Haiku as Spiritual Practice

March 26-27, 2010
4:00 pm Friday - Supper Saturday
Retreat House


After the snowstorm
Quiet and stillness hover
Heaven and earth kiss.

Haiku as Spiritual Practice

A Retreat at Rolling Ridge Retreat Center Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

March 26 - 27, 2010

 “In paying attention to small things, the haiku poet honors the sacredness of everyday life.”

-- Margaret D. McGee, author of Haiku – the Sacred Art


A “haiku” is a simple three line form of poetry with a syllabic pattern of 5-7-5. On the surface, it is about something we see in nature. But at its core a haiku unveils something profound and treasured – that which resonates with one’s heart. In the end it is not about the words; it is about what happens when we truly take the time to pay attention and notice.

The process of writing haiku, and illustrating it if you like, helps us to experience a new awareness and to appreciate the beauty and wonder of the moment. It is an opportunity to realize our deep connection to the natural world, the Creator, and each other. It is a playful art form that awakens our senses, opens our mind and heart, and transforms the participant.

Leader: Trish Stefanik, contemplative artist and retreat leader, is a resident of Rolling Ridge and has been inspired by the forested mountain wilderness to compose haiku.

For more information and to register, see www.rollingridge.net or call 304-725-4301.

Advance registration is necessary. The cost is $75, which includes lodging, meals, and program materials. Participants are welcome to arrive and settle in at the Retreat House beginning 4 pm on Friday. Dinner will be served at 6:30. The retreat will conclude after dinner Saturday night. For those who would like to stay on their own for another night at the Retreat House, the total retreat fee is $95. Please make checks payable to RRSRC and mail to: Rolling Ridge, 186 Tupelo Lane, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425.

Download PDF Flyer

Seasonal Quiet Days at Rolling Ridge

WINTER -- Stillness and Listening
March 3, 2010
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Retreat House

 

Seasonal Quiet Days

At Rolling Ridge Retreat Center,
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

“Come away…and rest a while.”
Mk 6:31


What would happen if we took time aside from our ordinary busy weekday schedules simply to pray and reflect in a natural place apart? What would it mean to the ‘rest of our lives’ if we took one day every few months for silent retreat? How might we grow in our relationship with God?

These four quiet days during the year offer you the opportunity to rest in the beauty of Creation’s varied seasons. They are a time apart to look and see, listen and hear in new ways. They are a chance to be nurtured by guided reflection around the seasonal themes, meditative walks in the woods, journaling and art, and the companioning presence of each other in prayer and sacred silence.

Leader:  Trish Stefanik, contemplative artist and retreat leader, is a resident at Rolling Ridge and member of St. Agnes Catholic Church.

Each day is 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Advance registration is necessary. No cost, donations welcome. Please bring a bag lunch. For more information contact Trish at tstefanik@aol.com or call 304-725-4301. See www.rollingridge.net for directions. Overnight accommodations are available at the Retreat House for a small fee.  

WINTER: Stillness and Listening
Wednesday, March 3
During Lent, gather in the stillness of the trees and in front of the Retreat House hearth to listen within for God’s word. 

SPRING: Awakening and Newness
Wednesday, May 12
Easter heralded rebirth and challenges us to new awareness. Explore the budding landscape and discover what is awakening for you.   

SUMMER: Delight and Abundance
Wednesday, July 28
Join the chorus of birdsong and pray gratitude for the longer days and abounding blessings of the earth and your life.

FALL: Trust and Surrender
Wednesday, October 20
The wind picks up, the leaves turn and fall “home.” We are called to trust and let go deeper into God’s loving embrace.

Download PDF Flyer

Peace Pilgrimage 2010 -- A Gospel Beginning

A New Year's Celebration in the Spirit of Taize
December 31 - January 3, 2010
Rolling Ridge and Still Point Retreat Center

Peace Pilgrimage 2010
A Gospel Beginning

A New Year's Celebration
of Daily Prayer and Community
In the Spirit of Taize
with Stefan Andre Waligur

Rolling Ridge and Still Point Retreat Centers
December 31 - January 3, 2010

In August 2009, more than 300 people came together for the first Pilgrimage of Peace at Rolling Ridge, where for one month we gathered in a daily rhythm of sung prayer, silence, shared meals, common work, conversation, reflection, and play.

