 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
| Prepared by iD © HTB 2008 | |||
Ladies Retreat : January 31 - February 1 2003
The Joy of the Lord
Guest speaker: Annie Hughes
Date: Friday 31 January, at 5.00 pm – Saturday 1 February, at 5.00 pm. 2003
Location: Communauté du Chemin Neuf “Le Cénacle”
rue Broodcorens 46, 1310 LA HULPE
It was a snowy weekend at the end of January when 40 of us met together at Le Cenacle in La Hulpe for a very special weekend. We represented churches from Brussels, Liege, Charleroi, Tervuren, Mons and some from the Netherlands. It was a great joy to come together from all of these places.
Our theme was the Joy of the Lord. Annie Hughes from Birmingham, UK was our speaker. She has led retreats in her diocese and works in a very interesting role of Lay Chaplain in a Doctor's surgery.
Annie led us through four talks, which were each followed by about an hour to be alone, and to reflect and pray over what had been said. We each had our own room or there were grounds in which to walk and quiet places within the house.
Annie challenged us to be careful not to let the root of bitterness grow up, and to know that sometimes out of real pain come the seedlings of joy. ‘Joy is sorrow unmasked - often the deeper your sorrow carves into your being the deeper your joy becomes.’
Annie took us through a way of coming into God’s presence…..to sit and give him time, to listen and to let God fill our emptiness. To meditate on the word of God…feed on the word of God. ‘Use God as your mirror and not the world. You are a priceless treasure made in the image of God.’
Then to find time to give Him thanks….’Thanksgiving is the key. It opens up the pathway for God to come to us.’
Also included in the time together was Evening prayer on Friday and morning prayer on Saturday in the chapel at Le Cenacle. We ended the 24 hours with a very special Eucharist together, at which Annick Yiend spoke. The snow was falling as we worshipped together and it reminded me of the verses in Isaiah where God promises that our sins will be as white as snow – covered by the righteousness of Jesus, his love and purity, we could go out into the world to love and serve our God.
The journey home was not easy for many because of the snow, but we went out with the joy of the Lord in our hearts.
The phrase that stayed most with me over the following weeks was:
Joy is not the absence of sorrow but the presence of God
•••