{"id":115,"date":"2021-02-06T01:20:40","date_gmt":"2021-02-06T01:20:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/?page_id=115"},"modified":"2026-03-23T19:51:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T19:51:22","slug":"events","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/index.php\/events\/","title":{"rendered":"Events"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Three Day Sketching as Prayer Retreat<br>5:00 PM Tuesday, September 24 &#8211; 1:30 PM Friday, September 27, 2024<br>Holy Cross Monastery, West Park, NY<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEarth\u2019s crammed with heaven,<br>And every common bush afire with God,<br>But only he who sees takes off his shoes;<br>The rest sit round and pluck blackberries.\u201d<br>Elizabeth Barrett Browning<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Seeing heaven here on earth and recognizing God\u2019s presence, whether in the wildness of a burning bush or in the shifting colors of autumn trees, requires slowing down and stepping aside from our busyness. Sketching can be a pathway to noticing the ways God is speaking through creation, and in the process we are drawn into prayer, either with words or in silence, and into worship of the Master Artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each morning and afternoon we will have a presentation on some\u00a0aspect of sketching as\u00a0prayer, then time on our own to sketch, rest, or explore the beautiful building and peaceful grounds of Holy Cross Monastery.\u00a0<br>For more information see\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/index.php\/2024\/02\/13\/sketching-as-prayer-retreat-september-24-27\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sketching as Prayer Retreat<\/a>\u00a0on my blog and <a href=\"https:\/\/holycrossmonastery.com\/events\/sketching-as-prayer\/\">https:\/\/holycrossmonastery.com\/events\/sketching-as-prayer\/<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>To register, please contact the Holy Cross Monastery Guesthouse Office by phone (845-384-6660, ext. 3002) or email (<a href=\"mailto:guesthouse@hcmnet.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">guesthouse@hcmnet.org<\/a>).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mail.google.com\/mail\/u\/1?ui=2&amp;ik=bc59b9328d&amp;attid=0.1&amp;permmsgid=msg-a:r-8724004100370473421&amp;th=18ef685f9aa9878d&amp;view=fimg&amp;fur=ip&amp;sz=s0-l75-ft&amp;attbid=ANGjdJ8XE05pBoAnHI6R_bGUVCFwN-HW4RxCbu0K4uXBErOjd566aZpC5zjCP4cYdn_M1ll1r3nj9oNY8vNSDA71SxW9TZX4Ag8r2Zb_ZBcZf8gzoOCV7cE4U8-hU9Q&amp;disp=emb&amp;realattid=ii_lv6o8a4d0\" alt=\"Holy Cross Oak 032715.jpg\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>*<br>*<br>*<br>*<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sketching as Prayer Lenten Retreat<\/strong><br>Saturday, March 2, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Who wants to suffer? It\u2019s not something we typically choose, nor should we without good reason. But Jesus did choose to suffer, because of his tremendous love for us. He chose to enter into our suffering here on earth, in order to give us life. Lent is a season during which we choose to identify with Jesus, sharing in his sufferings, not for some morbid fascination with suffering, but in order to experience the resurrection life and power we can only have in fellowship with him. This Lenten journey of 40 days prepares us to more wholeheartedly experience and celebrate the reality of resurrection joy when Easter comes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Given that choosing a path that includes suffering is not usually our first choice, it could be helpful at the start of this Lenten season to set aside a few hours to focus on what it might mean to share in Jesus\u2019 suffering in our daily lives. You are invited to a Lenten Retreat on Saturday, March 2nd\u00a0to join with others in seeking fellowship with Jesus, as we choose to share in his sufferings and experience his resurrection power in our lives.<br>*<br>*<br>*<br>*<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>New Year&#8217;s Retreat<\/strong><br>Saturday, January 20, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All are invited to a <strong>New Year\u2019s Prayer Retreat<\/strong> on Saturday, January 20th from 9:45am to 3pm. This will be a time to slow down after the busyness of the holidays and open ourselves to the certainty of God\u2019s presence in the world despite the challenges of this time. We\u2019ll reflect on the past year and bring our hopes and prayers for the coming year before God. All are welcome to come together for a day of quiet reflection, sharing, and mutual encouragement as we seek to draw into God\u2019s presence and set our eyes on him at the start of a new year. Email me at melissafischerartist@gmail.com for more details or to let me know you\u2019ll participate.