The Wild Sanctuary Overnight Retreat Schedule Is Here!
Image from the Wild Sanctuary Overnight Retreat last year!
A Journey of Unlearning, Re-Seeing, and Reclaiming
"The angel of God appeared to him in flames of fire blazing out of the middle of a bush. He looked. The bush was blazing away but it didn’t burn up... God saw that he had stopped to look. God called to him from out of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” He said, “Yes? I’m right here!” God said, “Don’t come any closer. Remove your sandals from your feet. You’re standing on holy ground.”"
— Exodus 3
Gathering in Sacred Space
There is something sacred about creating space to listen.mOver the past several months, we have been dreaming, praying, and paying attention to what God might be inviting us into through this year's Wild Sanctuary Overnight Retreat. Recently, we had the gift of gathering at St. Mary's in Sewanee—the beautiful place where we will welcome our retreat guests this October—to spend time in the space, walk the grounds, listen to the quiet, and begin shaping the rhythm of our weekend together.
As we sat at a table overlooking the bluff as the sun set and the stars began to shine and imagined women arriving with their own stories, hopes, questions, and longings, we were reminded of Moses standing before the burning bush.
Before Moses encountered God, something had to happen first.
He had to stop.
"God saw that he had stopped to look."
There is something that feels really profound about that simple phrase.
Moses could have walked past. He could have dismissed the unusual sight before him. But instead, he paused long enough to notice that something holy was happening. This is the invitation at the heart of Wild Sanctuary: to slow down enough to see.
As we spent time at St. Mary's, we felt the same invitation as the land itself seemed to whisper: Pay attention, notice, come closer. What emerged was not simply a schedule of activities, but a journey of unlearning, re-seeing, and reclaiming as we discover that God has been present in unexpected places all along.
We are so excited to finally share the rhythm of our weekend with you.
Friday | Unlearning
Arriving, softening, and letting go of inherited spiritual assumptions
Our retreat begins with arrival—not only arriving at St. Mary's, but arriving within ourselves. Friday evening is an invitation to settle into the space, soften our pace, and begin both noticing and releasing the assumptions we carry about God and where we believe God can be found.
Our first movement together is Unlearning.
Inspired by Moses' encounter with the burning bush, we will reflect on the ways God often reveals Himself in surprising places. Moses entered the wilderness expecting an ordinary moment, but instead discovered that the ground beneath his feet was holy.
What might we discover when we become willing to see differently? What beliefs, expectations, or limitations might we gently release in order to encounter God with fresh eyes? Friday invites us to begin removing our metaphorical sandals—to let go of the assumptions we all make about God that can keep us from noticing the sacred already surrounding us.
Saturday | Re-Seeing
Encountering God in the wild, in our bodies, and in unexpected places
After beginning the work of unlearning, we move into the practice of Re-Seeing. Like Moses, we are invited to look again, pay attention, and be curious about the places where God might already be revealing God-self to us. Throughout Saturday, we will explore the presence of God through movement, contemplation, nature, creativity, conversation, and quiet reflection. We will spend time noticing the ways the Divine meets us not only in traditional sacred spaces, but also in creation, in our bodies, in our stories, and in the ordinary moments we often overlook.
The wild has much to teach us. The trees remind us of rootedness and resilience. The changing seasons remind us of surrender and renewal. Our bodies invite us into awareness and gratitude. Silence opens space for deeper listening.
Re-Seeing asks us: Where is God already present? Where have we stopped looking? What might become visible when we slow down enough to notice?
Sunday | Reclaiming
Carrying renewed wildness and sanctuary into daily life
Every retreat eventually comes to an end, but the invitation continues. On Sunday, we will enter into the practice of Reclaiming—carrying what we have discovered back into our everyday lives. Sanctuary is not only something we experience in a beautiful place surrounded by trees. Sanctuary is something we learn to recognize wherever we are.
Moses discovered that holy ground was not limited to temples or sacred spaces. It was found in the wilderness. In an unexpected place. In a moment he almost walked past.
This is the gift we hope to carry home together:
Everything is sacred.
Every place is somewhere the Divine can be found.
Every moment holds the possibility of encounter.
You can take your metaphorical shoes off anywhere.
The ground beneath your feet is already holy.
We Can't Wait to Welcome You
We have poured so much prayer, intention, and love into creating this retreat, and we cannot wait to share this sacred weekend with you. The Wild Sanctuary Overnight Retreat will be an invitation to slow down, listen deeply, and rediscover the presence of God woven throughout creation, our bodies, our stories, and our everyday lives.
Together, we will journey through unlearning, re-seeing, and reclaiming as we remember what Moses discovered in the wilderness: God has been present all along, waiting for us to stop, look, and notice.
If your soul has been longing for space to breathe, to reconnect with God, and to encounter the sacred in new ways, we would love to welcome you. You can explore the full retreat details, view the complete schedule, and reserve your place here.
May we have the courage to stop and look, the openness to encounter God in unexpected places, and the wisdom to recognize that wherever we stand, we are already on holy ground.