Golden and Green Retreat: Blessing the Earth in “Re-fire-ment”

This gathering is specifically designed for those already living in “re-fire-ment” and those preparing for it. We will gather around the opportunity to explore  practical strategies and spiritual practices to bless the Earth when we have the time and patience to do so! The idea for this program was birthed by a portion of a poem from William Butler Yeats who was himself reflecting on the opportunity to use the “golden” years of life for responding to our own sense of having been blessed by blessing others…

My fiftieth year had come and gone,
I sat, a solitary man,
In a crowded London shop,
An open book and empty cup
On the marble table-top.
While on the shop and street I gazed
My body of a sudden blazed;
And twenty minutes more or less
It seemed, so great my happiness,
That I was blessed and could bless.
-W.B. Yeats

Participants can expect both input from a variety of ecologically focused individuals and organizations as well as activities that will foster reflection and personal engagement. Come prepared to share your own stories and practices of blessings the earth.

Leaders:

Peter Scott is a re-fired United Church Minister and served as Executive Minister of  London Conference. Peter has planted acres of tall grass prairie and thousands of trees. He brings a quiet, persistent commitment to blessing the Earth.

Rivkah Unland is the Program Director at Five Oaks. She is a United Church Minister with experience leading wilderness canoe trips as well as retreats for people of all ages.  Rivkah comes with a strong passion for ecology and eco-spirituality and has spent many years focusing her efforts on social justice issues in Canada and Latin America.

Peter Kingsbury is a retired United Church Minister and Freshwater Aquatic Biologist.
Cost: $215 (includes meals and accommodations)

For a printable flyer for this retreat, click here.

Program Details & Online Registration: