My original plan was to write this post much sooner. I figured after eight days of silence, in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, I’d have plenty to write about. Somehow it just didn’t work out that way. For starters, long road trips require quite a bit of preparation and I was busy till the moment we pulled out.

My time in Colorado at the Sacred Heart Jesuit Retreat Center was wonderful. It was long, but never seemed unbearably long. My days were filled the gift of silence and attention to God’s presence. 

Each day I spent and hour with a Spiritual director who listened carefully and gave me suggestions for how I might use scripture or prayer practices for the following 24 hours. 

It is strange to have so much time free of distraction and I think I’m still coming to an understanding of the those eight days. I did not experience a great epiphany while wandering the foothills of scrub along the Frontrange, but I did begin to understand how my ongoing life of faith and ministry could be strengthened by a deeper more focused prayer life.

I’m grateful for the experience of such a long silence and will look forward to how it will influence my life as your pastor in the coming years.