Sunday, December 6 - Wednesday Dec 10, 2009

$245, includes 3 nights lodging, all meals and program

 There is nothing so wise as a circle.

--Ranier Maria Rilke

 Circles have an undeniable power. Circles collect and focus us; circles soothe us and challenge us. Circles represent wholeness. Our church year circles through the seasons. The season of Advent is the beginning point of a new season, a new circle.

Advent is a time of focusing ourselves on the holy that is present in our lives and the holy that will come.

Each day follows a quiet rhythm of silence, prayer, meditative readings and creative expression. All sessions are optional, offering participants time to focus on their own holy longing in this Advent season. Some participants use the time for a silent retreat; most enjoy the conversation and companionship with others.

Participants will also contemplate the dimensional meaning of holy space by creating a group mandala of objects as well as receiving instruction to create personal mandalas on paper. The word "mandala" means circle or completion.

Episcopal priest Jeanne Finan will offer meditations, prayers and poetry around the retreat theme of sacred circles.

The holy ground of the Valle Crucis Conference Center offers a place for silence, walks in the woods and on two labyrinths, and the hospitality of simple delicious meals and comfortable, historic accommodations.

Join us for Word and worship, visual art and prayer, as we clear the way for the holy and step into the vast deep circle that begins anew with Advent.

The Rev. Jeanne Finan serves as the rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Asheville. She also leads retreats and offers spiritual direction. She is the author of Remember Your Baptism: Ten Meditations (Cowley Publications).