<br>*<br>*<br>*<br>*<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Advent Retreat<\/strong><br>Saturday, December 3, 2023<br>Immanuel Church<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>*<br>*<br>*<br>*<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>New Year&#8217;s Day of Reflection (Sketching as Prayer)<\/strong><br>Saturday, January 7, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can have the certainty of knowing we are in God\u2019s loving care, and that all our days are known to him, but with health concerns, a challenging economy, and general societal turmoil it can be easy to feel at loose ends and anxious about what lies ahead, looking back with regret and forward with fear\u2026 unless we allow our minds to slow down and we take time to draw into God\u2019s presence. Sometimes that\u2019s easier to do in the presence of others who are also seeking God\u2019s presence, so you are invited to a day of retreat and reflection,&nbsp;<strong>a day of looking back with gratitude and forward with hope<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Details:<\/strong><br>Saturday, January 7, 2022<br>9:45 AM \u2013 3:00 PM<br>Immanuel Church<br>Wappingers Falls, NY<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All are welcome. Artistic experience isn\u2019t necessary, but you might want to bring a few supplies. Email me (<a href=\"mailto:melissafischerartist@gmail.com\">melissafischerartist@gmail.com<\/a>) for more details and to register.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"702\" src=\"https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_0003-1024x702.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-581\" style=\"width:372px;height:254px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_0003-1024x702.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_0003-300x206.jpg 300w, https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_0003-768x527.jpg 768w, https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_0003-1536x1054.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_0003-1140x782.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_0003-600x412.jpg 600w, https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_0003.jpg 1748w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>*<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>*<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sketching as Prayer Retreat<\/strong><br>Saturday, September 17, 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Join us for a day of retreat, rest, and renewal as we open our sketchbooks or journals, eyes, and hearts to God\u2019s presence in his creation and look to discover his fingerprints all around us. This is an opportunity to slow down and renew our focus on God through silence and prayer. We will also have times to encourage one another with the thoughts, insights, and sketches or written words that have come from our observation and meditation. Artistic experience not necessary; you can sketch with any kind of simple art supplies or with written words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Details:<\/strong><br><strong>Saturday, September 17, 2022<br>9:45 AM to 3:00 PM<br><\/strong>Immanuel Church (253 Myers Corners Rd; Wappingers Falls, NY)<br>Email Melissa Fischer (<a href=\"mailto:melissa@theartofprayer.space\">melissafischerartist@gmail.com<\/a>) for more details or to let her know you\u2019ll participate.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"609\" height=\"409\" src=\"https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Apple-of-Your-Eye-100421.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-566\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Apple-of-Your-Eye-100421.jpg 609w, https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Apple-of-Your-Eye-100421-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Apple-of-Your-Eye-100421-600x403.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 609px) 100vw, 609px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>*<br>*<br>*<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Growing Together Women&#8217;s Retreat<\/strong><br>October 14-16, 2022<br>Ashford, CT<br>More information here: <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/globalcoffeebreak.org\/uploads\/files\/Growing-Together-2022-Brochure-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Growing Together Women&#8217;s Retreat Brochure<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Coffee-Break-Fall-Retreat-2022-Flier-768x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-450\" style=\"width:278px;height:370px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Coffee-Break-Fall-Retreat-2022-Flier-768x1024.png 768w, https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Coffee-Break-Fall-Retreat-2022-Flier-225x300.png 225w, https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Coffee-Break-Fall-Retreat-2022-Flier-1152x1536.png 1152w, https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Coffee-Break-Fall-Retreat-2022-Flier-1536x2048.png 1536w, https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Coffee-Break-Fall-Retreat-2022-Flier-1140x1520.png 