, free time, and rest. Bring a packed lunch (hot tea and water provided), a pillow, blanket, and journal or notebook.

DATE:        Saturday, March 24, 2018, 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

LOCATION:  Community Congregational Church, Tiburon, CA

COST:        Free (optional donation)

LEADER:  Jane Ferguson Flout and Richard Flout

REGISTRATION:  For more information and to register, contact Jane or Richard at 415-499-1420 or email rdflout103@gmail.com.

 

Contemplative Triduum (Easter Weekend) Retreat

Please join Fr. Vincent Pizzuto and the New Skellig Community for a retreat centered around the celebration of the liturgies of the Triduum (Easter Weekend). Our theme this year is Confronting Chaos Ancient and Modern. Retreatants are invited to truly make the liturgy what it is intended to be — "the work of the people." A synthesis of active participation in the liturgies as well as group and personal reflection weave the Holy Days into a deep immersion of community building and contemplative reflection on the Paschal Mystery of Christ's dying and rising. The weekend includes liturgical celebration, communal faith sharing, silent reflection, and contemplative enjoyment of our natural environs.

DATES:        March 29 – April 1 (Thursday 4:00 PM through Easter Sunday Liturgy and brunch)

LOCATION:   St. Columba's Inverness, 12835 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Inverness, CA

COST:          Daytime retreat, materials, and meals: $225; for lodging, see Registration.

LEADER:     Fr. Vincent Pizzuto

REGISTRATION: To register for this retreat and for information about lodging rooms and rates, go to the retreat web page. After you register, you will receive a detailed memo about what to bring, etc. For more retreat information and to inquire about partial scholarships, contact Anna Haight (annahaight@stcolumbasinverness.org or 415-690-6287).

 

 

Buddhist and Christian Meditation: 
Living and Breathing on a Common Path

Our five-day meditation retreat offers participants a unique opportunity to experience both Buddhist and Christian contemplative practices, through brief instruction, extended periods of silent meditation practice, and generous time for unstructured quiet and solitude.

Complementary practices from these two great spiritual traditions are offered each day, experienced in the context of silent meals and shared “energy gift” times. This retreat is ideal for those who wish to go deeper into stillness, to receive some instruction in meditation and contemplative practice across traditions, and to experience the benefits of meditation and prayer away from our usual distractions of daily life, traffic, cell phones, and electronic media.

St. Francis Retreat Center provides comfortable, hospitable lodging and contemplative spaces for spiritual practice, plus delicious vegetarian meals that aim to accommodate special dietary needs. There are hills dotted with oak trees, several miles of trails, panoramic views, and natural habitats for a community of wild turkeys, hummingbirds, deer, and other wildlife.

DATES:        July 22 – 27, 2018 (Sunday 5:00 PM through Friday lunch)
                     Participants may arrive beginning at 3:00 PM.

LOCATION:   St. Francis Retreat Center, San Juan Bautista, CA; nearest airport: San Jose, CA (SJC)

COST:          Registration, food, and lodging for 5 days: single $760; double $655
                    (each room has its own bath)

LEADERS:     Susan Murphy and Rod Dugliss

We are committed to making it possible for all to attend who wish to do so, regardless of the ability to pay.  We are very grateful for donations to help pay for scholarships for those who might not otherwise attend. For more information or to have a registration form sent to you, contact Susan at somurphy@earthlink.net, (650) 969-3452 or Rod at rdugliss@gmail.com, (415) 441-4104.

REGISTRATION:  To register for this retreat, print this registration form, fill in the information, and send it with your check to the address provided.

 

 Practical Skills for Open-Hearted Communication

Do you long to create honest, caring relationships with family, friends, and others? Being both genuine and compassionate is possible in all your relationships, avoiding repetitive arguments with loved ones or people with differing viewpoints (especially political).

In this series, you will learn a practical method to communicate with authenticity, without blame and reactivity, from a place within of greater compassion.

DATES: Four Tuesday evenings: September 25 to October 16, 2018, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

LOCATION: Fairfax Community Church, 2398 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Fairfax, CA

COST: Early bird (by August 25): $78; after August 25: $93. Some partial scholarships are available.

