Invitation to Retreat

Invitation to Retreat
The Gift and Necessity of Time Away with God
by Ruth Haley Barton

Reading this book is like having your own spiritual director sitting beside you in an armchair. Ruth Haley Barton writes in an accessible and thoughtful way. The book is unhurried and gently stirs a desire to retreat and spend more time with God. It is sensible and practical, offering life stories and practices which can be used on or before a retreat. Throughout the book, the author leads and encourages the reader to a deeper intimacy with God.

The only slight qualm I would have is that the book could be taken as a way to work on your own interior, without a clear focus on worshipping God. While I am sure this is not the author’s intention – and the book is quite clear that the purpose of a retreat is to draw near to God – it would be a shame if people used this book more as a self-help guide than as an opportunity to worship.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is feeling dry or over-stretched, or is looking to deepen their relationship with God.

I cannot get enough of this book and the thoughts that Ruth shares about retreating. I have spent so many years of ministry running and gunning only to come up short and exhausted and it hasn't been but this last year that I have come to learn the art of slowing down, filling myself up with Jesus, and then serving the people. This book has captured for me what I have been missing for almost 20 years in ministry. It is important that you read this book and realize that depth is sweeter with serving others. In fact, I have been convicted reflecting on my life thinking, what had I been offering all those people I served years ago? Now, because of my sweet time with Jesus, I know that I am now giving them Jesus. Discipleship is key, but in order to do discipleship effectively, in my humble opinion, we must spend quality time with The Master. This book was good for my soul and I am thankful for Ruth's ministry and for her sharing her heart.

Highly recommended. This book makes the case for taking quiet, alone time for yourself to discern what’s working (and not working) in your life, what God might be calling you to do, and what you might need to let go. The book is both well written and well edited, covering both the “big picture” concepts and more practical advice for your own retreat. The author offers her expertise on the subject, based on years of leading and undergoing retreats herself. She offers wise words of guidance to both the spiritually mature and to adults who simply need to take some time off to recalibrate. For those in professional ministry, she even offers tips for stepping away from the ego problems inherent in high profile ministry.

I appreciated that this book reached out to all Christians. The author includes nods to those in more Evangelical traditions, Episcopalians (including references to the Book of Common Prayer), Roman Catholics, and anyone seeking spiritual growth and refreshment. Liturgies and suggestions for retreat reading materials are included, along with differentiation between silent retreats, “preached retreats,” or purely solitary retreat time in your own space.

The imagery of this book was particularly helpful. The author paints lovely word pictures which stick with the reader and illuminate the concepts presented.

A really instructive and practical guide to rest and retreat. I found this a profound and helpful read. I particularly loved the tips at the end of each chapter and the way the author uses her personal experience within the book.
I highly recommend this read!

The Publisher’s note describes this beautiful book so perfectly I need not add more, except to say, “Yes!” And award it 5 of 5 Stars!

"’Come away and rest awhile.’ Jesus invites us to be with him, offering our full and undivided attention to him. When we choose retreat, we make a generous investment in our friendship with Christ. We are not always generous with ourselves where God is concerned. Many of us have tried to incorporate regular times of solitude and silence into the rhythm of our ordinary lives, which may mean that we give God twenty minutes here and half an hour there. And there’s no question we are better for it! But we need more. Indeed, we long for more. Here, Transforming Center founder and seasoned spiritual director Ruth Haley Barton gently leads us into retreat as a key practice that opens us to God. Based on her own practice and her experience leading hundreds of retreats for others, she will guide you in a very personal exploration of seven specific invitations contained within the general invitation to retreat. You will discover how to say yes to God's winsome invitation to greater freedom and surrender. There has never been a time when the invitation to retreat is so radical and so relevant, so needed and so welcome. It is not a luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual life.”

Pub Date 18 Sep 2018

Thanks to InterVarsity Press and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#InvitationToRetreat #NetGalley

The potential for spiritual healing in this book is significant. Barton comes across at once both an expert in the field of retreat and a co-struggler with a life that can too easily spiral out of control. The comfort of hearing from someone who doesn't cast lofty platitudes from a pedestal, who acknowledges the realities of normal life and the difficulty of getting time to reflect and regroup, is far greater than someone who might merely show up with a set of nifty ideas.

I was particularly taken by the completeness of this work. It is not merely a call to wholeness. It is not merely a how-to which can be used on a retreat of any size. It is not merely a personal account of struggle. It is all these things at once, and has value both on retreat and off.

