We've returned from our parish retreat weekend at Shrine Mont, the diocesan center in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. We had about 130 folks, and there was much doing! The kids had a fishing derby and lots of games. Here are a number of photos from the weekend.
We had bird watcher hikes, nature walks, and one group took a big hike up a mountain. In the evening we had dancing and a bonfire.
Lori gave a talk on cooking tips and demonstrated her favorite cooking gadgets; I did a workshop on parables. And in between, best of all, we both enjoyed visiting with folks, sitting on the porch rockers and chatting.
This morning we celebrated our Eucharist in the open air "shrine" that gives Shrine Mont its name. Shrine Mont hold the bishop's chair, or cathedra, making it the cathedral for the Diocese of Virginia. As Bishop Peter Lee is fond of pointing out, he has the highest ceiling of any cathedral in the world.
Before leaving today, a number of us walked the labyrinth, a recent addition to Shrine Mont thanks to Betsy Poist and a group of volunteers.
The labyrinth is marked by stones, and the ground is rough earth. Walking the labyrinth I was sharply aware of how footsteps have shaped the walk in the muddy earth.
Monday we will get back to developments at General Convention, and we will be in Anaheim Tuesday for the remainder of convention. There is plenty of time to catch up on that the rest of the week.
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