The Jonah Silent Retreat

Immerse yourself in the ancient practice of sacred silence, inspired by the story of Jonah. Together we will explore creative, prayerful, and playful ways to nurture a life of faith that is both deeply contemplative and compassionately active. Every morning and afternoon, we will gather briefly for reflections on Jonah and to engage in spiritual practices inspired by his story. These sessions are drawn from Sharon’s soon-to-be-released book, Praying with Jonah: Practices for Imperfect Pilgrims, and each participant will receive a complimentary signed copy. In the evenings, we will share quiet Vespers together.

The rest of the time will be held in deep, shared silence. You are invited to immerse yourself in the silence in whatever way feels most life-giving to you – whether through exploring creative expression (painting, drawing, pray-dough, origami, collage, mandala coloring, and more), reading, journaling, sleeping (napsio divina!), walking the labyrinth or sauntering through the serene grounds of Genesis. All meals will be held in silence (with quiet background music).

If you are new to silent retreats, this is a beautiful way to ease into the practice within a supportive community. If you have already experienced the blessing of silent retreats, this offers space to deepen your practice guided by the reluctant yet relatable prophet, Jonah.

Join us for 3 days & 3 nights of spacious, sacred silence to slow down, breathe deeply and explore what it means to be still enough to know and bold enough to go wherever God is calling.

Thursday
3:00 Check-in begins
4:30 Welcome and Opening Session
6:00 Dinner (sharing during the meal is invited)
7:00 Invitation to Slow Down & Enter into the Sacred Silence
(All meals from this point on will be held in silence.)

Friday
8:00 Breakfast (in sacred silence)
9:00-10:00 Jonah 1: Wake Up to God’s Presence
12:00 Lunch (in sacred silence)
1:00-2:00 Jonah 2: Pray Honestly in the Belly of the Whale
6:00 Dinner (in sacred silence)
7:00 Quiet Vespers

Saturday
8:00 Breakfast (in sacred silence)
9:00-10:00 Jonah 3: Act Boldly
12:00 Lunch (in sacred silence)
1:00-2:00 Jonah 4: Love Extravagantly
6:00 Dinner (in sacred silence)
7:00 Quiet Vespers

Sunday
8:00 Breakfast
9:00-9:30 Invitation to Living Contempl-actively
9:30-10:30 Room Check-out
10:30-11:30 Emerging from the Sacred Silence & Sending Forth
11:30 Departure