There are parts of this book that I will certainly take on their own, part and parcel at times, but I feel like I could also take it along on a personal time of solitude over a longer period of time. It would also be a fantastic resource for a group retreat. I feel like I could take this book and facilitate a retreat with a moderate level of confidence.

Simply put, it's a great package. Put into practice, there is significant potential for personal breakthrough. What Barton has given us is the fruit of her professional career, distilled into a usable delivery system. I am certainly appreciative for her gift.

Many of us know the importance of going away on a retreat. Many don't know what to do with it. In fact, going away for a vacation may very well a busy and stressful time. Leisure time is not a retreat. Entertainment options are not necessarily the right ingredients for rest. Taking a summer break cannot be equated to a retreat. Until we learn to deal with the inner restlessness in each of us, we will continue to be addicted to the twin buddies of busyness and exhaustion. Everywhere we go, people are either busy doing something or take pride in being busy. At the end of the day, they get tired which affects everything else. In a culture infatuated with a 24/7 always available mindset, we become enslaved to external stimulants like the ping on our cell-phones or social media prompts. Some turn to alcohol or drugs to escape from the spinning world of problems and non-stop challenges. Even on leisure Sundays or vacation days, we don't really know what to do with our time, save for more activities that feed the restless soul in us. Dallas Willard says it well about setting a time intentionally to retreat from our usual stuff: "If you don't come apart for a while, you will come apart after a while." Retreat leader and popular speaker Ruth Haley Barton invites us to a time away from our everyday activities to go to a quiet place to discover ourselves and to experience God. This spiritual guide helps us not only to plan for a retreat, it offers us what to do and what not to do during a retreat. If we don't address the restlessness in each of us, any activity, including a retreat, may become another occasion for work and busyness. Quoting Emilie Griffin, a retreat is essentially a "generous commitment to our friendship with God." Beautifully put. Yes! A retreat is not something that we do for God or something we plan to do in the Name of Jesus. It is about that personal time with God and seeking to know more of the One we want to serve. A retreat is about doing something different from what we are used to do. It is about making that space with God and enjoying it. It means being generous with our time with God, and not just a pittance number of minutes we deem "devotional time." A retreat is very much counter-cultural. Barton highlights several Rs for us to get a fuller picture.

Rest from our usual work
Renewal of purpose
Relinquish things that we hold on too dearly in life
Rhythms to be aware of
Replenishing our spent selves
Recognizing and Responding to God's Presence
Recalibrating ourselves
Reengaging with God,
and so on...
What is really helpful is how the author points out the sources of our exhaustion. We often work ourselves to death, addicted to the "shoulds and woulds" of our restlessness. We find it hard to receive help from others or to ask for help. We go beyond who we really are, projecting an artificiality that we like but not our authenticity. We carry unhealed wounds and lack boundaries. Barton helps us respond meaningfully to each symptom through questions, reflections, and wise thoughts.

Even the book itself comprises several interludes in between chapters. There is a progression in the 3-part retreat framework. The first part is to establish a rhythm of retreat. We are creatures of movement. Going on a retreat is to find that rhythm, our rhythms. In fact, it is about designing an alternative rhythm that we can truly find ourselves restful. Whether it is fixed hours of prayer or community times; celebrating the Eucharist or seeing a spiritual director at stated times, we recognize that we need a way to keep the main thing the main thing. We need to find our priorities. We need to locate our center. Barton skillfully shows us the possible emotions that can appear. Emotions such as recognizing how tired or how broken we are. In creating time for God and with God, we discover our need for the Divine God. We are also advised not to overplan our retreat. Sometimes, it is better to simply sleep whatever we can and to pray. Fixed hour prayers form a core part of a spiritual retreat. This is because it helps us transcends beyond our own limitations. It increases our discernment. We learn from Jesus to let go. We are also reminded not to be deceived by "false-self patterns" primarily through our tendency to let our roles and titles define our identity. A good retreat exercise would be to learn to see our primary identity and calling in Christ alone.

Part Two of the book goes into the specifics of creating space for God. After all, that is precisely what a spiritual retreat ought to be. It is not humanistic retreat but a time and space specifically set aside to commune with God. we use silence to discern the movements of God. We learn to see God in the ordinary. We learn the art of not letting chaos and busyness cloud our priorities. We discover more of the love of God and that it is fine to let go and let God. Through a process of recalibration and renewing our spiritual freedom, we enter into that sacred time of rest and contentment in God. It would be a shame if all the rest and contentment vanishes the moment we return to the world. Part Three helps us to maintain that earnestly discovered rhythms and recalibrated spirituality. We remember the purpose of retreat: "to become more deeply grounded in God as the ultimate orienting reality of our lives, and to return to the life God has given us with renewed strength, vitality, and clarity about how we are called to be in God for the world."

