Sunday 9th November – 2 to 5pm at St Barnabas Church, Brooking, Dartington TQ9 6DW

with Rev Sam Wernham and Mothiur Rahman

As Interfaith Week begins, join Sam and Mothiur for a special interfaith afternoon retreat on Remembrance Sunday at beautiful Brooking Church. All are warmly welcome – booking essential (see below) and offered on a donation basis.

In these troubled and war torn times, how can we re-member peace in our own embodied experience, within our own lives? Such that we can be a presence for peace in the world.

Sam and Mothiur will draw on sacred texts, teachings and practices from their own experience of Christian, Jewish and Sufi traditions, which encourage us to remember our original disposition for goodness and to return to peace with ourselves and all beings within an awareness of divine compassion and love.

Mothiur writes: ‘Remembrance or dhikr is a constant act of practice in Islam and Sufism.  But a remembrance of what exactly? And to what purpose?  In surah/verse 30:30 of the Qu’ran we are invited to “establish God’s handiwork according to the ‘original disposition’ (or fitra) which was instilled in humankind”.  But how can we remember/re-connect to that fitra/original disposition when trauma and neuro-biology has in many of us instilled unconscious adverse patterns of behaviour that take us away from experiencing our fitra, our original disposition for goodness?’ 

Sam writes: ‘The Hebrew Bible repeatedly affirms in Genesis that all creation, including humankind is tov (טוֹב) – good: “God then surveyed all that was made, and look – it was very good!’ (Genesis1:31) while also acknowledging that humans can forget that fundamental goodness. Both Christian and Jewish mysticism offer understandings and practices of remembering and return to the Edenic paradise that still rests at the source of our being.”

In this afternoon retreat, through and with some introductory remarks across spiritual texts, Mothiur & Sam will invite companion retreatants into contemplation, through two practices within the setting of Brooking Church, as a support for connecting to tov (טוֹב) and fitra and towards a remembrance of peace with ourselves and all beings within an awareness of God’s hesed (חֶסֶד) loving kindness, compassion and love (taqwa).

At the end of the retreat there will be a short, optional ceremony in which we will hold/bless the prayers written at last Sunday’s ‘All Souls Vigil’.

To book please contact Sam: livingspirit3@gmail.com or 07979 057169. We suggest a donation of £20-£60 to cover costs. Final details & directions will go out nearer the time. Parking is available at the church & the number 80 Bus stops at the end of the drive. Refreshments will be provided – please wrap up warmly & with waterproof layers for being both inside & outside