Each winter, women are invited to spend a weekend refreshing and revitalizing their physical selves and spiritual lives.
Women from First United Church of Oak Park and Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church join each other at the Siena Retreat Center on the shores of Lake Michigan near Racine, Wisconsin, for a weekend of fellowship, worship, and learning. An outside leader offers a new approach in the ongoing search for faith, often touching on familiar and unfamiliar topics that can challenge the way we think about God. The weekend includes Bible study, prayer, worship, group discussion, quiet and private reflection, journaling, and small-group breakouts. Each participant gets a private room, and all meals are included. But there’s also time for art, music, games, outdoor walks by the lake, fellowship, food, and fun.
The Lord God took the human and settled them in the garden of Eden to farm it and to take care of it.
— Genesis 2:15
Earth Keeping as Spiritual Practice
Can you draw closer to God each time you pull out your reusable shopping bag or empty the compost bin? Since God created the earth and entrusted it to us, anything we do to care for that creation is an opportunity to experience God’s presence.
At the 2020 women’s retreat, we’ll explore what it looks like when sustainable living is valued as a spiritual practice. For inspiration, we will turn to Scripture, ancient traditions, and the experiences of modern people who live simply and closely to the earth. For new ideas, we will share our own practices and wonder about how we can go deeper in our own lives. In all of this, there will be chances to respond creatively through a mix of quiet, active, and artistic activities.
The upcoming Women’s Retreat will be Jan. 31 through Feb. 2, 2020, with the theme “Earth Keeping as Spiritual Practice.” It will be led by the Rev. Amy Pagliarella.
Amy loves God and loves the planet, and so she regularly finds God in the day-to-day work of caring for the environment. Prior to her current role as the co-pastor at Edgewater Presbyterian Church on Chicago’s north side, Amy was the associate pastor for children and families at First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest. As a “free-range pastor,” Amy leads retreats and spiritual parenting gatherings, and creates space to help others imagine what it means to live faithfully in daily life. Amy and her husband have two pre-teen boys and live in Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood. She enjoys reading, skiing, and volunteering with the Common Pantry, where she founded “Common Kids,” a program to help children develop empathy and a desire to serve while volunteering alongside their parents.
Retreat schedule
Friday, Jan. 31
4-6 p.m. Arrive at Siena Center via carpool. Register and sign up for Saturday breakout sessions. Settle into your room.
6 p.m. Communal soup supper
7 p.m. Session 1: “Earth Keeping as Spiritual Practice”
8:30 p.m. Evening vespers
9 p.m. Free time (play games, knit, sing, do puzzles, hang out…)
Saturday, Feb. 1
6:30 a.m. Yoga (free)
8 a.m. Breakfast
9 a.m. Session 2: “Earth Keeping as Spiritual Practice”
10:30 a.m. Session 3: “Earth Keeping as Spiritual Practice”
12 p.m. Lunch
1 p.m. Afternoon breakout session 1
2:15 p.m. Afternoon breakout session 2
3:15 p.m. Free time including optional yoga session
5:30 p.m. Supper
7 p.m. Session 4: “Earth Keeping as Spiritual Practice”
8:30 p.m. Evening Vespers
9 p.m. Free time (play games, knit, sing, do puzzles, hang out…)
Sunday, Feb. 2
8 a.m. Breakfast
9 a.m. Session 5 “Earth Keeping as Spiritual Practice”
10 a.m. Worship preparation and worship service
12:30 p.m. Farewell lunch and departure
Siena Retreat Center
The Siena Center is located near Racine, Wisconsin, 75 miles north of Oak Park on the beautiful shoreline of Lake Michigan. Operated by the Racine Dominicans, the campus provides a calm and comfortable facility for spiritual reflection and renewal in an environment of peace, joy, and beauty. The weekend retreat includes four meals in the Siena Center common room: Saturday breakfast/lunch/supper and Sunday breakfast. The Siena Center’s comfortable rooms each have a private bathroom. Most rooms are singles; rooms with two twin beds or one queen are available on a first-come-first-served basis for those wishing to share. Bed and bath linens are provided. The Siena Center is handicapped-accessible. You can find out more about the Siena Center at its website.
Questions?
You are warmly invited to join the women of First United Church of Oak Park and Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church for this special weekend of reflection and fellowship. If you have any questions, please contact Julie O’Shea at First United. To register, click on this link to download the mail-in registration form. An online registration link is coming soon.
