From March 10-12, 2017 I was on a personal spiritual retreat in the Church-Wellesley neighborhood of downtown Toronto. I stayed at a nice guest house called Victoria's Mansion. I really enjoyed doing the spiritual exercises I was assigned for the seminary course that I'm in, "Spiritual Formation." This thread will be a diary of my retreat.
Church-Wellesley Diary
- Thread starter Jae
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Carolla
wondering & wandering
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Looks like a lovely guest house. I think in a previous post you said you were staying at the university tho.
And the location is interesting choice for you - Church-Wellesley neighbourhood being the gay village. I hope you had some good experiences there that perhaps have widened your world view.
And the location is interesting choice for you - Church-Wellesley neighbourhood being the gay village. I hope you had some good experiences there that perhaps have widened your world view.
It was a nice guest house. I imagine even nicer in better weather. It would be nice to sit outside there on a summer's day and people watch. I found the guest house on a housing list from UofT. I think I initially thought that the guest house and the university were more closely connected than perhaps they actually are.
Carolla said:
I mostly stayed in my room by myself. I had no negative encounters in the Village.
Friday, March 10, 4pm...
§ Checked into Victoria's Mansion and checked out my room - which was much like this one.
§ Prayed for God to make my room a holy place – sanctify it – prayed for blessing on the Mansion, the neighborhood, and the city. Prayed for those who work at the Mansion and the people who would be staying there during the same time as me.
§ Walked to 711, bought supper (hungry man sub, two beef patties, and two bottles of grape pop. Also bought some pain reliever in case I had a headache during my retreat) and then walked back to the Mansion.
§ Checked into Victoria's Mansion and checked out my room - which was much like this one.
§ Prayed for God to make my room a holy place – sanctify it – prayed for blessing on the Mansion, the neighborhood, and the city. Prayed for those who work at the Mansion and the people who would be staying there during the same time as me.
§ Walked to 711, bought supper (hungry man sub, two beef patties, and two bottles of grape pop. Also bought some pain reliever in case I had a headache during my retreat) and then walked back to the Mansion.
Friday, March 10, 6pm...
§ Enjoyed a leisurely dinner in my room – hungry man sub, Triscuits thins (from home), bottle of grape pop.
§ Watched trailer to “God's Not Dead” on YouTube.
§ Tried to get “God is Not Dead” movie on YouTube but couldn't find it.
§ Began watching “The Gospel of John” on YouTube.
§ Prayed for God to be with people in my life during the time I’m on retreat – my family, the people of my church, the people of my former church, and the people of my school.
§ Enjoyed a leisurely dinner in my room – hungry man sub, Triscuits thins (from home), bottle of grape pop.
§ Watched trailer to “God's Not Dead” on YouTube.
§ Tried to get “God is Not Dead” movie on YouTube but couldn't find it.
§ Began watching “The Gospel of John” on YouTube.
§ Prayed for God to be with people in my life during the time I’m on retreat – my family, the people of my church, the people of my former church, and the people of my school.
Honestly not quite sure what you're asking Pinga. I kept a diary during my retreat and am now sharing it here.
Pinga
Room for All
If you check the time of the post, my querying post was being done at approx the same time as Jae did his post with the media, so those references weren't present.
My confusion was regarding the timing. I originally thought he was on retreat when he was posting, but, now I get the retreat is done, and he is now documenting it using information from his retreat log/diary.
Friday, March 10, 7:45 pm...
§ Washed, dried, and put away dishes from supper.
§ Said a little prayer
§ Read some of the Kindle version of "City of God City of Satan" by Robert C. Linthicum (felt this was appropriate reading as I was doing my retreat in the city).
8 p.m.
§ Tired from my day of work, and while reading, I fell asleep.
10 p.m.
§ Woke up, and thought for some reason that I was in a room and board situation and had missed supper.
§ Got up and started microwaving two Jamaican beef patties I'd earlier bought at the 711.
§ Realized I had already eaten supper earlier, but ate the beef patties anyway and drank another grape pop.
§ Watched more of “The Gospel of John” – one part was the last supper where Jesus showed his disciples that they should serve one another.
§ Noticed at some point in the movie that some Jews didn’t believe in Jesus or else they did believe but wouldn’t say so lest they be thrown out of the synagogue. Stopped to reflect on that for a moment. Some wouldn’t serve God lest the authorities of the God-place identify them as non-followers of God.
§ Asked God where I do the same (the non-following). Also asked him where I, as a leader of a church, ever threaten others with snubbing them from the God-place if they truly follow God - if they act in service to God but in a way that I personally don't like. Didn't receive a clear answer from God on this, but noted it as something for me to keep aware of lest I ever do it.
§ Noticed in the movie that Philip asked Jesus to show the disciples the Father, but Jesus had already shown them the Father through his own actions. Thought that when someone asks me to prove to them that God exists (which happens often enough), my answer can be that they can see God through Christ’s actions – and through every action of his followers that is Christlike. Also thought that as a follower of Jesus, as one who loves him, I am called to incarnate Christ to others.
10:45 p.m.
§ Washed dishes.
11:00 p.m.
§ Went to bed.
§ Washed, dried, and put away dishes from supper.
§ Said a little prayer
§ Read some of the Kindle version of "City of God City of Satan" by Robert C. Linthicum (felt this was appropriate reading as I was doing my retreat in the city).
8 p.m.
§ Tired from my day of work, and while reading, I fell asleep.
10 p.m.
§ Woke up, and thought for some reason that I was in a room and board situation and had missed supper.
§ Got up and started microwaving two Jamaican beef patties I'd earlier bought at the 711.
§ Realized I had already eaten supper earlier, but ate the beef patties anyway and drank another grape pop.