LEADER: Ruth Schweitzer-Mordecai, MFT

To register or for more information, go to livingfromwithin.com/index.php/events or contact Ruth directly at ruth@livingfromwithin.com or 415-258-9382. Please register early because group size is limited. 

 

 

How to Make Wise Decisions You're Glad About Afterward

Finding it hard to decide? One day answer “A” seems right, and the next day plan “B” seems better. Then you think of possible answer “C.” If you’re asking what’s God’s will, it can get even more confusing. How to decide? 

Making Wise Decisions is a spiritually based method that helps us make decisions by listening to all of the voices within us, embracing the fullness of who we are. Learn how to include the many parts of your being, from basic human needs to higher inner wisdom, in your decision-making processes.

In a small facilitated group, you will learn how to listen with openness to the voices within you and discover what your limits are as well as areas where you can stretch and grow. 

DATES: Two Saturdays: March 31, 2018 (9:30 AM –12:30 PM) and April 14, 2018 (9:30–11:00 AM)

LOCATION: Fairfax Community Church, 2398 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Fairfax, CA

COST FOR BOTH SESSIONS: Early bird (by March 9): $47; after March 9: $56. Some partial scholarships available. A percentage of the profits will be donated to Fairfax Community Church.

LEADER: Ruth Schweitzer-Mordecai

To register or for more information, please go to livingfromwithin.com/index.php/events or see the flyer. For questions, email ruth@livingfromwithin.com.

 

 

Author Book Reading Event:
Contemplating Christ by Rev. Vincent Pizzuto

The incarnation has made mystics of us all. What if we read the gospels as if that were true? In his book Contemplating Christ, Rev. Vincent Pizzuto offers an exploration of the interior life for modern contemplatives that is as beautiful as it is compelling. With an emphasis on the gospels and Christian mystical tradition, his book explores ancient themes in new and surprising ways.
 
Please join Rev. Pizzuto for a reading of selected passages of his new book, Contemplating Christ, with book signing to follow.
 

DATE:        Thursday, May 31, 2018, 7:00 p.m.

LOCATION:  Green Apple Books, 506 Clement Street, San Francisco

COST:        Free 

AUTHOR:  Rev. Vincent Pizzuto, PhD

For more information about the event, go to greenapplebooks.com/event/clement-vincent-pizzuto.

For questions, contact Anna Haight at annahaight@stcolumbasinverness.org or (415) 690-6287.

 

 

Advent Retreat:
Opening to Possibilities

This has been a year of many surprises and unexpected events in our beleaguered world, magnified by the ever-present news on “devices.” What has your journey been like this year?  Where have you seen and experienced rays of light and hope?  As the world and your family have been changing, what is your particular “call” and inspiration? 

In this year’s Advent Retreat, there will be time for reflection on our lives this year and for looking into 2018.  Where are we on our life journey?  What might we be called to do in the coming year?  The answer might be very small and simple, or it might be ambitious.  What changes might that new call require of us?

We will enjoy the beautiful setting by the sea at Villa Maria Del Mar in Santa Cruz. The retreat center is on a bluff overlooking the ocean, with beach access down a flight of outdoor stairs. The retreat staff provides delicious food and a deeply contemplative atmosphere.

DATES:         December 1 – 3, 2017 (Friday after 4:00 PM, dinner at 6:30 PM, through Sunday lunch)

LOCATION:    Villa Maria del Mar, Santa Cruz, CA; nearest airport: San Jose, CA (SJC)

COST:           Registration, food, lodging, and leadership for the weekend: single $380; double $275
                      (each room has its own bath)

PCSF offers partial scholarships. If you have questions or wish to request a scholarship, contact Carol (see the registration form below for contact information). 

REGISTRATION:  To register for this retreat, print this registration form, fill in the information, and send it with your check to the address provided. Space is limited. Last day to register is November 1 with full fee or $100 deposit.

LEADER:       Carol Saysette

Carol is a founding member of PCSF and is a Pastoral Counselor and Spiritual Director at the Interfaith Counseling Center at S.F.T.S. in San Anselmo. She wrote her D. Min. dissertation on “Dreamwork in Ministry.”