WISE BROTHER: MERTON AT 100 - Lent 2015 online retreat - registration stays open till 2d week in Lent

Lent and Holy Week, February 18-April 5, 2015

WISE BROTHER: Merton at 100

an online retreat with Jane Redmont

 Thomas Merton was born 100 years ago last month, on January 31, 1915. Communities and individuals around the world are marking the centenary of this 20th century Trappist monk, writer, poet, spiritual teacher, artist, social critic, and pioneer in interreligious and intermonastic dialogue.

We too are celebrating. As we have done before, we are offering an online Lenten retreat inspired by the life and writings of Thomas Merton. 

This year, in honor of the centenary, we invite you to a retreat that is a combination of our usual "Companion on the Way" Merton retreat and a journey through the life of Thomas Merton. 

As in the last couple of years, each week of the retreat will feature short passages from Merton's writings (many the same as the last two years) on themes of prayer, war and peace, solitude, nature, community, suffering, and new life. These writings come in a variety of forms: poetry, prayer, journal, essay, memoir.

These readings (they will be brief: this is a retreat, not a course) will be posted  twice a week, usually on Tuesday evening and Saturday morning.

In addition, there will be a "life journey" thread on this retreat. The journey through the life of Thomas Merton will take place through reflection on short passages from Merton's journals, in chronological order.

These quotes will be posted at least once a week, usually on Thursday.

This "life journey" thread of the retreat will be color-coded and titled differently so you can easily identify it during your online reading. You may choose either to skip that thread or to focus primarily on it -- or you may want to use the "life journey" thread simply as supplemental Lenten reading.

The quotes from the journals will offer you a chance to reflect on your own life journey through the lens of Merton's journey. Though most of us are not monks, part of Merton's great appeal is that his writings speak to persons in many walks of life.

Along with the writings by Merton will be suggestions for reflection, meditation, journal-keeping (verbal or visual), and prayer which participants can use and adapt to their daily life and to their own spiritual practice.

It is up to you to make the retreat your own. You can do so while remaining anonymous and simply following the retreat on the retreat blog (which is open only to retreatants and not searchable on the internet), or you can participate in conversation with other retreatants through the comments feature of each blog post.

Registration and payment

Registration is now open. Although the retreat begins on Ash Wednesday, you may register until the second week of Lent. Ideally, it is best to begin very early in Lent, but most of us don't live ideal lives. If you want the support and opportunity this retreat provides, you are welcome.

Regular rate: $150
Discounted rate: $100
Benefactor rate: $200

To register, write me, Jane Redmont, at readwithredmont@earthlink.net if you plan to pay by check: I will acknowledge your registration and send you the mailing address. I will also notify you when I receive your check.

OR

If you are paying by credit or debit card or PayPal, simply register and pay by using the PayPal button below. (You can use this button and its secure connection to pay with a card even if you don't have a PayPal account.)

The PayPal payment will record your name and e-mail address and serve as your registration. You will receive an acknowledgment from me within 24 hours.

Payment is non-refundable and due upon registration.

If you are in a situation of financial stress, please write me and we can arrange for a discount or scholarship.

If you wish to help make more scholarships possible, just check and pay the "benefactor" rate below.

Retreat fees (choose one)

Regular rate $150.00 USD Discounted rate $100.00 USD Benefactor rate $200.00 USD

Retreat creator and host

Jane Redmont is the author of When in Doubt, Sing: Prayer in Daily Life. She is a spiritual director, retreat leader, pastoral worker, writer, and theologian who has worked in  campus, urban, and parish ministries. An Episcopal Christian, she was also formed in the Catholic tradition and has Jewish and Unitarian Universalist family roots. She has been involved in work for social justice and ecumenical and interreligious relations all her life and has taught college, seminary, and graduate courses in Christian history, theology, spirituality, religious pluralism, African American studies, environmental studies, and women's, gender, and sexuality studies.

Jane has been reading Merton for four decades, has taught his work, and has used his writings as a help to prayer and meditation both for herself and for others.

Jane Redmont is also offering an online class on 

the history and spirituality of the Civil Rights Movement  

beginning February 18. 

See here for information and registration.