"Wilderness wandering is perhaps the most essential soulcraft practice
for contemporary Westerners who have wandered so far from nature"
-- Bill Plotkin, Soul Craft
As men, we need three things to grow in our spiritual journey: intentional heart connection with other men, a daily contemplative practice, and regular immersion in wilderness.
We invite you to join other men from our region for a "Wilderness Wandering" on December 5-6 at the Stillpoint Retreat at Rolling Ridge in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, beginning on Friday night with a shared potluck dinner between 6-7 pm followed by a reflection period. Saturday will serve as an intentional extended period of solitude in nature without distraction, incorporating an opportunity for fasting, prayer, solitude, observation, and journaling. This is not for the faint of heart. It is for those men who want to be intentional about their spiritual journey.
The group will gather early afternoon on Saturday to share reflections/observations during the wandering. At 3:30 pm Saturday, we will share a meal and move directly into the Quarterly Gathering with other men not able to join the wilderness wandering. This is the first time that we will have the Wilderness Wandering followed by the Quarterly Gathering on the same weekend!
The theme of the Wilderness Wandering and the Quarterly Gathering is “Giving Away”; a theme for fall/winter, our best selves, an advent anticipation of the incarnation, or many other directions this theme may take.
The cost for the wilderness wandering will be $25. Men can stay either at Stillpoint or set a tent nearby. A donation of $10 is requested for the cost for the Quarterly Gathering meal. Please bring some food to share for the Friday evening meal and any breakfast or other food items you may need during your wandering.
For more details or to sign-up about the Wilderness Wandering, contact Joe Wiehagen (jwiegs55@gmail.com) or Michael Downes (mjdownes14@gmail.com). To learn more about the Quarterly Gathering, contact Kevin Barwick (kevinbarwick@gmail.com). Be looking for more information.
For more about the art of "wandering" in the wilderness, read Bill Plotkin's articles on Wilderness Wandering, and the Wandering Exercise.
To find out about other events, visit our web site at: http://dc.male-spirituality.net.
Sponsored by Men as Learners and Elders, DC Region, the work of Richard Rohr and Illuman.