My Thoughts
First, a retreat is very much about Invitations. We cannot force it into ourselves. It is about willing hearts and open hands. Willing to give up our regular activities in order to move into a different set of rhythms. Invitation leaves it up to us to decide whether we want to go for a retreat at all. Jesus who said to us in Matthew 11:28: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." It is an invitation to go to God who promises to give us respite from the world and rest in Him alone. It is important not to turn a retreat into another busy set of spiritual activities. That would defeat the purpose of a retreat altogether. I have seen many ministry peers doing exactly that, not knowing the different between a retreat, a camp, or a conference. That is why people burn out quite easily and quickly. This invitation is also something we can do on our own. We can invite ourselves to a retreat.

Second, everything needs an Interlude, even a retreat period. Interludes help us space out of various stages in ways to help us see the big picture. Like the gaps that we see on bridges, which expands or contract according to the hot or cold weather, we need to give space for ourselves to adapt to changing spiritual climate in us. If not, we could buckle under pressure. We may become frozen into inaction. I like the use of poems, prayers, and short verses to help pace ourselves in between phases. This not only slows us down, especially fast readers, it also encourages us to develop a pattern of contemplation and reflection.

Finally, for all the suggested methods in the book, we need to establish our own retreat rhythms. Barton's book is an introduction to what we could do. However, a true retreat is something that is most meaningful between God and us. There is a time in which we have community sessions. There is a time for group prayers and set period of togetherness. In a personal retreat, we need to discover what works best for us, and in the process discover ourselves and our calling in God. This book is a must have for anyone contemplating a personal retreat or planning one for others.

Ruth Haley Barton is spiritual director and popular teacher of spiritual formation and author of numerous books on spirituality. She is also adjunct professor of Spiritual Transformation at Northern Seminary.

Rating: 5 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of InterVarsity Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

This book was beautiful. Ruth Haley Barton's spiritual wisdom and eloquent writing style are incredible. I always enjoy reading anything she writes, and this was no exception. While I'm not planning a personal retreat any time soon, this book made me desire one!
The way she describes the importance of a retreat, and highlights specific practices to implement while you are there are challenging, convicting and practical. I felt like I was receiving intentional spiritual direction from Barton herself.
I will definitely be taking this book with me on the next retreat I go on - which hopefully will be sooner rather than later. I'll be working through the questions and challenges, and I know it will benefit me immensely.

What a great book. It was like a spiritual cleansing. After I read it I felt renewed. This book is very well written and a joy to read. I have always enjoyed books that bring me closer to God and this book does it. I would recommend this book.

Ruth Haley Barton is one of those authors that when I see she has a new book out, I am adding it to the top of my to read list. Every time I read one of her books, I walk away with new insights on life, refreshed, and as if I have sat down with my own spiritual director. So when I had the opportunity and review her newest book An Invitation to Retreat I jumped at the chance.

I found this book the be a great introduction to retreats, particularly planning your own personal retreat. It had resources for both preparation and while retreating. And though I have been on many retreats myself, I found it to be a useful resource for those more seasoned as well. I loved this book so much that upon finishing it I knew God was calling me to go away on my own personal retreat. So much so that almost immediately I booked two nights at my local camp and used this resource to plan my time away. If you are looking to retreat or wondering more about taking time away, I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

I was provided a copy of this book by Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This book, Invitation to Retreat, is what we all need.
Time to be alone with God.
Time to sit with the silence and solitude and to just BE WITH GOD..
Ruth Haley Barton has once again given followers of Jesus, the reasons and the tools needed to take time away. To retreat. To be reminded of who we were meant to be: people looking for, seeking and hearing from God.
This book is a gem and we all need to implement times of retreat into our lives.

As someone who regularly leads others into spiritual retreats I have been eagerly awaiting my copy of Ruth Haley Barton’s Invitation to Retreat and it did not in any way disappoint. Barton gives not only a solid background for why we should practice spiritual retreat, but she gives one of the most practical and detailed explorations of the different invitations that can be part of a retreat. Alongside these invitations she offers “priming” questions for those who may be considering retreat and “practicing” questions for you to take on your retreat. In fact, I think one of the strengths of this book is that it is easily engaged with for both those considering retreat and for those practicing retreat.