1140w, https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Coffee-Break-Fall-Retreat-2022-Flier-600x800.png 600w, https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Coffee-Break-Fall-Retreat-2022-Flier.png 1728w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ll be leading a breakout session &#8220;Sketching as Prayer&#8221; at this &#8220;Growing Together&#8221; retreat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>*<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>*<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-black-color\"><strong>Sketching as Prayer Retreat<\/strong><\/span>  <br>May 29, 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEarth\u2019s crammed with heaven,<br>And every common bush afire with God,<br>But only he who sees takes off his shoes;<br>The rest sit round and pluck blackberries.\u201d<br>Elizabeth Barrett Browning<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Seeing heaven here on earth and recognizing God\u2019s presence, whether in the wildness of a burning bush, in the subtle budding of a shrub in spring, or in the exuberant blossoms of May flowers requires slowing down, stepping aside from our busyness, and becoming receptive to what we haven\u2019t yet perceived. Sketching can be a pathway to seeing, to noticing the ways God is speaking through creation, and to becoming aware of his presence in the world around us. And in the process we are drawn into prayer, either with words or in silent communion with God, and into worship of the Master Artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this one day retreat we will open our eyes and hearts to God\u2019s presence in his creation and look with eyes of faith into the world to see God\u2019s touch all around us, as we enter into prayer through the pages of a sketchbook or journal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No artistic experience needed and you can sketch with pencil, paints, or words. I will email suggested supplies out a week in advance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"710\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Robins-Nest-Spring-2021-710x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-225\" style=\"width:264px;height:380px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Robins-Nest-Spring-2021-710x1024.jpg 710w, https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Robins-Nest-Spring-2021-208x300.jpg 208w, https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Robins-Nest-Spring-2021-768x1107.jpg 768w, https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Robins-Nest-Spring-2021-1065x1536.jpg 1065w, https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Robins-Nest-Spring-2021-1421x2048.jpg 1421w, https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Robins-Nest-Spring-2021-1140x1643.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Robins-Nest-Spring-2021-600x865.jpg 600w, https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Robins-Nest-Spring-2021-scaled.jpg 1776w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Three Day Sketching as Prayer Retreat5:00 PM Tuesday, September 24 &#8211; 1:30 PM Friday, September 27, 2024Holy Cross Monastery, West Park, NY \u201cEarth\u2019s crammed with heaven,And every common bush afire with God,But only he who sees takes off his shoes;The rest sit round and pluck blackberries.\u201dElizabeth Barrett Browning Seeing heaven here on earth and recognizing God\u2019s presence, whether in the wildness of a burning bush or in the shifting colors of autumn trees, requires slowing down and stepping aside from our busyness. Sketching can be a pathway to noticing the ways God is speaking through creation, and in the process we are drawn into prayer, either with words or in silence, and into worship of the Master Artist. Each morning and afternoon we will have a presentation on some\u00a0aspect of sketching as\u00a0prayer, then time on our own to sketch, rest, or explore the beautiful building and peaceful grounds of Holy Cross Monastery.\u00a0For more information see\u00a0Sketching as Prayer Retreat\u00a0on my blog and https:\/\/holycrossmonastery.com\/events\/sketching-as-prayer\/.\u00a0\u00a0 To register, please contact the Holy Cross Monastery Guesthouse Office by phone (845-384-6660, ext. 3002) or email (guesthouse@hcmnet.org). **** Sketching as Prayer Lenten RetreatSaturday, March 2, 2024 Who wants to suffer? It\u2019s not something we typically choose, nor should we without good reason. But Jesus did choose to suffer, because of his tremendous love for us. He chose to enter into our suffering here on earth, in order to give us life. Lent is a season during which we choose to identify with Jesus, sharing in his sufferings, not for some morbid fascination with suffering, but in order to experience the resurrection life and power we can only have in fellowship with him. This Lenten journey of 40 days prepares us to more wholeheartedly experience and celebrate the reality of resurrection joy when Easter comes. Given that choosing a path that includes suffering is not usually our first choice, it could be helpful at the start of this Lenten season to set aside a few hours to focus on what it might mean to share in Jesus\u2019 suffering in our daily lives. You are invited to a Lenten Retreat on Saturday, March 2nd\u00a0to join with others in seeking fellowship with Jesus, as we choose to share in his sufferings and experience his resurrection power in our lives.