Retreat

This past weekend we had a Fellowship retreat. Candace was the planner of this event and she did a mighty-fine job!
I thought you might like to hear about the tradition of retreats here, and what we did together last weekend.
Reba does take a retreat every year, usually at the beginning of the summer. they have often gone to a lake house in Wisconsin, or to the community farm called Plow Creek* (Sidebar - we are connected to this intentional Christian farm community, and we buy a share from their Community Supported Agriculture operation. We are going to be receiving our first box of fresh organic produce this afternoon!). Throughout the ages, monastic Christians have kept a discipline of Rule of Life which is an order of regular work, rest, celebration, mourning and retreat. Part of the Reba Rule is making sure we take time for retreat each year.

[This was from the opening talent show on Friday night that incorporated many people with disabilities we work with]

Lately the retreats have been keeping closer to the neighborhood since there are more and more folks who would not make the trip because of age, ability, or illness. This year we had a theme of "Treasures old and new" so we staid in the neighborhood to treasure our elderly and disabled members.
Among the 35 covenant members there are something like 18 people who are either senior citizens or disabled. We took time during the retreat to celebrate them among us, and to think together about how we might make life as enjoyable as possible given various physical limitations. There were sharings from a woman who is homebound from her allergies, a man with MS who has lived from his chair for the last 40 years, and a woman of 89 years who is quite thankful to live in community and to be surrounded by loved ones on every side. (She never married. Reba has been her family for 50 years.)

There were lots of wonderful things from our time together. The last day we all traveled out to a nature center nearby to be in the woods and smell growing things.