Contemplative Retreats at Lincoln on the Greensprings

Join us

for a week of quiet conversation and contemplation in the restful atmosphere and natural beauty of the southern Oregon mountains

June 26-July 2, 2015

and

August 1-7, 2015

An invitation to slow down…

The world moves at an inhuman pace, compelling us to move with it. We have too little time for remembering the spirit that brought us to our place of work or study, too few opportunities for replenishing the inner resources upon which the genuine expression of our gifts depends. Before we know it, we are living at the surface, running on empty. Why not step back and take some time out for self-recollection? Spend a rejuvenating week in our serene mountain community, in the company of others who wrestle with similar challenges, who are on a similar journey. Let the silence and the solitude bring you closer to yourself, awaken what is deepest in you, reconnect you with what you love. Allow the experience of contemplative listening and the practice of contemplative prayer to animate deep thought and real talk about life in our world, the world in which we work, study, and seek to be true to our calling.

An hospitable setting…

The melting of winter snows and the arrival of spring rains bring June’s green meadows and vibrant growth to our mountain hideaway, located in the center of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Warm, dry days dominate in July and August. Larkspur, Shasta lilies and Calypso orchids sparkle in the summer sunlight, and the stars - in the clear mountain dark - offer their benediction to evening prayers. The millpond, nearby Keene Creek, and the surrounding pine and fir forestland invite conversational walks and surprising encounters with the natural world. Ten cabins and apartments, rustic but comfortably furnished, welcome you to settle into a relaxing, quiet space. Healthy, tasty meals bring us together daily for nourishment and conversation. Candles, bouquets, and a variety of artwork turn our common prayer room into an inviting and sacred space. Inviting works by a wide variety of spiritual writers are available to you in our library.

A daily rhythm of silence, conversation and contemplative practice…

Contemplative rhythms shape our daily life: morning and evening prayers, individual and group contemplation, times of reflection and interaction. We remain silent from rising until lunch, except for conversation required in group sessions and contemplative practices. Each morning we engage in a different contemplative prayer, drawn from a broadly Christian tradition, followed by group reflection on our experiences. Afternoons present opportunities for recreational and artistic activities or spiritual direction. Evenings are unscheduled. Mealtimes offer conviviality over good food and drink. Closing rituals and celebrations conclude our week together.

A group of facilitators to accompany you…

Nancy Linton has for many years been drawn to liturgy and mysticism and has completed her Diploma in the Art of Spiritual Direction at San Francisco Theological Seminary. Doug Frank has participated in many spiritual retreats, and deepened his appreciation for the contemplative tradition as a consultant to the Youth Ministry and Spirituality Project, funded by Lilly Endowment. Frank Rogers is Professor of Spiritual Formation at the Claremont School of Theology, where he teaches courses in Christian spirituality and contemplative practice. Frank, Nancy and Doug have teamed up to lead contemplative retreats at Lincoln since 2004.

Roots in the Christian tradition, but openness to all…

These facilitators have journeyed primarily within the narratives and contemplative practices of the Christian tradition and will make these resources available during our week together. But we welcome people of all religious traditions who wish to cultivate a contemplative spirit, as well as those who claim no religious affiliation. We trust that those who join us will bring to our conversation a diverse array of experiences and commitments.

Join us if you can…

The June 26-July 2 Retreat

Dates:

Beginning at dinner on Friday, June 26, 2015.

Ending with evening prayer on Thursday, July 2, 2015.

Travel: We will shuttle you to and from the Rogue Valley/Medford, OR Airport. Flights should be arranged to arrive before 3 p.m. on Friday, June 26, so as to accommodate the retreat’s opening dinner at 6 p.m. Return flights may be scheduled for any time on Friday morning, July 3.

Cost: $800

This cost includes housing (three to a residence, one per bedroom) and the lunch and evening meals each day (except for the evening meal on the 'break' day, when many participants visit the nearby town of Ashland or sample the fare at the Green Springs Inn). Retreatants will be asked to help with set-up or clean-up at one or two lunches. Retreatants will be responsible for their own breakfasts - our airport shuttle will stop at a supermarket so retreatants can buy groceries. Our cost does not include your transportation to and from the retreat, except for our shuttle from the Rogue Valley/Medford Airport.

The August 1-7 Retreat

Dates:

Beginning at dinner on Saturday, August 1, 2014.

Ending with evening prayer on Friday, August 7, 2014.

Travel: We will shuttle you to and from the Rogue Valley/Medford, OR Airport. Flights should be arranged to arrive before 3 p.m. on Saturday, August 1, so as to accommodate the retreat’s opening dinner at 6 p.m. Return flights may be scheduled for any time on Saturday morning, August 8.

Cost: $800

T0 MAKE A RESERVATION:

Send an email to dougfrankoe@mac.com. State the week for which you are reserving.

Once your reservation has been accepted, please complete the Online Reservation Form and send a $100 non-refundable deposit, payable to Trek, Inc., to:

Doug Frank

P. O. Box 458

Ashland, OR 97520

Link to ONLINE RESERVATION FORM.

Feel free to share additional thoughts or comments in a letter or e-mail message if you run out of space in the online form.

Please feel free to contact us by phone: Doug (541-326-6284) or Nancy (541-482-1391).

We hope to see you in 2015!

It is the policy of the Trek, Inc. to provide equal spiritual and educational opportunities without regard to actual or perceived race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity, national origin, alienage, citizenship status, disability, sexual orientation, gender (sex) or weight and to maintain an environment free of harassment on the basis of any of these grounds, including sexual harassment or retaliation.

Sometimes one doesn't know what one is yearning for, only that there is a yen. That is how I came to the retreat at Lincoln, hoping perhaps that being away from my family, my work and all that is regular would bring to me the something that was missing. It did, from the first day and all through the week. I drank in the experience and felt a reconnection to a part of me that I had forgotten existed: the part that loves solitude, writing, reflecting, painting, laughing and knows that grieving is a necessity on this ragged journey.

Helen Whitcomb

My wife and I have attended the early summer retreats at Lincoln for the past two years. At a meditation workshop very recently, I was called upon to summon up a "sacred spot." Without hesitation my mind flew to the sunny, comfortable big chair at the back of the Oregon Extension library where I had retreated at every opportunity during our time there -- especially during the morning silent period. I come back to these retreats yearly because I know I will always encounter the sacred there. We'll be back in 2009.

Don Robertson

At the contemplative retreat in Oregon I am able to reconnect with parts of myself that easily get buried the rest of the year. If I need space and quiet to meditate, write or even cry, it's there for me. If I need spiritual direction or vocational encouragement, caring listeners are eager to hear my deepest fears and biggest questions. Before attending the retreat, my own spirituality was simply a response to religious beliefs that made me angry or frustrated. After being introduced to more contemplative practices, especially centering prayer, my spiritual life is now a response to the deep mysteries of life, and uniquely mine. All of this in one of the most beautiful places in the world. I keep telling them I may never leave!

Sara Moslener

I attended the contemplative prayer retreat at the end of a very difficult year of teaching. I was so thirsty for silence that I drank it in like a desert animal who stores water for weeks. Being in nature, sharing silence with others, hearing the words of beautiful poetry, deliciously prepared food, seeing fresh flowers on the tables each day and slowly and deliberately listening to the rumblings within brought healing. When I am stressed in my current life I often go back to the mountain and take a deep breath and visualize the beauty, the quiet and the stillness that sunk into my soul during that week. The scripture passage we studied has new meaning for me, the songs we sang ignite a peaceful feeling. It was the best thing I could have done after that difficult year and I would love to do it every year.

Kathe Streeter