Advent is a time of making room, clearing away the clutter and busyness of our everyday life and offering ourselves as empty space to the holy that will come.

Episcopal priest Jeanne Finan will offer meditations, prayers and poetry around the retreat theme of creating holy space and celebrating sacred emptiness.

Participants will also contemplate the dimensional meaning of holy space by creating a simple fabric prayer cloth under the guidance of artist Danby Ludgate. A prayer cloth is a simple square of fabric with symbols meaningful to the creator applied to the surface. No sewing skills are needed. The prayer cloth can be placed on a table or other surface to create a small sacred space to help focus one on the holy.

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

The holy ground of Valle Crucis 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 and deep blue sky that is Advent.

$245.00, includes program, all supplies, all meals and 3 nights lodging.

Facilitators: The Rev. Jeanne Finan, an Episcopal priest, is the rector at St. John’s in Asheville, and also an author, retreat leader and spiritual director. Danby Ludgate is a fiber artist from Charlottesville, Virginia who has created the many quilted, painted and embroidered hangings that bless the buildings of the Valle Crucis Conference Center.

This retreat will be limited to the first 20 registrations received with a minimum of 10 people. The cut off date for registrations will be Monday, November 10^th, 2007!

Please call Tom at 828-963-4453 to register or you may download a registration form off our web site at www.highsouth.com/vallecrucis