It was an exciting time -- a little community was being born. And now perhaps an ecumenical monastic community like Taize is emerging with your loving support. We want to take a second step and joyfully invite you and your friends to come to a New Year 2010 Pilgrimage of Peace at Still Point and Rolling Ridge.

From Thursday December 31 at 4:00 pm to Sunday January 3 at 4:00 pm, we'll sing and pray, share together in silence and conversation, work and play.

Come for a part of a day, a day, or a few days. Come alone or with your friends. Come with your children or your animal friends. All are welcome. There is no set fee for this time, though we will take up daily contributions to help out with the lodging and food expenses.

Help us spread the word, and share your gifts, including food! Together we'll bring the New Year in and together we'll take a second step in co-creating a Community of Peace. Together we'll search for the sources of peace.

"I seek the One whom my soul loves..." Song of Solomon

To register e-mail swaligur@yahoo.com and let us know how long you'll be staying so we can plan to welcome you.

Looking forward to seeing you!

Your little brother,
Stefan

Email: swaligur@yahoo.com
Phone: 901.570.1439
Web: www.songsofpeace.net

Stefan Andre Waligur is a contemplative musician/composer, retreat leader, and peace activist connected for many years with the Church of the Saviour in Washington DC. For the past ten years Stefan has been going to Taize, an ecumenical Christian monastic community in France where most weeks during spring and summer between one and six thousand young people descend upon the small community to join them three times a day in simple chants, common meals, reflection on questions of spirituality and social justice, and simple work and play.

A prayer has been forming in Stefan ever since his first visit: Has the time come to create for this country an ecumenical monastic community of both men and women that is self supportive, is devoted to simplicity, creates a beautiful sung prayer, has a heart for the poor, and offers a deep welcome to all who come to visit?

Here in the United States there is a great need for such a community: a community that unifies the Body of Christ and engages both the inner life of prayer and at the same time struggles to respond to the social and political injustices of our time.

Peace Pilgrimage 2010 web: www.rollingridge.net
Stefan Waligur phone: 901.570.1439
129 Jubilee Lane e-mail: swaligur@yahoo.com
Harpers Ferry, WV 25425

A Day Away

For Pastors and Church Leaders
December 14, 2009
10:00 am - 1:00 pm or 4:00 pm
Retreat House

Throughout his ministry, Jesus regularly took time to withdraw to a quiet place, to reflect and pray.

Retreat and rest is vital, and yet busy schedules often prevent us from setting aside the time we need.

We invite you to join us on the second Monday of each month for "A Day Away," a Sabbath day especially set aside for pastors and church leaders at Rolling Ridge Study Retreat Community.

 

Rhythm of the Day

We will gather at the Retreat House at 10:00 a.m. for brief input, followed by your own time for prayer and reflection. Lunch will be served at noon. Retreatants may choose to leave at 1:00, or stay until 4:00 to hike the trails, sit quietly in the Meditation Shelter, get creative in the Art Cottage, or settle into a room to journal, rest or pray.

Second Mondays

"A Day Away" for pastors and church leaders will take place the second Monday of each month. The day is offered at no cost to attendees. Donations are accepted. Join us as often as you wish!

RSVP

Please let us know you will be attending by calling 304-724-6653 or emailing us at community@rollingridge.net. But if you forget to let us know in advance, come anyway!

About Rolling Ridge

Rolling Ridge Study Retreat Community is a non-profit, ecumenical retreat center, begun in 1986. It is located on 1400 acres of wilderness land in the Blue Ridge mountains. Facilities include a Retreat House, Meditation Shelter, and an Art Cottage.

Private Retreats

In addition, the Retreat House is frequently available during the week for private retreats. Please call the staff community at 304-724-6653 to schedule a time.

Directions

From Charles Town or Martinsburg: Go east on Route 9. After crossing the Shenandoah River, go one mile and then turn right on Mission Road. Go 6.3 miles, and turn left at the Rolling Ridge sign onto the gravel road (still called Mission Road). Go one mile and turn right at the intersection, following Mission Road. Go .3 miles and turn left at Christ Church Road, following the signs for Retreat House.

