A Quiet Day In Eastertide At Offa House
last updated on: 16th Apr 2012
The world is a noisier place than it has ever been. A media-driven culture seems designed to prevent people from being or becoming reflective, quiet, non-active and still. Waking hours, even leisure hours, are usually filled with activity. And when people finally sit still they mostly prefer to be watching a flickering screen to distract them from a growing dread of inner emptiness and the apparent futility of a society and probably a whole civilization that seems to be sadly off-course.
Christianity should be a means of steering the world on course. This is a role that the Church has played with greatly varying degrees of competence down the ages. It is, however, important to realise that traditionally the Church has striven to play this part by paying close attention to the Word of God by means of reflection, meditation and contemplative prayer. In his book The Eye of the Storm Kenneth Leech wrote:
I have come to see, as an activist, the central place of silence in my life and in the lives of all who would work for peace and justice at a more than surface level. There is a sense in which silent waiting on God is the heart of prayer, a simple abiding in emptiness, weakness and attention, a recognition of the fact that it is the Spirit who prays within us in inarticulate groanings (Romans 8.26)…
In the midst of our turbulent times, God is calling us to be still and to listen to his Word in silence and at depth. To help you to do this, The Fellowship of Contemplative Prayer is arranging a day of silent listening to the Word of God at the Coventry Diocesan Retreat House, Offa House (near Leamington Spa) on Monday 16 April 9.30 To 3.15
For further details and booking please contact
The Revd Canon Martin Tunnicliffe 202 Ralph Road Solihull B90 3LE
or phone: 0121 745 6522
or Email: martin.tunnicliffe@tesco.net
You are advised to respond early as places are limited and some are already taken.
