Age-old spiritual paths led women between the ages of 18 and 87 to picturesque Lyon College for an unforgettable spirituality retreat May 23-25, 2008. The Rev. Sally Johnson from San Antonio, Texas, led the women in exploring ways of listening to God.

Photos from Claudia Marsh

Mutual support is found in a variety of ways at the spiritual retreat at Lyon College. See the link at the end of this article to see more photos.

The natural beauty of Lyon College with the Ozark trees and Bryan Lake was a perfect setting for the women to contemplate Celtic spirituality and to find "thin places" where the boundary between the sacred and the everyday feels "thin" and God's presence is more strongly felt. While practicing sharing with a soul friend, or anam chara, was meaningful and fun, the discipline of Lectio Divina, or "Holy Reading," proved to be more difficult for some, but extremely insightful and rewarding.

During the evenings, the women bonded through conversation, board games and dominos. Each woman agreed that it had been a Spirit-filled weekend and was reluctant to return to normal routines on Sunday afternoon.

Many thanks to The Rev. Sally Johnson for creative, caring leadership and to Lyon College for welcoming us to the campus and allowing us to have the freedom to explore and find our own "thin place."

—Sheron Antczak, retreat coordinator

Editor's note: This link to kodakgallery.com may still display the photos shared by Claudia Marsh.

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