Rev. Michelle's Message August 15, 2024

Last weekend I took a much-needed solo retreat in the Santa Cruz Mountains to rest, restore, revitalize, and reinvigorate myself physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I stayed at the famous Mushroom Dome, one of the first Airbnb properties to achieve viral status. It is almost always booked, but I lucked out. The Mushroom Dome is a tiny home with a geometric dome ceiling, located on a beautiful 10-acre property in the mountains above Aptos. I was able to spend the whole weekend simply sitting outside on the deck, reading my book, listening to the birds, and gazing upon my own little redwood grove. I ate healthy food, did a little hiking, and slept as much as I wanted.

When I go on these types of retreats, I have a very specific purpose in mind–to reconnect with God, with nature, and with myself, as well as to rest deeply and spend time in the silence. And so I spent most of the time praying, meditating, doing some breathwork, reading, and practicing simply “being” instead of “doing.”

It is so important for all of us to take such spiritual retreats. It doesn’t have to be a whole weekend spent in a cabin in the woods. It could be a day, half-day, or even a few hours. Your personal retreat could take place in a library, a church, or even your own backyard, park, or other special location in nature. The important thing is that we set aside some very intentional time to connect with God and to experience the silence. A spiritual retreat can be as structured or unstructured as you like! See me if you would like help planning your own solo retreat.

Dedicating intentional time to nurturing ourselves spiritually will render many benefits. The great mystics have always spent time alone in spiritual retreat. As the following verses illustrate, even Jesus regularly took time apart from his healing and ministry work to pray, to be with God, and to be in silence.

And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone… (Matthew 14:23)

And my personal favorite:

But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:6)

You know I always return from my adventures with stories and insights gleaned from nature, and this time was no different. I look forward to sharing some of these with you this Sunday!

Restful Blessings,

Rev. Michelle