Ah, retreat! What a joy to be out of the city, surrounded by trees and grass! We were so ready for this retreat. It was great to have other people to hang out with, talk to, and connect with; to discuss our challenges with and compare experiences with. And of course I enjoyed boating on the pond, hanging out at the campfire, and taking turns playing guitar and singing songs out of Rise Up Singing for a couple hours. The mass on Saturday night was very soul-filling. We sang some of my favorite music (Gather Us In and The Summons!) and the homily was energetic, intellectually stimulating, progressive, interactive, and had a radically inclusive message about the banquet table being open to everyone. I couldn't NOT take communion after that! It was the first time since joining JVC that I've actually taken communion at a Catholic mass.
The best thing, though, about reatreat was having 1-on-1 conversations with each of my community members. I’m glad that the two people I have the most difficult time talking to about issues are the ones that want me to talk and be direct with them. Having that request, I don’t have to hold myself back in fear of judgement. I’m looking forward to Disney singalong dishwashing nights with Patti. =) And to deeper connection with Tricia and yoga with the girls, and to exploring mass transit and Camden with Megan. We also had a really deep and honest community discussion on Saturday. It’s a relief to finally have had these conversations and feel like we understand each other a little bit better and re-commit ourselves to working on building a strong community.
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