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Dust and Glory
What does it mean to be human? What is it that makes humans distinct from other creatures? What does a good life look like? These are massive questions, and arguably, they are the questions that our culture is wrestling with currently.
One of the facets of being human and that makes us distinct from other creatures is that we are storytellers. It is through stories that we make meaning out of the world we find ourselves in. We all have our favourite stories, the ones that we connect with on deep emotional levels and inspire us to dream bigger, to see the world and others differently. We use stories to speak to deep truths about who God is, what it means to be human, and what the meaning and purpose of life is. We also all have our own stories that we use to make sense of our lived experience.
Stories shape our lives. As the theologian AJ Swoboda writes ‘we become the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves.’[1] Stories, ideas, have power; they have the ability to create and also to destroy. Therefore it’s vital that we examine the stories we are telling about what it means to be human, both on an individual level about ourselves, and on a cultural level. Are these stories life-giving or death-dealing?
During our time together we’ll go right back to the beginning of the Bible to see what story Genesis 1 and 2 has to tell us about what it means to be human. We’ll discover a story of Dust and Glory, that humans are a wonderful mix of dust – earth, and glory – heaven. As the Orthodox theologian, Kallistos Ware was fond of saying, each of us is a cosmos, the crossroads where earth and heaven meet. We’ll also spend some time looking at the stories we are telling ourselves about who we are. And all through the metaphor of a Peanut M&M!
[1] AJ Swoboda, The Gift of Thorns
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Arrival is from 9:30am for a 10:00am start. Lunch is included, along with tea/coffee throughout. The day will end around 4:00pm.
To book your place or request further details, please email: office@srpf.org.uk or call the office on 01494 881037.
Leader: Katherine Gantlett
Katherine is married to Jon, and they have a young son, Charlie. She studied with and worked for Westminster Theological Centre (WTC) and she is currently training as a Spiritual Director with the London Centre for Spiritual Direction. Her book Walking Through Winter unpacks how with God, we can face and walk through seasons of loss with authenticity, faith, and hope.
You can find out more about Katherine by visiting her website https://katherinegantlett.org.uk/.
“ Thank you so much for everything that you and your team did for our family yesterday. Everything went so smoothly and everyone said what a wonderful venue St Katharine's was both in terms of food and venue. Your team were absolutely outstanding and made the day very easy for us. ”
CM - Feb 2020
“ Thank you for a wonderful stay. It was perfect. The memorial garden is wonderful and so good to have time to sit and appreciate the atmosphere. ”
Rosemary
“ Just wanted to thank you for the lovely day we spent on Saturday. I felt very welcome, the food was delicious and the grounds were so peaceful. It was really good to get away from the hustle and bustle for a few hours. Please convey my thanks to all who were involved. May God bless you all ”
J.K. London 2022
“ Stunning house and gardens both are beautifully cared for. Staff were wonderful and vegan food was delicious. Thank you for a wonderful day. ”
Melissa - Sept 2022
“ Just a short note of thanks for my wonderful day at St. Katherine's yesterday. It was such a fruitful and blessed time with God. Please pass on my thanks for the warmth of the welcome. I look forward to booking another day with you in the future and will be in touch then. ”
Sheila - April 2022
“ I just wanted to say thank you to you and your staff for a wonderful retreat weekend. Everything was just lovely - the location, the accommodation and the food. It was a truly refreshing time and having everything arranged so perfectly meant that there were no distractions to relaxing and hearing from God ”
Rachel - April 2022
“ Just wanted to thank you for the lovely day we spent on Saturday. I felt very welcome, the food was delicious and the grounds were so peaceful. It was really good to get away from the hustle and bustle for a few hours. ”
Jenny - March 2022
“ Many thanks to all those who made our retreat such a success. Peaceful surroundings with ideal facilities and great hospitality made for a memorable time. ”
VW - Nov 22
“ We had a marvellous time last week. The house is so clean and tidy and beautifully supportive of quiet yet productive prayer. It is a credit to you all. ”
LD - Nov 22
“ I was with you today for the Deanery Retreat Day and it was so lovely to be there, and we were so well looked after – thank you so much! ”
JD - Nov 22
“ It was a WONDERFUL venue and we very much enjoyed meeting you, and were blessed by the amazing hospitality by you and your team. Thank you so much. ”
DH - Dec 2022
“ Please pass on my thanks and appreciation for my two day stay last week. The meals were all great and my stay was a real help to me and I hope to be coming back again in the next few months. ”
TP - Feb 2023
“ Thanks for letting us use St Katherine's this last couple of days. We had a lovely time and were very well looked after. The ladies really loved being there and felt very much that they had got away from the stresses of everyday life. ”
RM - March 2023
“ Thank you for a super day on Saturday. There has only been positive feedback from everyone. We were well looked after by your catering team. The Prayer Room worked well - and the sun came out in the afternoon, so the team up top also doing marvellous work. ”
LW - March 2023
“ A huge thanks for a WONDERFUL time at our men's weekend away. ”
SB - March 2023
“ We had a wonderful day in so many ways. Loved the food and the setting, the sense of space and peace there is so tangible. ”
SW - May 2023