Invitation to Retreat

Ruth Haley Barton

Some days, for me, start at 11:43 pm the night before with one kid falling out of bed and needing a back rub to help them settle back in, continue at 2:13 am with the dog wanting to warn us about the car headlights three blocks over, and really get going at 5:22 am when the toddler is ready for yogurt, berries, a story, and playing with trains. The day continues in a blur of meals, school work, household chores, and my work in children’s ministries. By the time 9 pm rolls around, my body is weary and I am ready to rest. Compound that type of schedule by seven kids over the course of almost two decades, I can speak to the need to retreat so that I do not burn out. When Invitation to Retreat; The Gift and Necessity of Time Away with God  by Ruth Haley Barton arrived on my doorstep, I immediately put on the kettle for a cup of tea, found a primo spot on the couch amid the granola bar wrappers, stray socks, and balled-up composition paper, and settled in for a read. (Which was interrupted, of course, by someone riding their scooter into the rosebush and needing a thorn removal, requiring me to put the book aside until bedtime reading. Cliche. I know.)

This book is a feast for one’s soul. It starts with a deeply hued cover with calming graphics and text. The twelve chapters inside cover everything from how to actually strategically slip away on retreat despite the responsibilities of this world, the reasons TO take that retreat, finding one’s rhythm, and making space for discernment. Meaningful and targeted prayers are included throughout, along with suggestions for how to re-enter the world after retreat. The author also includes helpful appendices to give you guides on how to plan your retreat and fixed hour prayers to guide you on your time apart. Reading a chapter of this each night was a retreat in itself for me; time was carved out each night to devote to the topic and renew my own patterning.

There are several ways one could use this book. It is a good option to keep on your shelf to share with someone who is ready for a break and change. The writing is accessible and a person doesn’t need the guidance of a spiritual director to make heads or tails of it. However, this resource is a solid option for those that WOULD like to have guidance on the practice of retreat. Could it be read alongside sessions with a trusted spiritual advisor? Yes. Could it be used in a small group that wants to examine this practice more closely? Absolutely. This could be used for a three month series; one chapter a week for three months. The topics are meaty enough to pull a discussion question or two from and would take minimal effort for the group facilitator (you could even rotate who facilitates). This is also a valuable resource for pastors looking to explore spiritual disciplines through a sermon series. There is plenty of material to draw from in this resource, all of it accessible to just about everyone in the pews as exhaustion and the need for renewal is not a human condition that only a few experience. This book is flexible and will be a valuable addition to your resource library.