Back from the Mountain Top

I am back from a delightful retreat at Lutheridge, a Lutheran camp near Asheville, North Carolina. What a beautiful part of the country! And what a wonderful retreat!

In 48 hours, I'll be on my way to Orlando to our Synod's Assembly gathering. I've never gone to a Synod Assembly, so I'm not sure what to expect. If I was a really sophisticated blogger, I suppose I would blog the assembly, but I'm not up to that. If anything interesting happens, I'll write about it later.

It will be interesting to experience the two events so close together: the Create in Me retreat at Lutheridge and the Synod Assembly at a resort in Orlando. I'm trying to keep an open mind.

At some point, I'll write about our braided labyrinth. What a cool experience! And it would be easy to do for any variety of groups. I always wanted to do a labyrinth in our old church, but I was deterred by the cost of the heavy canvas that I thought would be necessary for a non-permanent labyrinth. My experience this week-end proves that labyrinths may be a possibility for many churches and groups.

I also did a lot of yoga. I must do more of this.

What I love about the retreat, and what I miss most as I return to regular life, is how easy it was. Get up, and yoga class is right there. Worship opportunities--never more than a short walk away. Creativity materials? All provided.

Now I'm back in my regular life, where my church is a 15 minute drive away. I have no idea where my nearest yoga class is. No one is cooking my meals.

I would like a more intentional community, and I wonder if it is possible outside of monasteries, social justice groups, and the like. Could I create such a thing? My spouse and I have always thought about buying land and creating some sort of community. This subject, too, is one I'll likely return to as I blog in the coming months.