Led by Anne Booth

Advent can easily become one more thing to get right. Between the pressure to have a “perfect” Christmas and the pressure to be perfectly spiritually prepared, we can lose sight of the joy at the heart of the season. Taking Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol as our companion, this weekend retreat will follow Scrooge’s journey through Christmases past, present and yet to come, and back to a redeemed and hopeful present. We will ponder God in our past, notice where God meets us now, and discern what new things God may be calling us to this Christmas. In doing so, we hope to rediscover an Advent that is incarnational, hearty and life-loving. There will be regular sessions of input and suggestions for reflection, optional creative activities, and plenty of space for quiet prayer.

Arrive in time for supper at 7pm on Friday and depart by 3pm on Sunday.

Cost:

Standard: £250

En-suite: £270

Day guest: £135 (includes lunch)

Anne is a married mum of four, with an MA in Children’s Literature and another in Creative Writing and a postgraduate diploma in Pastoral Theology from Heythrop College. She is a qualified Spiritual Director. She is an author of more than twenty-five books for children and two novels for adults, published by Penguin Harvill Secker, and regularly writes a column for ‘The Tablet’. She believes in the power of storytelling, and the use of fiction to help our relationship with God. She is a passionate fan of children’s book illustration and, as well as working on future books, has just graduated with an MA in Children’s Book Illustration from Cambridge School of Art, Anglia Ruskin University.