Contemplative Retreats
We invite you to join us January 17th-19th, 2025
Come away with a small community of fellow pilgrims to Cedarbrake Renewal Center in Temple, TX for a spiritual retreat —> rest, movement, meditation, life-giving rhythms, creativity, connection, nourishing meals, and a beautiful setting in the woods of north central Texas.
Our hope is to cultivate a space for us to center ourselves in God’s loving presence and discover a deeper sense of clarity, compassion, curiosity, and calm. (We have more C’s but that’s sufficient for now.)
The Details
Hosts: Catherine & Dustin
Catherine Johnston is a pastor at Austin New Church, graduate student, nature-lover, writer, and mother of three. She feels called to invite others into spiritual spaces of connection, creativity, presence, and play. You can find some of her work at In Between.
Dustin Hite is a spiritual director, missional neighbor at Community First! Village, husband to a swiftie, and a father of two. He has training in Ignatian spirituality and has been leading contemplative retreats for a decade. He loves to create spaces of deep presence, peace, and reflection.
Cost: $375
Includes: 2 nights lodging in private room/bathroom with a small sitting area, 5 meals, drinks, snacks, access to Cedarbrake’s lodge and grounds with trails to explore, outdoor sit spots, prayer labyrinth, and countless stars on a clear night.
Theme: “Building our Capacity for Love”
When we are in an environment that is supportive for our overall flourishing, we become more integrated and love comes more easily: Love for ourselves with a deeper sense of self-worth, Love for others through empathy and acceptance, and love flowing both to & from the Divine. In addition to intentional rhythms and holistic spiritual practices, we’ll also be reflecting upon the intersection of several models for human flourishing, including the Enneagram, the Critical Journey, and Interpersonal Neurobiology.
Next Steps:
We are hoping to finalize registration by December 15th. Questions? Contact Catherine or Dustin
Fill out this form and then you can Venmo Dustin here or make 4 payments of $95.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
- Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30 (Message)
“And yet the soul, despite its toughness, is also essentially shy—just like a wild animal. It will flee from the noisy crowd and seek safety in the deep underbrush. If we want to see a wild animal, we know that the last thing we should do is go crashing through the woods yelling for it to come out! But if we will walk into the woods quietly and sit at the base of a tree, breathing with the earth and fading into our surroundings, the wild creature we seek may eventually show up.”
— Parker Palmer