Even having read many books on retreat I found this book to be impactful in my own spiritual walk and I believe it will be a valuable resource for anyone as they seek to grow in their life with God. I’ve already ordered a hard copy for my library and I would recommend it to you.

I received a free digital copy of this book for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Currently no one is thinking about taking a break, everyone wants to be on the train of desire, of likes, of the latest trends. We are a very hectic society. Even Christians, we have fallen into this eagerness and we have forgotten the importance of resting, of retiring alone with the Lord. With good reason, Ruth reminds us that for many taking a retreat is an idea with which they have to deal for a long time.

But what is to retreat? Barton says: "Retreat is a time when we are strengthened for battle, putting on the whole armor of God that Paul describes so specifically (Ephesians 6:10-17)"

Written in a simple but at the same time profound way. We are challenged to retreat, to deal with the sources of our exhaustion. Many of us are overloaded with so many things and we are having a hard time because we have not discovered this great discipline.

This is an invitation to retreat, to rest in the Lord.


At the end of each chapter, the author gives us some ideas to take this invitation to practice. I hope to do a retreat soon and you?

Thanks to Intervarsity Press for the electronic copy of this book to review.

Take a step back and invest into your relationship with God

Ruth Haley Barton is the founder of a Transformation Center and a spiritual director. She presents the book "Invitation to Retreat: The Gift and Necessity of Time Away with God" that deals with spiritual growth, rest, spirituality, and spiritual practice. Her goal is to incorporate regular times of solitude and silence into the rhythm of the ordinary life, a habit that is not so common to those of a protestant church background. In reality the book is useful for Christian of every background (Evangelicals, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, ...). According to Barton it is important to have extended times alone with God in order to give Him our complete attention which is not always easy in our current time or society where we can be reached and are connected to media nearly all the time. Barton shows the reader the need for strategic withdrawal as well as the sources of exhaustion before touching the topics of "Finding Your Rhythm on Retreat", "Sweet Hours of Prayer", "Letting Go of Your Grip", "Relinquishing False-Self Patterns", "Space for Discernment", "Invitation to Recalibrate", "Finding Spiritual Freedom", . . . In the appendices she includes help for the "Fixed-Hour Prayer" and for "Planning Your Retreat". It is important that the reader does not forget that the importance does not only lay in the human - the ultimate goal is to worship God.

I highly recommend this book for those who really long to take a step back in their busy lives and plan to invest themselves with their time in their relationships with God. I plan to buy myself a printed copy of the book in order to be able to work in and with it in my personal life and plans to spent time on a spiritual retreat.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#InvitationToRetreat #NetGalley

What an eye opening book. One pass through is not enough to absorb all the information in this book. I will definitely be reading it again soon. It covers retreat from every aspect: before, during and after. There are ways to prepare for retreat, things to help first timers, ways to make your retreat better, and how to Reenter back into normal life. Excellent scriptural basis for everything presented. I was reading it along side Invitation to Solitude and Silence and it helps me understand that book so much better. I feel like this is a guidebook that gently guides the reader towards understanding the reason for retreat and different ways to approach and participate in a retreat. It answered so many of my questions. I have a better understanding of retreat and why it is important that everyone participates in at least one at in their life. I can’t wait to experience a retreat like the ones in the book.
I received a copy of this book from netgalley. This has in no way influenced my review. All thoughts are my own.

Invitation to Retreat
The Gift and Necessity of Time Away with God
by Ruth Haley Barton

InterVarsity Press

IVP Formatio
Christian , Religion & Spirituality
Pub Date 18 Sep 2018


I am reviewing a copy of Invitation to Retreat through Intervarsity Press and Netgalley:


We are invited to go on a retreat a retreat with the Lord.


Ruth Haley Barton reminds us that No Matter how far along we are in our walk with Christ, retreat will remain both essential and necessary. Retreat is necessary because we can become dangerously tired and unable to be our best selves.


We are reminded too that surrender is an important part of our Spiritual Walk.


In this book we are lead to the practice of retreating in Christ!



I give Invitation to Retreat five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Are you to busy or overwhelmed by the things in your life? Have you lost touch with your inner being? Your Holy Connection with God? Ruth Haley Barton addresses why some of this is taking place and provides guidance on how to come back to your relationship with God, and so much more. In twelve chapters, beginning with an invitation, and finishing up in rest, and the inbetween four interludes, shows you retreat. I found this book interesting and felt the information refreshingly up to date with today’s world.