§ Watched more of “The Gospel of John” – one part was the last supper where Jesus showed his disciples that they should serve one another.
§ Noticed at some point in the movie that some Jews didn’t believe in Jesus or else they did believe but wouldn’t say so lest they be thrown out of the synagogue. Stopped to reflect on that for a moment. Some wouldn’t serve God lest the authorities of the God-place identify them as non-followers of God.
§ Asked God where I do the same (the non-following). Also asked him where I, as a leader of a church, ever threaten others with snubbing them from the God-place if they truly follow God - if they act in service to God but in a way that I personally don't like. Didn't receive a clear answer from God on this, but noted it as something for me to keep aware of lest I ever do it.
§ Noticed in the movie that Philip asked Jesus to show the disciples the Father, but Jesus had already shown them the Father through his own actions. Thought that when someone asks me to prove to them that God exists (which happens often enough), my answer can be that they can see God through Christ’s actions – and through every action of his followers that is Christlike. Also thought that as a follower of Jesus, as one who loves him, I am called to incarnate Christ to others.
10:45 p.m.
§ Washed dishes.
11:00 p.m.
§ Went to bed.
You did know that the word "citii" in Hebrew often meant chaos ... why Jesus was prodigal in the country districts like Wordsworth and other poets of virtue ... they worked with IT ... words of intelligence so the thought police wouldn't know it was about Volute cognizance regarding the surroundings ... environment all disaster under the heavy hands of mankind!
Such stuff can stretch your sol into ethereal likeness ... vacuous?
Such stuff can stretch your sol into ethereal likeness ... vacuous?
revsdd
Well-Known Member
Actually, "tohu" is the Hebrew word that is generally translated into chaos. And, actually, the word chaos doesn't come up very often in English translations of the Old Testament. In places referring to chaotic situations (such as the creation story of Genesis 1) the word is tohu. Tohu is also used several times in Isaiah to refer to chaotic situations. You may be thinking of the word "ce-der" which actually means the opposite of chaos (as in Job 10:22.) In that verse, the situation is referred to as chaos by taking ce-der (meaning order) and prefacing it with the negative "we-lo", which turns the phrase into "not order" (ie, chaos.) But "ce-der" (which I think is what you mean by "citii") means order and not chaos.
And the desire for order from certain perspectives causes entry of disturbance from the collective ... and the Hebrew is very ambiguous about this so people won't understand .... the gods and their mates wished it this way ... see Icarus (IHC A' Roue's in an alternate phonetic)! It relates to self control ... an improbable thing in a domain that leans towards emotions and desires alone ... thus the wild occurrences in the Seder! However this is only my perspective from private sources... I appreciate hearing yours too ... accounts somewhat for God's variance ... or word deviation to amuse the strange powers of mortals ...
Saturday, March 11, 2017...
6:45 a.m.
§ Woke up with a headache, prayed for healing, took Advil, and drifted back to sleep.
8:45 a.m.
§ Prayed a morning prayer
added in the end of the prayer about my own situation on the retreat.
§ Read Psalm 46 and worked through the practice of praying the Psalms.
§ Sat in silence before God for two minutes or so.
§ Offered the day to the Lord, giving thanks for the rest of the day and committing to him the day as it unfolds.
9:20 a.m.
§ Watched a communal prayer meeting. This was in lieu of attending the communal morning prayer meeting which would have taken place on the organized course retreat.
§ Chuckled at the people in the video who were, at the invitation of the meeting's leader, walking around and gesturing while praying. I had never seen anything like that before. I thought it looked very strange.
§ Felt the Spirit of God telling me, 'Why don't you stop laughing at them and just try it?' So, I did so. At first I felt awkward and silly, but then I really began to enjoy it. I could feel God's power at work in me. The prayer was more meaningful to me as I was acting it out - I found I could identify with what I was praying more closely. I wasn't just using words and ideas but rather more of my whole being.
6:45 a.m.
§ Woke up with a headache, prayed for healing, took Advil, and drifted back to sleep.
8:45 a.m.
§ Prayed a morning prayer
added in the end of the prayer about my own situation on the retreat.
§ Read Psalm 46 and worked through the practice of praying the Psalms.
§ Sat in silence before God for two minutes or so.
§ Offered the day to the Lord, giving thanks for the rest of the day and committing to him the day as it unfolds.
9:20 a.m.
§ Watched a communal prayer meeting. This was in lieu of attending the communal morning prayer meeting which would have taken place on the organized course retreat.
§ Chuckled at the people in the video who were, at the invitation of the meeting's leader, walking around and gesturing while praying. I had never seen anything like that before. I thought it looked very strange.
§ Felt the Spirit of God telling me, 'Why don't you stop laughing at them and just try it?' So, I did so. At first I felt awkward and silly, but then I really began to enjoy it. I could feel God's power at work in me. The prayer was more meaningful to me as I was acting it out - I found I could identify with what I was praying more closely. I wasn't just using words and ideas but rather more of my whole being.
revsdd
Well-Known Member
Interesting reflection on the relationship between movement and prayer. I wonder if the hesitation about movement is a bit of a reaction against the more extreme charismatic prayer meetings which seem (to me at least) to go overboard and place more attention on the person praying than on the God being prayed to? (I don't have time to watch a two hour prayer meeting so will not comment on that example.) I do think that movement can be incorporated into prayer in ways that are both honouring of God and authentic to the moving of the Holy Spirit. Not something I've tried much of though.
Yes, walking outside can be great. When I first got to the Church-Wellesley neighborhood, however, I was a little apprehensive about walking around it. My first walk or two, I was moving pretty swiftly. After that, though, I became more comfortable and my walks were more meditative and reflective.