Free to Live: Forgiveness as a Path to Freedom
Friday, March 4 – Sunday, March 6, 2016
Led by Sr. Elizabeth Broyles, CMA
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. – The Lord’s Prayer
Jesus, teaching us to pray, makes forgiveness central to the lives of his followers. Yet we often forget it is possible to forgive and be forgiven. We sometimes treat it as optional and even fail to take in that we are promised forgiveness by God when we repent. Why is this so difficult? To claim the freedom offered us in Christ we need to forgive and be forgiven in relationship to God, each other and ourselves. This retreat will explore the practice of forgiveness—seeking it, offering it and receiving it. To enable us to live into the practice we will ponder what forgiveness is and is not in the scriptures and other spiritual writings. Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on forgiveness in their own lives and focus on some ways to move deeper into the practice and experience. Bring a journal!
Sr. Elizabeth delights in accompanying people in their faith journeys through retreat leadership, teaching spiritual practices and providing spiritual direction. She is co-founder of the Companions of Mary the Apostle, an ecumenical religious community for people of all genders. An Episcopal priest for the last 20 years, she came to ministry in response to perceiving a deep need of God’s life-giving presence to heal the hearts and lives of those with whom she worked in a secular setting. In recent years Sr. Elizabeth has been drawn to focusing on forgiveness as essential to Christian life and journey whether one seeks healing and transformation for oneself or the ability to love and be loved more fully in relationship to God, neighbor and self.
Cost: $275, deposit: $80