Ruth Haley Barton has written a thoughtful book that invites you to slow down and enjoy a retreat with God. It’s a smart, rich, deep book meant to be savored. Its power might just smack you in the face, like it did for me, and wake you up to the truth about yourself: you are going to hit a wall, SOON, if you don’t stop pushing so hard.

I am still mulling over how to apply these truths to my life. Like you, I can’t abandon all my responsibilities and hole myself up somewhere on a regular basis. But I can start approaching life with a retreat mindset, and that is possible in the immediate by deliberately unplugging on the Sabbath.

Our lightning-speed world doesn’t encourage us to slow down. But the Bible does, and Ruth does a wonderful job of encouraging and exhorting you at the same time. She paints beautiful images and whispers to you, “Come study with me.”

Here are some of the wonderful quotes from Invitation to Retreat:

“Whatever our experiences have been, we know instinctively that to be invited means we are wanted and, in the very best scenario, wanted by someone we find interesting, intriguing, or just plain cool. And that is exactly what makes the invitation to retreat so compelling…It is an invitation straight from the heart of Jesus to us.”
“One of the dangers of living in a constant state of distraction is that we never go to the bottom of our pain…which means we never find that rock-bottom place of the peace that passes understanding and rest ourselves there.”
“It is that constant trying so hard on so many fronts all the time that often leaves me on the brink of exhaustion.”
“There are times when we too need to pull back from the battle line in our own lives rather than continuing to fight the same battles in the same old ways.”
Don’t you just love these quotes? Check out Invitation to Retreat for yourself.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley.

As I read this book, I am reminded of the ways I have retreated - in hopes of hearing from the Lord. While only one time has been an "official" retreat, I am reminded of that time. As I read, I am filled with hope and insight on how I can experience our Lord's rest and hear from Him through the silence. My ways of retreats might differ than others, but God is using this book to teach me how I can get away with Him. I am absolutely loving this book, and so thankful for the opportunity to have read it.

This book is an invitation to come away and be with God in a way that strengthens our relationship like none other. As a person who has attended multiple silent retreats myself and has had the honor of leading as well, I was very interested in this book for my own use and sharing with others. I look at every book I read as a way to see what I can glean from it. So I was on a search through this book as well. She walks us through a chapter and then at the end of the chapter she gives a section for those preparing for retreat and those on a retreat. I really like this part of the book and there is an appendix in the back for additional nuggets to enjoy going further. I have in common with the author a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. For the most part, I have enjoyed her sharing in her book and the direction she gives. Full disclosure, there are a few places that I have not come to a place where I agree.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

***Also posted on B&N and CBD

CONTEMPLATION: INVITATION TO RETREAT, by Ruth Haley Barton

According to author Ruth Haley Barton, a specialist in spiritual retreats, retreat attendance is a countercultural practice, corresponding to a divine invitation to rest, something unusual these days, adjusting to the rhythms, discerning the presence of God, recalibrating and repositioning our lives according to His will.
In a deeper sense, it is a generous commitment to our friendship with God, allocating an extended period of time to be alone, in the purpose of being with God and giving, whole and unconditionally, all attention to God. Barton calls it strategic withdrawal, that is, moving away from the daily hustle and bustle, from over-occupation, from the expectations of others, and in the same way to persist in tackling unsavory challenges, at the bottom of what does not work in our lives.
Many who participate in a personal retreat are already at the limit, faced with the “eminent disaster”. That’s what happened to Jason Sullivan. After a decade and a half of persistent over-information and over-stimulation, he told his story in an article entitled “I Stopped Being a Human Being,” seeking the ultimate detox in one of these events.
In the hangover of the old existence, he had to be persistent to deal with the disconnection of technology, the constant checking of emails, and the refreshing of Instagram and messages. “Turning away”helped him regain the taste for life, the memories of childhood, the joy of friendship.
When is the appropriate time for a retreat? At one extreme, when we are dangerously tired. While we live long beyond our limits, working beyond our capabilities, without realizing the origins of our exhaustion, the damaging levels of this accumulated stress, and in this state we are unable to do our best, to decide sensibly, we drain our energies and our body can begin to collapse under the pressure to which it is subject. Dr. Gabor Maté, in his bestseller When the Body Says No, sums up: “Excessive stress occurs when what is required of an organism exceeds its reasonable capacity to match what is required”.
In a retreat, it is important to discover the appropriate rhythm for each one, for the main emphasis is on the participant to find stillness, silence, rest, listening and responding to the Spirit of God, allowing the freedom to accommodate body and spirit , and avoiding overloading the activity plan. As Dallas Willard wrote, “The cure for having so much to do is solitude and silence … This disturbing sense of having to come from above all from the void that exists in our soul …”.
Determining periods of meditation and prayer will also help you adjust to a new daily rhythm, different from the one you are used to. The book exemplifies various types of programs, from fixed times to more flexible schedules, depending on each person’s approach, and provides a final appendix with suggestions for detailed plans for times of prayer, worship, and liturgy.
Deep down, a retreat is no more than an invitation to recalibrate our lives, or aspects of our existence that need adjustment. As we encounter spiritual freedom we see the need to recalibrate our lives by answering a few questions, such as: “How do I live the day-to-day life of my heart?” Or “Do I prioritize my daily activities according to God’s purposes for me, and what are they? “And so we can begin again with a clear sense of how God guides us to live during troubled times.
In a second final appendix, the author offers a practical guide for the complete planning of a retreat, from the place of withdrawal to the items that should accompany the participant, according to the purpose and intention, without forgetting a notification to the family and colleagues as to its distance and the “disconnection” of technology.
Easy to read, Invitation to Retreat invites us to seclusion, it guides us in this important decision to grant a contemplative period alone, with God and with ourselves. The only criterion for this is that it is in a place where one enters into silence and where one is supported by silence.

