Friends, I’m really excited for our upcoming retreat and workshop, Listening Well, on Saturday, January 24, from 8:30am to noon at the Coracle Center (register here). During our time we will be guided by three wise women–spiritual directors, friends, and members of our community–Margot Eyring, Lynnette Hughes, and Ann Walsh. I am looking forward to learning from them and diving into practices that encourage our postures of listening and hospitality.

From their description for our time together:

Have you ever experienced a disappointing response from someone after an open hearted sharing? You hoped to be heard and seen, instead that someone offered a solution, made the story about themselves, or tried to fix or “should” on you—“you should do this or that!” Have you ever realized you said the wrong thing after someone shared something significant with you? And, you couldn’t figure out what to say next? Or, you may be a good listener already, but you would like to be able to offer more welcoming questions or more sensitive responses?

This “retreat/shop” (a retreat and workshop woven into one) is designed to offer you opportunities to practice and develop deeper listening skills in a hospitable space. Listening deeply to one another is a gift anyone can give, and it can be transformational! Deep listening involves listening to yourself, to God, and to another person. It is a skill to be learned, practiced and developed in the context of community. Come join us for a morning of deep listening, probably some laughter, and learning together.

In a world of constant noise, it can be hard to hear ourselves, let alone others and God. But we know that listening to God, self, and others is vital for us on our journey. And that community is where this happens! I hope to see you there!

And, for furthering your journey of listening… Coracle has a collection of resources for helping us hear God, and we invite you to take some time away for this practice, as hearing God helps us hear our true selves and listen well to those around us. One way is to take a retreat for a day (or more!) out at Corhaven. Another is to set aside an hour or two out of your schedule, and we invite you to take advantage of our dedicated “retreat room” at the Coracle Center. You can make a reservation any time, the room is open 7 days a week.