A Meditative Retreat During a Season of Advent

Awaiting Enablement in the Midst of a Broken World
December 4-5, 2009
7 pm Friday night - Supper Saturday night
Retreat House

A MEDITATIVE RETREAT DURING A SEASON OF ADVENT

Rolling Ridge Retreat House
December 4–5, 2009
Awaiting Enablement in the Midst of a Broken World

Introduction to the Retreat

The season of Advent is for us an annual invitation to quietly reflect on sources of hope for humans even in the contexts of despair or disablement. This persisting need for advents which can restore or enable living with brokenness is evident in writings of our spiritual ancestors in scriptures as well as recognized in the brokenness of our contemporary world with it’s massive extents of human suffering. In this retreat we will allow images in various texts to evoke our respective personal images of despair and disablement, and then to claim for ourselves the hope-filled potential of Advent in our contemporary world.K

Verle and Vivian of Rolling Ridge Study Retreat Community will facilitate our meditative reading of selected scriptures, poems, and other prose on our theme. For those so inclined, retreat participants are invited to also share poems or prose of their own choosing or which they have written. The retreat format is principally interactive, with some times of solitude for reflection. The readings have been experienced by us as a good vehicle for reflecting on the topic of this retreat.

Poems and Prose for Reflections in Gathered and Solitary Times During Retreat

On Friday evening of the retreat each participant will receive a set of readings (prose or poems) which each participant may read meditatively during personal solitude before retiring into sleep. The goal is to allow such texts to evoke one’s personal images of brokenness in our world or personal disablement, along with images which portend a hope-filled living in relationship to them.

  • Selected Texts in Old and New Testaments
  • A Litany of Our Broken World
  • Wisdom Witnesses to an Alternative Relationship to Earth
  • A Witness to Creation
  • What Is Disability
  • The Meaning of Illness
  • Who Is Disabled
  • The Peace of Wild Things
  • The Disabled and the Astilbe
  • And Now Blind Dad
  • About Others
  • Telling a Beech By It’s Bark
  • What Child Is This?
  • Light On Aging and Dying
  • Mortality and Hope
  • Embracing All Our Destiny

The Order of Retreat

December 4 – Friday:

Gathering for Dinner: 7:00 pm
Becoming acquainted

Gathering at Eight-thirty
Listening to readings from biblical ancestors, yearning for salvation from circumstances of despair or disablement, juxtaposed with readings on the memories of the goodness of the Creator’s earth.

Evening prayers
Entering the great silence at nine-thirty until beginning of breakfast on Saturday

December 5 – Saturday

Gathering for Breakfast: 8:30 am
Listening to a story reader in silence during breakfast.

A Morning Walk on Rolling Ridge Trails: 9:30 am (weather permitting)

Gathering: 10:30 am
Listening to readings – interspersed reflections – shared insights about enablement reflected in the texts.

Lunch and Conversation: 12:30 pm

Gathering: 2:00 pm
Continued reading of texts, including poems and stories selected/written by participants

Candle Light Tea: 3:30 pm
A call to claim and embrace Advent in our lives.

Gathering for an Advent Dinner: 5:00 pm

Depart for Home: 6:00 pm

Instructions on registering for retreat.

  • Please register by Wednesday, November 25.
  • The registration fee is $50, which may be paid at the time of arriving at retreat.
  • To register contact Verle or Vivian at tel. 304-725-2312, or e-mail at Vvatrr@juno.com.
  • Upon receiving your registration we will send a letter of confirmation with more details and directions to Rolling Ridge.

We look forward to sharing in this retreat with you.

A Shadow Practice Intensive for Men

Led by Jim O'Neill
November 20-22, 2009
7 pm Friday night - Lunch Sunday
Still Point Retreat Cabin

A Shadow Practice Intensive for Men

Led by Jim O'Neill
at Still Point Retreat Cabin
November 20-22, 2009
7pm Friday night - Sunday lunch

"One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious" -- C.G. Jung

Rage, jealousy, lying, resentment, blaming, greed -- these forbidden feelings and behaviors arise from the dark, denied part of ourselves- the personal shadow. Everyone has a shadow, which begins in childhood as a result of stuffing away negative feelings in order to build a proper ego. We encounter our shadow when we feel an unexplainable dislike of someone, when we uncover a long-buried, unacceptable trait in ourselves, or when we feel overwhelmed by anger, envy, or shame.

Jim O’Neill has been involved in menswork for the past 20 years. He has lead bible study groups, lectured on Male spirituality, and co-founded Mid-Atlantic M.A.L.E.s (Men as Learners and Elders). He has been active in the Philadelphia area Mankind Project New Warrior training and has been a teaching elder at a Men’s Rite of Passage held in NY in 2008. He has studied Jungian psychoanalysis under Robert Moore, Ph.D. and has recently completed a graduate course of study on Shadow at John F. Kennedy University. He has an Integral Life Practice of yoga, reading and study, meditation and shadow work. He is a professionally trained chiropractor and has been a sales consultant for the Association for the Study of Internal Fixation for the past 23 years. He has a passion to bring a daily shadow practice into the lives of men on a spiritual path. He is a husband of 34 years, a father of two grown daughters, and lives in West Chester, PA with his wife Claire.

