“And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there…”

- Exodus 24:12a

August 12th, 2024

Hello from the wilderness,

For those who couldn't attend, this past Saturday was the inaugural A Day Away With God solitude retreat held at Denver United Church, and it was wonderful. So much healing and deep connection with the 🕊️✨ was felt throughout the day. I'm so proud to be a part of this faith family embracing the spiritual disciplines and ancient monastic practices of silence and solitude.

In addition to my facilitating a body scan meditation, Maggie (from With-God Wellness) led us through a breath prayer, and guests were invited to participate in contemplative prayer stations we created (including solitude rooms throughout the children's wing). We ended the day with a burning ceremony around the firepit outside, an act of surrendering our heavy burdens at the foot of the cross. It was glorious!

Our prayer for attendees was that they would encounter God in new ways through this time set apart to soak in His presence, and I genuinely believe those prayers were answered. On behalf of Maggie, Pastor Daniel, and myself, a huge thank you to everyone who participated.

While at the event, I found it difficult to turn my brain off from facilitator "doing mode" and into participant "being mode." This was symbolic of how much time I generally spend living in my head— I'm either planning something or mulling over creative projects. While neither of these things is inherently wrong, spending too much time thinking about the future keeps me from being present in the "now", where God wants us to meet Him.

I love the KJV of this verse in Exodus 24:12a: "And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there…" I read this as, "Come to Me. Stay here. Be present with Me." Before God gave him the tablets with the Ten Commandments, Moses spent 40 days and 40 nights with Him atop Mount Sinai (read more about Moses’s time in the Wilderness in the blog post below).

Similarly, when we meditate on God, we intentionally sacrifice our time and attention to Jesus as an act of worship. God wants us to be present with Him in the present moment, to sit with Him in silence and solitude, but that can be really hard to do when our bodies and minds are in a chronic state of stress and overwhelm.

This is precisely where I've found myself, for the majority of the last six months in preparation for our launch, in a chronic state of stress and turmoil— living in my head that is constantly swirling with thoughts, ideas, worries, and anxieties. Sound familiar?

Over this last month of living in the forest's serenity, my heart has been crying out for even more time to be physically and mentally still. While that's not always easy for me, I am dedicated to the practice of living my life at His pace of grace and not my hurried striving. Like any muscle, this, too, requires repetition to strengthen. I know I can lean on science-backed somatic practices to help calm my nervous system into a state of “rest and digest” so that I can get back to the present moment. 

I have signed up for a "Forty for Forty" challenge to hold myself accountable. I will journal each of the forty days, and I'm excited to share my experience with you. In the meantime, don't miss out on the latest content drop.

Blessings of silence and solitude upon you,

Jennifer

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