This past weekend retreat of 16 companions was so blessed! It was unlike any other I'd ever done--and I've done many. The meals were so delicious and we all chipped in to help with them, but it was Dave who had the lion's share of it, and he did it with much friendly calm, expertise, and loving-kindness. The retreat house was lovely and practical. The landscape and weather were fantastic.

The agenda was well thought-out and included fun ways of discovering and expressing who we are, both as individuals (our stories) and as a spiritual community. The TED talk was a good starter, as it made us aware that no one is a "one-story" person: there are many stories, many facets to our lives. One cannot put a person into a box or put a label on him or her.

One activity I particularly enjoyed was when we were each given a card with a list of everyone's name and a blank space after it.  After a minute in which we were to think of one-word descriptions of who we are, we then went around the room to each person one by one. We asked the person, "Who are you?" to which they gave a one-word answer. And vice-versa: they asked us, "Who are you?" and we answered. So at the end we each had a list of companions with the word they gave us about themselves. Then those who wanted to, asked to have all the descriptive words spoken one after the other by each companion to whom we gave it. It was wonderful and amazing what I learned about others and especially about myself.

Another activity concerned finding out how people (1) felt about Evolve Chesapeake by giving it a sort of "rating" and (2) thought about it more deeply. There was a fun way of doing this! Sheets of newsprint were taped to the walls. They had many blocks on them, each with a word or two depicting the life of our spiritual community, such as: sacred gatherings, the four paths, liturgy, alternative liturgy, inclusive language, songs, hymns, communion, readings, pastor, reflections, chants, body prayer, movement, Matthew Fox, creation spirituality, prayer, worship, silence, praise, etc. We were encouraged to consider each facet and write a comment, suggestion, or whatever we wished and tape it on the appropriate blocks. The other part of the activity was to place tiny pieces of paper with these same words into our choices of 5 paper bags to rate them according to dislike, somewhat dislike, neutral, somewhat like, and like. When all was put together, we had a pretty good picture of what was working for us as a whole and what we might improve on. We had really good, honest discussions in which everyone's opinions were respected and valued.

What I loved most--though it was hard to pick a favorite--was when we were asked to express how we encounter the Divine. We could use arts and crafts materials, a song, a dance, a poem or an essay--most anything imaginable. And our imaginations soared even beyond these modes! We were given a couple hours to do this in a relaxed way. And by the depth of the responses, it was clear how much we trusted one another and cared about each another. It was an awesome and sacred gift. We got to know each other in a new and deeper way.

At the end we were asked to consider what it meant to have done all the things we did together during the retreat, and where to go with what we learned. What consequences does it have for Evolve Chesapeake ? Also, how can we share this with those in our community who were not with us? Then, how can we share it with the larger community--our neighborhoods, workplaces, meeting places, etc? It was very interesting. And all you Companions were there with us in our hearts, as well as those who will come join us in the future.