Events
Contemplation amidst chaos 1–5 December 2025
We’ve just returned from a wonderful week leading a retreat with the Scargill Movement and our guests, looking at what it means to listen well, drawing on the life of Jesus. In the midst of turbulence, Jesus was able to listen in a way that enabled him to live with defiant faith, hope and love.
Although the weather in the Dales was wet and misty, with occasional bursts of sunshine, the welcome was warm and the conversations deep and rich.
We dug deeply into the theme: “Contemplation Amidst Chaos”, with input from the team in three main sessions and a number of additional voluntary activities. Guests were able to spend time in personal reflection and also talking with a small number of others in Travelling Companions groups.
If you’d like to listen to the talks/conversations from the Scargill retreat you can access them here,
to listen online or download to your own device to listen at your leisure.
Reflections on the 2025 Scargill retreat
1 to 5 December 2025
It was a triple blessing. Firstly, I grow deeper in my appreciation of the friendship with my Collective associates. They’re good friends in whose company it’s easy to be. We share, learn, laugh and enjoy each other’s company.
Secondly, I love Scargill, a community that I have had strong connections with over many years. The people, place, (the location in Upper Wharfdale is stunningly beautiful) the community’s welcome, hospitality, friendship, and working together with Scargill’s host team was also a great blessing.
And thirdly, the opportunity to share the fruits of our Collective aims of listening well, thinking deeply and living authentically with a full retreat of people, many of whose lives were deeply touched last week. It was a privilege and a blessing to be part of.
The diversity of people attending from different backgrounds, traditions and experiences life, each one engaging with the theme of contemplation in the midst of chaos.
Of many things that I take away is the memory of how people responded so positively to the insights that we shared but also by the way in which we shared together as a team. A short presentation by one of us was followed by a conversation among another two associates. Each one bringing their own perspective, sometimes different, contrasting perspectives. Modelled what disagreeing agreeably looks like and respecting and valuing the contributions each one made. That made a deep impact upon those we were listening and participating retreatants.
Another thing is the heightened sense that our aims of encouraging people to listen well, think deeply and live authentic are life-giving, not only for individuals but for their relationships with others, in their churches, workplaces and other spheres of influence and connections.
So, I’ve come away from our time together, very grateful, triply blessed by the triune God. As we sang, in our morning liturgy introducing each teaching session, the Peruvian Gloria, – Glory to God… Glory to the Father, Son and Spirit.