**** New Year&#8217;s RetreatSaturday, January 20, 2024 All are invited to a New Year\u2019s Prayer Retreat on Saturday, January 20th from 9:45am to 3pm. This will be a time to slow down after the busyness of the holidays and open ourselves to the certainty of God\u2019s presence in the world despite the challenges of this time. We\u2019ll reflect on the past year and bring our hopes and prayers for the coming year before God. All are welcome to come together for a day of quiet reflection, sharing, and mutual encouragement as we seek to draw into God\u2019s presence and set our eyes on him at the start of a new year. Email me at melissafischerartist@gmail.com for more details or to let me know you\u2019ll participate.**** Advent RetreatSaturday, December 3, 2023Immanuel Church **** New Year&#8217;s Day of Reflection (Sketching as Prayer)Saturday, January 7, 2023 We can have the certainty of knowing we are in God\u2019s loving care, and that all our days are known to him, but with health concerns, a challenging economy, and general societal turmoil it can be easy to feel at loose ends and anxious about what lies ahead, looking back with regret and forward with fear\u2026 unless we allow our minds to slow down and we take time to draw into God\u2019s presence. Sometimes that\u2019s easier to do in the presence of others who are also seeking God\u2019s presence, so you are invited to a day of retreat and reflection,&nbsp;a day of looking back with gratitude and forward with hope. Details:Saturday, January 7, 20229:45 AM \u2013 3:00 PMImmanuel ChurchWappingers Falls, NY All are welcome. Artistic experience isn\u2019t necessary, but you might want to bring a few supplies. Email me (melissafischerartist@gmail.com) for more details and to register. * * Sketching as Prayer RetreatSaturday, September 17, 2022 Join us for a day of retreat, rest, and renewal as we open our sketchbooks or journals, eyes, and hearts to God\u2019s presence in his creation and look to discover his fingerprints all around us. This is an opportunity to slow down and renew our focus on God through silence and prayer. We will also have times to encourage one another with the thoughts, insights, and sketches or written words that have come from our observation and meditation. Artistic experience not necessary; you can sketch with any kind of simple art supplies or with written words. Details:Saturday, September 17, 20229:45 AM to 3:00 PMImmanuel Church (253 Myers Corners Rd; Wappingers Falls, NY)Email Melissa Fischer (melissafischerartist@gmail.com) for more details or to let her know you\u2019ll participate.&nbsp; *** Growing Together Women&#8217;s RetreatOctober 14-16, 2022Ashford, CTMore information here: Growing Together Women&#8217;s Retreat Brochure I&#8217;ll be leading a breakout session &#8220;Sketching as Prayer&#8221; at this &#8220;Growing Together&#8221; retreat. * * &#8220;~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sketching as Prayer Retreat May 29, 2021 \u201cEarth\u2019s crammed with heaven,And every common bush afire with God,But only he who sees takes off his shoes;The rest sit round and pluck blackberries.\u201dElizabeth Barrett Browning Seeing heaven here on earth and recognizing God\u2019s presence, whether in the wildness of a burning bush, in the subtle budding of a shrub in spring, or in the exuberant blossoms of May flowers requires slowing down, stepping aside from our busyness, and becoming receptive to what we haven\u2019t yet perceived. Sketching can be a pathway to seeing, to noticing the ways God is speaking through creation, and to becoming aware of his presence in the world around us. And in the process we are drawn into prayer, either with words or in silent communion with God, and into worship of the Master Artist. In this one day retreat we will open our eyes and hearts to God\u2019s presence in his creation and look with eyes of faith into the world to see God\u2019s touch all around us, as we enter into prayer through the pages of a sketchbook or journal. No artistic experience needed and you can sketch with pencil, paints, or words. I will email suggested supplies out a week in advance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-115","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/115\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":875,"href":"https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/115\/revisions\/875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theartofprayer.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}