A Personal Retreat (Half day) A time out to consider a theme at a deeper level. Allowing ourselves to become more aware of our soul and spirit within the context of our Christian faith. Jesus himself often went away on his own to begin to know the will of His father. Your retreat may well be on your own. You may be at home or have chosen to go away for the day (whatever works for you). You may have chosen to spend the day with others, sharing the experience and listening to how each person feels about the retreat. You will need access to a device that can play MP3 files. If this is a personal retreat, a tablet or even smartphone will suffice with head phones. In a group, you will need audio output to speakers, and you will find it useful to print this document – one for each attendee. It’s good to have a few things around you (though not too much that you are overly distracted). Most important is a notepad, pencil and rubber to capture a thought. A bible is not essential, but you may feel you would like one to hand. Setting the scene: Some people like to create a space with a candle or icon. If this is you, you might like to prepare something such as a tea tray with a few items. There are three points during the retreat time when you are asked for an activity. This is often a walk, which enables reflection (thoughts on what you have just heard). A physical activity is important, it helps the body move and invigorates our mind and soul. However, this will depend upon your mobility and your surroundings. Think of something that would work for you, a change from sitting, notice how you are responding to the theme, write down your thoughts and if you are with others today – share your thoughts and feelings if you can. The length of the retreat is very much down to the individual (or group members). Each audio file is between five & ten minutes. We suggest around forty minutes for each activity – though this is your time, use it well. Just follow the itinerary and let it guide you through your retreat. Your feedback to us is always welcome, questions and thoughts. Please email: innershell01@gmail.com Audio files may be found here: https://soundcloud.com/user-532428054/sets/virtual-retreat-holiness-path
Credit image: Sacred Space 102fm
Itinerary Make yourself comfortable Audio file one: Holiness (introduction, music “Purify my heart” and teaching) time 23 mins Activity one – Walk / reflection Audio file two: Path (welcome back, music “The power of your love” and teaching) time 13 mins Activity two – walk / reflection Audio file three: The onward journey (welcome back, teaching and music “Draw me close to you”) time 10 mins Activity three – walk / reflection Audio file four: Close (welcome back, close and music “No longer I”) time 5 mins
Refiners Fire Purify my heart Let me be as gold and precious silver Purify my heart Let me be as gold, pure gold Refiner's fire My heart's one desire Is to be holy Set apart for You, Lord I choose to be holy Set apart for You, my Master Ready to do Your will Purify my heart Cleanse me from within And make me holy Purify my heart Cleanse me from my sin Deep within Refiner's fire My heart's one desire Is to be holy Set apart for You, Lord I choose to be holy Set apart for You, my Master Ready to do Your will Songwriters: DOERKSEN BRIAN ROBERT Refiner's Fire lyrics © MERCY VINEYARD PUBLISHING, MSI MUSIC ADMINISTRATION OBO MERCY/VINEYARD PUB, MSI MUSIC ADMINISTRATION OBO VINEYARD SONGS CANADA
The Power of Your Love Lord I come to You Let my heart be changed, renewed Flowing from the grace That I've found in You Lord I've come to know The weaknesses I see in me Will be stripped away By the power of Your love Hold me close Let Your love surround me Bring me near Draw me to Your side And as I wait I'll rise up like the eagle And I will soar with You Your Spirit leads me on In the power of Your love Lord unveil my eyes Let me see You face to face The knowledge of Your love As You live in me Lord renew my mind As Your will unfolds in my life In living every day By the power of Your love
Songwriters: Geoff Bullock
Hold me close Let Your love surround me
Bring me near Draw me to Your side And as I wait I'll rise up like the eagle And I will soar with You Your Spirit leads me on In the power of Your love Hold me close Let Your love surround me Bring me near Draw me to Your side And as I wait I'll rise up like the eagle And I will soar with You Your Spirit leads me on In the power of Your love And I will soar with You Your Spirit leads me on In the power of Your love And I will soar with You Your Spirit leads me on In the power of Your love
Power of Your Love lyrics Š Warner/Chappell Music, Inc, Universal Music Publishing Group, Music Services, Inc
Draw me close to you Draw me close to you Never let me go I lay it all down again To hear you say that I'm your friend You are my desire No one else will do 'Cause nothing else can take your place To feel the warmth of your embrace Help me find the way Bring me back to you You're all I want You're all I've ever needed You're all I want Help me know you are near Draw me close to you Never let me go I lay it all down again To hear you say that I'm your friend You are my desire No one else will do 'Cause nothing else can take your place To feel the warmth of your embrace Help me find the way Bring me back to you You're all I want You're all I've ever needed You're all I want Help me know you are near You're all I want You're all I've ever needed You're all I want Help me know you are near Help me know you are near Help me know you are near Songwriters: Kelly Carpenter / Mark Hayes Draw Me Close lyrics Š Music Services, Inc
No Longer I No longer I, but Christ who lives within me This poverty; a treasure rich beyond compare The life we live is not our own Christ is within us, the seed that must be sown Formed in the pattern of God's love We die to rise with the Lord No longer I, but Christ who lives within me This poverty; a treasure rich beyond compare We have been clothed now in Christ Children of freedom, of justice and new life To Him whose dying set us free We give our lives, our liberty No longer I, but Christ who lives within me This poverty; a treasure rich beyond compare No longer I, but Christ who lives within me This poverty; a treasure rich beyond compare John Michael Talbot
Resources Bible refences etc: Malachi 3:1-5 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years. “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Zechariah 13:9 This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’” Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. John 4:24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 42: 1-2 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? Psalm 84: 1-2 How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Proverbs 4:11 I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Romans 8:27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. Psalm 139: 1-3 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Mathew 12:25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. Psalm 51:6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.