The Language of Lament Silent Retreat Guide

Downloadable digital copy of the Silent Retreat Guide. 

This guide walks through the practice of Lament in these spaces:

- Lingering: Stay long enough with the sorrow to see and feel it.
- Letting it Out: Let out our thoughts and our emotions.
- Letting Ourselves Rest: Find that God holds us and all that is within us.
- Longing for More: Express our desires and our longings.
- Living in Hope: To keep moving and giving.

Noise is not new. No matter where and when there has been noise in our world. Noise outside ourselves and within. In this noise are voices. Voices from our past and even our present. The voice of fear of the future. True voices and false ones. Repeated voices and wounding voices. How do we quiet all the noise and hear God’s voice?

One way is through the spiritual practices of solitude and silence. This practice gives us an opportunity to make way for God’s voice in the sea of voices. It gives us the opportunity to be quiet, settle, and focus on hearing God’s voice.

This guide is a way of giving you a framework for your time of solitude and silence. And let it be just that - a guide and framework. No need to rush through or complete the guide. Move within and outside the guide as you need. If you get to wandering too far, use the guide to bring you back to your time with God.

Our hope and prayer is that this time draws you nearer to our God and strengthens you in heart, mind, body, and soul.