June 13-19 2010
Margaret Edson – Inside Out
Inside out; upside down; thinking and writing; simplicity and complications; Jesus shoes: what happens when our longings become our walking papers?
Maggie will explore four topics: the relation of speech to text; the relation of resolve to action; things that are worth doing badly; and shoe-shopping in Sepphoris with Jesus.
July 11 - 17
Margaret Coel – Arapahos, the Spirituality of a Plains Indian Tribe
The week-long session will focus on the way in which Arapaho spirituality is related to the people’s history and to the landscape of the Great Plains, as well as the way in which many Arapahos accept Christian teachings while not abandoning their own ancient beliefs.
July 18 - 24
Amy Oden -- God’s Welcome, Our Welcome
Jesus said, “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.” We will focus on the crucial place of strangers—in our communities, in our families, in ourselves, and in God—as sources of grace and renewal. Voices and practices from our ancient Christian family will companion us as we explore welcoming the stranger in our own lives and communities today.
July 25 - 31
Steve Tipton – God Goes to Washington -- American Religion and Politics Today
What is the role of religion in American public life? Tocqueville's vivid picture of a "democratic and republican Christianity" revealed Americans’ religion as "the first
of their political institutions" in 1830. Is this picture a museum piece in a public square now crowded by religious lobbies and parachurch partisans engaged in culture wars, or is Obama redrawing it in the progressive image of prophetic peace and justice? Let's show and tell, delve into our convictions and doubts, and discover more about how we co-create and contest who we are through body politics.
August 1 - 7
Bishop Will Willimon -- Haunted by God with Flannery O’Connor
Flannery O’Connor’s stories provide some of the most challenging and invigorating explorations of Christian redemption in literature. In this retreat we will read some
of her most revealing stories and discuss them, as well as view a couple of films of her work. We will immerse ourselves in her unique vision of Christian redemption and atonement and ponder the implications of her work for contemporary believers.
August 8 - 14
Carrie Newcomer -- Before and After: Creatively Exploring Our Transformative Stories
This session explores how our personal stories of hope, struggle, and transformation connect us to the larger spiritual and cultural story. We will consider the sacred in the ordinary, giving special attention to daily transformations, as well as reflect upon the wisdom and opportunity gained in crisis. We will utilize music, writing exercises, deep listening, and discussion to identify the important stories of our lives and times, and how we as individuals can participate in new stories of hope and possibility.
August 15 - 21
Jacob Kinnard -- Why Comparing Religions Matters
This session will focus on why it is crucial, especially now, to grapple with religions other than our own. But how do we go about learning another religion without "translating" it into our own. How do we understand not just what is similar, but also what is different? Why does attention to difference matter? These are some of the issues we will grapple as we look at four non-Christian traditions: Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
August 22 - 28
Ann Brock -- Peter, Paul, and Mary (Magdalene), the Early Years: Three Apostles, Three Spiritualities
Christianity at its best is seen in the lives of believers who emulate the spirituality of the Jesus we know from the Gospels. How is the presentation of Jesus in these writings seen in the legacies of his disciples, especially Peter, Paul and Mary Magdalene? In particular, we will ask: Does Paul’s spirituality stifle or support women? Impetuous, headstrong Peter – particularly in relation to Mary Magdalene -- is portrayed in several ways, so how do these depictions affect Church politics? Finally, Mary Magdalene has been portrayed as everything from repentant sinner, to the first apostle, and even as the wife of Jesus in books such as the Da Vinci Code, but who was she really and what does her spirituality teach us?
August 29 - September 4
Rodney Hunter – Searching for Hope
In this retreat, we’ll be searching for a realistic sense of hope for today’s world and for ourselves, rooted in faith. How many times have we asked ourselves in the face of depressing public news or personal crisis, is there any real hope for the future? Or more to the point, how justified and realistic is it to “hope in God” in the face of personal problems, or in relation to the very threatening, urgent, and overwhelming social and environmental dangers now confronting global humanity? Are there compelling grounds for such a hope today?
enewal center offers those who choose to come opportunities for spiritual growth, solitude, community, intellectual stimulation, horseback riding, hiking, and a variety of outdoor experiences.
Stimulating seminars, thoughtful discussions, and informal interaction among guests and distinguished session leaders provide a unique educational opportunity and intellectual experience for all who seek a deeper understanding of God and themselves-lay persons as well as educators and ordained clergy.
d just east of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. The Whiskey Mountain Bighorn Sheep Unit and the Shoshone National Forest, immediately adjacent to the Ranch, offers the opportunity to view bighorn sheep, moose, elk and deer. Bird watching, from our resident osprey family to chickadees and eagles, is a favorite pastime. Numerous ancient petroglyphs are located in the valley around the ranch.
seback riding. Our horses and riding them have been important parts of Ranch life for over 40 years. The wranglers announce trail rides usually at the end of breakfast - Monday through Friday. Longer rides may be announced at supper the night before.