Society of Saint John the Evangelist Visitors Weekend and Retreat

From Friday, November 6 through Sunday, November 8, St. Mary’s is delighted to welcome Brother David of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist (SSJE). On Friday evening, Br. David will be with us for supper and a brief introduction to the theme for the weekend, “Finding God in All Things: The Role of Prayer in Making Life Choices.”  On Saturday from 9 a.m.-noon, he will lead a retreat at St. Mary’s followed by lunch. On Sunday, Br. David will preach at the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. services, join us for the Parish Breakfast, and lead the Adult Forum.

Friday evening, November 6 – a talk on “Intimacy with God”

In the Gospel of John there is a mysterious figure who is referred to only as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”  Not only is he a key figure in John’s telling of the story of Jesus, he also seems to be the inspiration behind the gospel itself, if not its author.  Who is this “beloved disciple” and what might we learn from his intimate relationship to Jesus that could draw us into deeper intimacy with God?

Saturday morning, November 7 – a workshop on “Discernment in Prayer”

Making decisions is part of life.  All of us are constantly having to make choices, great and small, and these choices make up the pattern of our lives.  The purpose of this workshop is to explore the role of prayer in making life choices.  How do we discern which of the options before us represents “the will of God” for our lives?  How can we learn to recognize the movements of the Spirit in our prayer as we consider the choices before us?  How can we answer the question, “What does God want for my life?”

Br. David Vryhof, SSJE is an Episcopal priest and a member of the Society of Saint John the Evang
elist, a religious order for men in the Episcopal Church.  He is an experienced retreat leader, spiritual director and teacher who currently serves the Society as its Novice Guardian, being responsible for the formation of new men entering the community.

SSJE is an Episcopal community of men devoted to living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Rooted in the ancient monastic traditions of prayer and community life, they are critically engaged with contemporary culture and seek to know and share an authentic experience of God’s love and mercy. At their Monastery in Cambridge, Massachusetts and their Emery House property in West Newbury, Massachusetts, they live a common life shaped by worship, prayer, and a Rule of Life. Hospitality–whether at the Monastery guesthouse and Emery House, on the road, or online–is one of SSJE’s prime ministries, as Rector John Miller, Associate Rector Weezie Blanchard, and many St. Mary’s parishioners have experienced in Massachusetts and here in Richmond.

The brothers of SSJE and the Monastery were recently featured in the Travel section of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, which you can read online.  Find out even more about the brothers, their life, and their ministries at their website.