2013 Weekends

From Friday evening until after Lunch on Sunday.

Cost for each weekend in 2013:

Per person, single room £180 (£126); shared room £156 (£110) unless otherwise indicated.
[The figure in brackets is the concessionary rate - see HERE for details]

To book a place on any of these events, download a booking form from HERE.

(arranged principally by date)

Watching with our Transforming Lord
Shaun Lambert
2013 January 4th – 6th

How do we follow the footsteps of Jesus into our homes, works, and relationships in a way that transforms our lives? In Mark’s gospel, Jesus shows us the way through watchfulness, a lost aspect of the gospel which is cultivated through contemplative practices like Lectio Divina, silence and the Jesus Prayer. The retreat will look at how these practices help us deal with time and work stress. This is an opportunity at the start of a New Year to take time out to take a fresh look at our lives.
This retreat is led by Shaun Lambert, a Baptist minister, frequent retreatant at Worth, writer (a regular correspondent for the Baptist Times and author of a recent thought-provoking book, A Book of Sparks, which mentions his Worth Abbey experiences) and good friend of the monastic community.  

Finding Sanctuary - Responding to BBC's 'The Monastery'
Fr Roderick Jones OSB and the Monastic Team
2013 January 11th – 13th
2013 September 27th – 29th

These weekends will explore what we understand by ‘sanctuary’ and help participants to create sanctuary in their daily lives. There will be an emphasis on learning to pray and using personal time creatively. It will be structured around the pattern of monastic prayer. This is reserved for those who have not been on such a retreat before.

Silent Retreat (Palm & Passion)
Fr Patrick Fludder OSB
2013 March 22nd – 24th

A weekend retreat including Palm Sunday, to help prepare for Holy Week. It will be structured around the monastic liturgy with the majority of the time for silent personal reflection, reading and prayer. There will be some optional meditations on the passion of Christ. This is not suitable for those coming on retreat for the first time.

Finding Silence - Responding to the BBC series "The Big Silence"
The Monastic Team
2013 April 5th – 7th
2013 June 28th – 30th
2013 October 11th – 13th

Weekend retreats for those who have seen the TV series "The Big Silence" (Broadcast 2010 October and November) and who would like to experience something of monastic silence. These retreats will provide an opportunity to reflect on our relationship with God and to explore in a peaceful and beautiful environment the gift of silence and stillness as the "gateway to the soul". They include a gentle trial of silence for half the weekend and are structured around the pattern of monastic prayer.

Silent Retreat: Individually Guided Prayer (IGR)
(3 days, Friday to Monday)
Fr Patrick Fludder and Team
2013 May 3rd – 6th

A silent retreat over a long weekend involving prayer with scripture and opportunities to reflect each day, one to one, with an experienced prayer guide (trained lay Christians). The retreats are structured around the monastic prayer and liturgy.
Per person, single room £270 (£189)

Time to listen, Space to Grow
Jo Eaton and Mary Watson
2013 July 5th – 7th

Highly recommended for those who have not been on a retreat before. A residential retreat for those wanting to explore their own spiritual journey in a contemplative environment, leading to a deeper awareness of God, self and others. It is based on the highly popular Personal and Spiritual Growth (PSG) evening course. We offer a weekend of praying and sharing in different ways. Topics to include: Listening, Praying/Dialogue and Human Being/Spiritual Being. This is not a ‘how to’ course. Using different experiences of ‘prayer’ (in its broadest sense), silence and a ‘creative listening’ method, each person is encouraged to ponder his/her spiritual journey in small, facilitated groups.
Please note: We would encourage anyone who has completed the PSG Course or a Time & Space Weekend (like this one) and would like to develop the themes, to come to the PSG Follow on weekend, see below.

Seeking God’s Face in the Psalms
Monastic Team
2013 July 26th – 28th

An opportunity to engage with the Book of Psalms, used so frequently in liturgical prayer, whilst sharing in the rhythm of monastic prayer. These ancient texts – although very human – have the capacity to draw us deeply into the mystery of God.

PSG/Time & Space Follow-on Weekend
Jo Eaton and Mary Watson
2013 August 30th–September 1st (in Compass House)

A residential retreat for anyone who has completed the PSG Course or a Time & Space Weekend (like the one above) and who would like to explore further the themes and topics.

Mindshift: a fresh approach to being in the work place - through a Benedictine lens
Shaun Lambert and the Monastic Team
2013  September 6th – 8th

Shaun Lambert will draw on his experience of working in the banking world, counselling and psychotherapy and the world of ministry to help those in the workplace explore and understand their own stress levels, the archetypal relationships that exist in work with others, the importance of releasing creativity through contemplative practices that enable a ‘mindshift’ into inner freedom and flow.
This retreat is led by Shaun Lambert, a Baptist minister, frequent retreatant at Worth Abbey, writer (a regular correspondent for the Baptist Times and author of a recent thought-provoking book, A Book of Sparks – A Study in Christian MindFullness, which is a 40 day devotional book that invites us to track the story of Jesus from beginning to end in a new way, learning to pay attention wherever we are, and which mentions his Worth Abbey experiences). He blogs at  http://shaunlambert.co.uk/ and you can follow him on Twitter @shaun_lambert.
Per person, single room £236 (£164); shared room £211 (£149)

Forgiveness Retreat
Fodhla McGrane and a member of the Worth Community
2013 October 25th–27th

What is forgiveness?  Why forgive?  How does it work? It’s often so hard to do. We tend to ask, ‘But what if …?’ Forgiveness is mysterious, challenging, and liberating.  ‘Forgive’ is a command given regularly by Jesus; it is not optional if we want to live in Him.  This weekend is designed to give you the opportunity to learn about and develop your understanding of forgiveness as in the Gospels, dispel myths, share experiences, challenge our thinking, pray for healing and forgiveness; and by the grace of God, put forgiveness into practice.  The option of a one-to-one chat with a monk will also be provided.
Fodhla McGrane is an Oblate of St Benedict and she has lead retreats since 2006 around the British Isles.  She has a MA in Christian Theology, a PhD in Communication, and a PGCE in Adult Education.
Fodhla McGrane also runs this retreat at Douai Abbey (2013 June Fri 14 – Sun 16), located in Berkshire. http://www.douaiabbey.org.uk/retreats2.htm#9313
Per person, single room £236 (£164); shared room £211 (£149)

Wisdom of the Desert
Michael Woodward *
2013 November 15th – 17th

Our deserts can bloom! The monastic desert tradition can seem long ago and far away, but contains a wisdom that can both challenge and bring healing to our fragmented society and distracted lives. The goal of the desert fathers, and the less well-known mothers, was continuous prayer. The abbas and the ammas spent their time in lectio divina, reciting the psalms and the breviary, and cultivating the prayer of the heart. We will look at the main features of desert spirituality and seek to slow down, be quiet, listen for the voice of God, and reflect upon how to sustain such a spirituality in our daily lives.

 

2014

The dates for our 2014 programme will be published here. Please indicate your interest to the Bookings Secretary (HERE) and we will make sure you are sent the details as they become available.

Other events may be arranged and will be published here. If you are interested in holding your own group retreat here using our facilities, you need to apply (to the Bookings Secretary) by May 2013 to be sure of our availability throughout 2014. However, there is less pressure on weekdays than weekends so you may be able to book closer to your desired date.