Each participant was asked to bring an object that tells a personal story and holds spiritual significance. After a brief welcome on Friday evening, we presented our objects, shared our stories, and placed our objects on the group altar. This activity gave us the opportunity to share an important part of ourselves and come to know each other in new and authentic ways. After the sharing was over, the objects remained on the altar throughout the weekend so they could be examined in more detail. To be in the presence of so many spiritual symbols, each chosen as the object that best connects each of us to the sacred, was indeed awesome. We closed the evening with a period of silent reflection that lasted through the night.

On Saturday morning, we awoke to a cloudy sky, crisp air, refreshing possibilities. After a morning prayer service, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast of eggs, French toast, and fruit in the Koinonia dining hall. We spent the rest of the morning in personal and group reflection. In our journals, we each made a list of our yearnings and were asked to recall a specific memory that served as an “awakening” moment. We then shared our memories and yearnings in groups of three. As one person revealed the path of his or her inner longings, the two listeners provided support, acceptance, comfort, and emotional safety. The morning concluded with another period of silence during which we were able to journal, pray, meditate, or reflect in a place and manner of our choosing. Some sat quietly by the fire, others spent the time in their rooms, while others found a place to sit outside or a path to explore in the woods. Professional massage therapist Lois Hellerstedt was on hand to provide a healing touch for those who chose to schedule an appointment. No matter the choice, all took the time as an opportunity to renew the mind, body, and soul.

After eating a lunch of soup and sandwiches in silence, we remained in the dining hall for our next activity: mask-making. Deb Harley introduced the concept by explaining that wearing a mask has both literal and symbolic significance. People wear masks to reveal and to hide. Wearing a physical mask allows a person to be anonymous, to feel uninhibited, and to reveal behavior freely and without fear. Wearing an emotional mask allows a person to hide by choosing to show only the parts of ourselves that we want others to see, while hiding our weaknesses, mistakes, and vulnerabilities.

Upon reflection of this paradox, we engaged in a hands-on, personal mask-making experience. Deb passed out a plain, white, three-dimensional mask to each person. Our task was to decorate the outside of the mask with colors and symbols that represent the self we show to the world, and to decorate the inside of the mask with references to the parts of ourselves that we hide from others. We began by choosing from a wide variety of colors for painting the inside and outside of our masks. We then paged through magazines in search of words and pictures to glue to the surfaces of our masks. We also had the option of adding various decorative elements including beads, sequins, feathers, and glitter. Once the masks were finished, we took them back to our lodge and hung them on a string for display.

A thunderstorm canceled our after-dinner bonfire plans, so we spent the evening indoors by the light of the fireplace, celebrating our progress and new insights. We began with singing and a few written reflections. We then went around the circle, and each of us shared our masks with the group. We explained the creation process, revealed the reasons behind the colors and symbols chosen, and described the emotions that accompany such a task. Sharing our masks was powerful and intriguing. It was amazing to see all the different ways that people chose to decorate them. No two masks were alike! The uniqueness of each person was further revealed through the process of sharing. We definitely strengthened our connections through this experience and enjoyed a new level of comfort and familiarity as we moved into a celebration. We spent the rest of the night singing songs, beating drums and shaking rattles, dancing, laughing, and taking pleasure in each other’s company. The positive spiritual energy and sense of genuine community was truly invigorating.

On Sunday morning, we opened the day by giving each person the opportunity to share anything she or he wanted with the group. Many new revelations and profound thoughts were spoken. During the closing liturgy that followed, we sang, read Psalm 139 together, shared headlines and petitions, and reflected on the story of Lazarus in John’s Gospel. We concluded with a ritual in which we each symbolically were “unbound” and allowed to go free. We also shared the Eucharist with one another as well as a joyful sign of peace.

and

Jon and Katrina Plotz, a newly married couple, are thrilled to be a part of the St. Joan of Arc community. Jon teaches 10th grade English at Anoka High School and Katrina teaches 7th grade English at Oak View Middle School in Andover.

As young parishioners new to St. Joan of Arc, we sincerely enjoyed our first SJA retreat and plan to make it an annual commitment. The relationships we developed and the insights we gathered will enlighten our spiritual journeys in the months to come. We wish to truly thank the staff at Koinonia for their hospitality, as well as all who participated in the retreat. We would especially like to thank Mark Scannell, Karin Grosscup, and Deb Harley for leading the retreat and facilitating such a moving and valuable experience. For all those reading this, we would highly recommend attending an SJA retreat in the future! Below is a link to a poem entitled “The Mad Ones,” written by Katrina Plotz while on retreat.

Poem: "The Mad Ones"