Welcome.  You may be one of our regulars or perhaps you’ve come across our website for the first time – a random find or providence at work?  Whatever reason we’re glad you’re here now.  Perhaps you’ll take a few minutes to look further, to see what our programme offers or browse through past Reflections, and maybe even decide to join us for a retreat. If we haven’t captured your attention in the first 30 seconds, we’ve probably lost you.

And there is today’s challenge in a nutshell. Many of us live lives that are rushed and hectic, our attention constantly drawn by the next ‘shiny thing.’  Whether the shiny thing is a problem or a solution, it’s hard to stay focused long enough to find out.  Our over-wired brains too easily see threats where there are none, keeping us in a state of vigilance that is un-necessary and exhausting.

Yet the answer is not new.

In fact, the answer lies at the heart of Christianity (and in many other contemplative traditions too).  Salvation and peace are not outside us, waiting to be earned through sacrifice or blindly following dogma.  Mystics and saints like Meister Eckhart and Teresa of Avila tell us that the Kingdom of God lies within each of us. We simply need to pause, become quiet, and listen within. To bring our attention to the present moment with faith that God will be found in the silence. Simple, but not easy.

But it becomes easier with companions, sharing the message in different ways, drawing on different traditions and practices, all coming to the same destination. The recognition that we discover God when we rediscover our self.  We aim to offer opportunities for you to realise inner peace and connection with the divine, to be inspired by the great teachers of the past and by present day encounters.

We hope you can join us. 

Jonathan Males

On behalf of the Programme Committee

31 December 2025