This shadow practice intensive is designed to create a safe container for men to explore the nature of their own shadow and learn one or two practical techniques that can be used on a daily basis to engage shadow as it shows up in daily life. This Friday night through Sunday afternoon intensive is intended for a man who is serious about his spiritual journey. A recommended reference text is the book, Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature, Zweig and Abrams, Tracher/Penguin, 1991.

Cost of retreat is $75 for lodging, food and program expenses. Please contact Bob Sabath for more information: bsabath@rollingridge.net

Rolling Ridge Annual Meeting

A Day of Celebration and Story Telling
November 14, 2009
9:30 am - 6:00 pm
Retreat House

Rolling Ridge Annual Meeting

Saturday, November 14, 2009
at the Retreat House

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me,
and daily.
-- Mary Oliver
 
You are invited for a day of celebration, story-telling and reflection about events and happenings "among the trees" at Rolling Ridge during the year past. Come to listen and to share experiences of those in the partner group communities who spent time here; as we gather stories about moments small and significant, large and transformational, or quiet and grace-filled in the sacred spaces provided by the embrace of woodlands and the vessel of community. We hope you will join us for this annual time of renewal, celebration, gratitude and sharing among the larger circle of Rolling Ridge friends.

9:30 - Start the Day with Coffee and Muffins

Be welcomed with coffee, tea, breads, muffins and fruit.

10:00-11:30 - Meet with Rolling Ridge Members and Friends

Reflect on our year together,
listen to news and reports about the year,
elect new board members and officers,
gather up our stories.

We will close our time of story-telling
with Deborah Good reading from Long After I'm Gone,
the memoir she wrote with her Dad, Nelson.

12:00 - Share a Potluck Lunch

Bring your favorite seasonal dish --
enjoy an array of delectable dishes
brought and prepared to nurture body and soul.

(Questions about what to bring can be sent to
Carolyn Brock at ccbrock@matrixmeasurements.com)

1:00-4:00 - Continue To Celebrate and Reflect by Choosing To:

Plant daffodils around the Retreat House with Jackie and Charlotte (please bring bulbs).
 
Reflect, envision and work on the Memorial Garden with Janelle.
 
Check in on the progress of Woodhaven, the fifth staff home with Scot and Linda.

4:00-5:00 - Listen to Songs by Jesse Paledofsky

We conclude our day with an hour of song
and more stories with Jesse Paledofsky
who stayed at the River House for three months
and wrote some original songs about Rolling Ridge.

5:00 - Enjoy a Dinner Together

A light meal of scrumptious leftovers
or snacks for the road.

The Retreat House is available for those who would like to come the day before
or stay for the day after the annual meeting. Please RSVP and let us know if you are planning to stay overnight at the Retreat House

A Day Away

For Pastors and Church Leaders
November 9, 2009
10:00 am - 1:00 pm or 4:00 pm
Retreat House

Throughout his ministry, Jesus regularly took time to withdraw to a quiet place, to reflect and pray.

Retreat and rest is vital, and yet busy schedules often prevent us from setting aside the time we need.

We invite you to join us on the second Monday of each month for "A Day Away," a Sabbath day especially set aside for pastors and church leaders at Rolling Ridge Study Retreat Community.

 

Rhythm of the Day

We will gather at the Retreat House at 10:00 a.m. for brief input, followed by your own time for prayer and reflection. Lunch will be served at noon. Retreatants may choose to leave at 1:00, or stay until 4:00 to hike the trails, sit quietly in the Meditation Shelter, get creative in the Art Cottage, or settle into a room to journal, rest or pray.

Second Mondays

"A Day Away" for pastors and church leaders will take place the second Monday of each month. The day is offered at no cost to attendees. Donations are accepted. Join us as often as you wish!

RSVP

Please let us know you will be attending by calling 304-724-6653 or emailing us at community@rollingridge.net. But if you forget to let us know in advance, come anyway!