Originaly Published at:
Biblion Online Magazine (PT): https://www.biblion.pt/invitation-to-retreat-convite-para-um-retiro-ruth-haley-barton/
Biblion Online Magazine (EN): https://www.biblion.pt/invitation-to-retreat-ruth-haley-barton/
Biblion #10 Digital Edition (Oct-Dec2018 – Portuguese): https://www.biblion.pt/biblion-11-digital-edition-pt
Biblion #10 Digital Edition (Oct-Dec2018 – English version): https://www.biblion.pt/biblion-11-digital-edition

Wonderful book on spiritual retreats , well written. Lots of tips and examples from her life. A must read for someone looking for advice on retreat the Jesus way

My life feels like it is on a set pace--it drags along leaving me unfilled and to tired to be filled. At least these are the things that I tell myself. What Barton tries to encourage in this title is the necessity and need for a space to be with God--a retreat

I will be rereading this title again because I know that this idea is something that I struggle with.. I received a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review--but I will be purchasing my own, physical copy.

For the August book club, I often feature fiction for those lazy days around the holiday pool or home. But this year I’m sharing a wonderful book on retreat, for after all, true rest can come when we find rest for our souls. (And of course I still adore fiction – check out the wonderful bookshop-related novel by Katherine Reay in this month’s interview.)

Ruth Haley Barton is a spiritual director who has written many books on the spiritual disciplines and what she and others call the sacred rhythms. In Invitation to Retreat, she acts as a trusted guide, not only exploring why we should set aside some time to go deeper with God but how to do it.

Living in a world that rarely unplugs, we can find our relationship with God dwindles or withers when we don’t respond to his invitation to come away with him and rest for a while. For if we don’t get fully quiet, we’ll never “go to the bottom of our pain, our sadness, our emptiness, which means we never find that rock-bottom place of the peace that passes understanding and rest ourselves there.”

A key part of retreat is surrender to God – relinquishment. As we lay down our ideas about our lives, and even how we think the retreat should go, we increasingly root our identity in Christ. We look to God for direction, affirmation and meaning. And he responds to us, sending us his love.

I appreciate Ruth’s exploration of discernment and especially how Christians who love deeply need to be aware of the temptation to go for the “good” rather than the “best.” For to embrace the best, we often have to decline doing many good things; these initiatives can distract us from the true thing we should be pursuing.

She emphasizes that a retreat should be made with silence as a key part of the experience: “No matter what the structure, to be a spiritual retreat the emphasis must remain on the primary purpose for retreat time—solitude, silence, rest, listening and responding to the Spirit of God deep within.” While I prefer complete silence when on a personal retreat, such as my recent trip to the wonderful Westwood Christian Centre where I spoke to not a soul, I know not everyone thrives in this environment. I lead retreats, such as those in Spain, where there are periods of silence, but also times of deep communion through conversation. I wouldn’t want to discount those times of relating with others.

A fine book to read before you go on retreat and to have with you while on it for its thought-provoking questions. I recommend it highly.