Invitation to Retreat
Jesus invites us to be with him, offering our full and undivided attention to him. When we choose retreat, we make a generous investment in our friendship with Christ. We are not always generous with ourselves where God is concerned. Many of us have tried to incorporate regular times of solitude and silence into the rhythm of our ordinary lives, which may mean that we give God twenty minutes here and half an hour there. And there’s no question we are better for it! But we need more. Indeed, we long for more.
In these pages Transforming Center founder and seasoned spiritual director Ruth Haley Barton gently leads us into retreat as a key practice that opens us to God. Based on her own practice and her experience leading hundreds of retreats for others, she will guide you in a very personal exploration of seven specific invitations contained within the general invitation to retreat. You will discover how to say yes to God's winsome invitation to greater freedom and surrender.
There has never been a time when the invitation to retreat is so radical and so relevant, so needed and so welcome. It is not a luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual life.
"A wise new guide to retreat, dealing not just with practical questions on how but the even more significant why. Ruth Haley Barton reminds us we need to pause, rest, relent, and let God take charge. She mentions many guides and wisdom figures, but the best is God's Spirit working in us when we let go. I was struck by her final chapter about coming back from retreat strengthened to bless others who need our counsel. Invitation to Retreat is powerful."