About Rolling Ridge

Rolling Ridge Study Retreat Community is a non-profit, ecumenical retreat center, begun in 1986. It is located on 1400 acres of wilderness land in the Blue Ridge mountains. Facilities include a Retreat House, Meditation Shelter, and an Art Cottage.

Private Retreats

In addition, the Retreat House is frequently available during the week for private retreats. Please call the staff community at 304-724-6653 to schedule a time.

Directions

From Charles Town or Martinsburg: Go east on Route 9. After crossing the Shenandoah River, go one mile and then turn right on Mission Road. Go 6.3 miles, and turn left at the Rolling Ridge sign onto the gravel road (still called Mission Road). Go one mile and turn right at the intersection, following Mission Road. Go .3 miles and turn left at Christ Church Road, following the signs for Retreat House.

A Day Away

For Pastors and Church Leaders
October 12, 2009
10:00 am - 1:00 pm or 4:00 pm
Retreat House

Throughout his ministry, Jesus regularly took time to withdraw to a quiet place, to reflect and pray.

Retreat and rest is vital, and yet busy schedules often prevent us from setting aside the time we need.

We invite you to join us on the second Monday of each month for "A Day Away," a Sabbath day especially set aside for pastors and church leaders at Rolling Ridge Study Retreat Community.

 

Rhythm of the Day

We will gather at the Retreat House at 10:00 a.m. for brief input, followed by your own time for prayer and reflection. Lunch will be served at noon. Retreatants may choose to leave at 1:00, or stay until 4:00 to hike the trails, sit quietly in the Meditation Shelter, get creative in the Art Cottage, or settle into a room to journal, rest or pray.

Second Mondays

"A Day Away" for pastors and church leaders will take place the second Monday of each month. The day is offered at no cost to attendees. Donations are accepted. Join us as often as you wish!

RSVP

Please let us know you will be attending by calling 304-724-6653 or emailing us at community@rollingridge.net. But if you forget to let us know in advance, come anyway!

About Rolling Ridge

Rolling Ridge Study Retreat Community is a non-profit, ecumenical retreat center, begun in 1986. It is located on 1400 acres of wilderness land in the Blue Ridge mountains. Facilities include a Retreat House, Meditation Shelter, and an Art Cottage.

Private Retreats

In addition, the Retreat House is frequently available during the week for private retreats. Please call the staff community at 304-724-6653 to schedule a time.

Directions

From Charles Town or Martinsburg: Go east on Route 9. After crossing the Shenandoah River, go one mile and then turn right on Mission Road. Go 6.3 miles, and turn left at the Rolling Ridge sign onto the gravel road (still called Mission Road). Go one mile and turn right at the intersection, following Mission Road. Go .3 miles and turn left at Christ Church Road, following the signs for Retreat House.

The Spirit of Fiber

Rolling Ridge Fall Meditative Arts Retreat
October 9-11, 2009
Retreat House

The Spirit of Fiber
Fall Meditative Arts Retreat
at Rolling Ridge

October 9 – 11, 2009
Friday Evening - Sunday Afternoon

 

This retreat will give you a chance to create Braided Rugs in community using a variety of fibers. All participants will work on a braided rug that will be left at Rolling Ridge in gratitude of the land. In addition, participants will be given enough material to start their own rug. The retreat will be balanced with creative play, study, meditation, stretching, eating and free time for hikes.

Families have treasured their braided rugs for many years. They are a symbol of hearth, home, comfort, family, and love. The braided rug is a unique American craft and developed out of a need into an art. Any fiber and fabric can be used, but wool is the best choice for long term use. When we are braiding our rugs by hand for a special place like Rolling Ridge or a person, we will take part in a long tradition of making unique and functional works of art.

The welcome rug (braided, of course) has been rolled out for you! We hope you take this invitation to come away to enjoy the mountain wilderness during the fall season and create beauty with your heart and hands.

To register, email Rachel Dickerson at ama1016@yahoo.com or phone her at 202-494-1482.

Participants are welcome to arrive at the Retreat House between 5 and 7 pm on Friday night.  Dinner will be served at 6.30pm. The retreat will conclude with lunch on Sunday. Cost of the weekend is $100 (which includes materials, lodging, and meals). Space is limited! When talking to Rachel let her know if you have any special needs. Please send a $25 deposit (or the full amount) to reserve your space. Checks should be made out to RRSRC (Rolling Ridge Study Retreat Community) and mailed to: Rolling Ridge, 186 Tupelo Lane, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425.

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