InHabit : a course in living faithfully through prayer and reflective practice

“The experience of lockdown along with the uncertainty of how Covid will continue to affect our social, work and church life means that many are finding themselves in a season of change, transition and questioning of how they might journey as people of faith in these challenging times. InHabit offers a potential way (and community) in which to reflect and discern what might be ‘ours to be and do’ at this particular point in our lives.”

InHabit is a brand new course written by the Revd Bridget Macaulay of The Vessel Trust and offered in partnership with the Diocese of Truro.  Artist and poet, as well as priest, spiritual director and regular retreat and Quiet Day leader, Bridget has written a number of the Diocese’s Way of Life materials, including Praying on the Way.  She has also combined faith, art and poetry in two publications, Something Understood and Earth and Vessels.

Bridget herself will lead this year-long course (approximately one day per month).  She writes that it will “make use of the physical structure and spiritual rhythm of the monastery as an image and symbol of whole life discipleship and practical prayerfulness. The course aims to build a community of ordinary, prayerful, down to earth ‘monastics’! Reflecting personally and together, we will take stock in the different areas of our often busy and sometimes complex lives. The course aims to build simple habits of prayer and reflection that can find an active outworking in everyday living. By deepening our connection to Christ as the Centre we can respond more deeply to God’s calling to be active contemplatives in a world undergoing enormous change and transition.”

InHabit will launch online in January 2021 and an online Taster Session and explanation of the course structure will be offered on Thursday 17^th Dec 9.30am-12.30pm, places for which can be booked through:  Jane.Horton@truro.anglican.org

More information about the course/costs etc can be found at: http://vesseltrust.org.uk/ and: https://trurodiocese.org.uk/resources/discipleship/ 

Each day-long session will include:

*Communal prayers at the start and end of the day

*Teaching input and facilitated discussion

*Time spent building a practice of contemplative prayer. This half hour of shared silence will not follow a particular technique, approach or ‘school of prayer’ but where helpful may draw on simple resources to create space in which we remember and settle into God’s Presence.

*Time alone with resources for personal reflection

*Time within a small ‘Journey Group’ (maximum three or four people) to discuss, share, encourage and apply the learning of the day and the wider journey of faith and life

*Practical guidance for living out and applying the material explored in the session; often with a suggested ‘practice to practice’ between sessions

*Take away material to read and further resources on the theme of the day to explore if desired