Weekend at Pleshey

Friday was a panic. Not only was I covering for the escalation manager, but the afternoon had its own crises in my regular job. I was also trying to pack and calm down before my retreat. We have a quiet weekend, at the Pleshey retreat house, in preparation for licensing. The licensing service is now just 13 days away. I filled a bag with all I needed for the weekend, and stopped work just as soon as I could. The arrival time at Pleshey was set for 6pm to 6:30pm. The journey time according to google maps is about 40 minutes. I left about 5:40. Travel through the High Street was slow, then on to the A12, and a top speed of some 35MPH due to traffic (it's Friday after all). I arrived at Pleshey at 6:29, so just made it. I was welcomed and shown to my room. Comfortable enough, but nowhere to write. The evening session was a welcoming from the leader, and started the story of his holiday, which would make up all of the talks during the weekend. Each of the talks was focused on Reader Ministry - Preaching and Teaching - and gave us just a last minute insight into the role we have all agreed to take on. The whole class were there, and a couple of others who are to be licensed, but have come via a different route. Friday night I was exhausted and went to be about 10pm, having found it impossible to pray, or really relax.
Saturday was better, breakfast at 8:45 allows plenty of time to get up, was and dress, and have a wander around the grounds before the day really starts. During the day there were a further 3 talks, all centred around the holiday in Somerset, that our leader had recently experienced. He was going back to his childhood home village. Saturday afternoon is traditionally free, and as I enjoy walking I put on my coat and boots and set out. Across the road were a few old traction engines, I wandered over to take a look. Some of my colleagues were already there, we chatted and drifted into the pub and chatted some more. Then it was time to return to the retreat house, for tea. So no walk then, but the fellowship had probably been more useful - 4 old(ish) men putting their (Christian) world to rights.
It usually takes me at least one day to be properly relaxed at any type of weekend away, be it church, conference or retreat. It was true this time as well. Only during the last talk of the day on Saturday did I sense God's presence with us at all. That talk, although as gentle and as interesting as the others in its nature, affected me more deeply, and I returned to my room immediately it had finished to pray. 40 minutes later I was in the lounge enjoying the Tea and chat, and winding down for bed. I also had some ideas that I was desperately in need of for some of the things I have to do in the short term future.
Today was just incredible. Today we shared morning prayer together, and it was as though I had never been anywhere else. There was communion before lunch, the lunch time together and the good byes - well the see-you-in-two-weeks's.

Pleshey is a lovely place to go, a very old house, that creaks as you walk around it, and must have things in it from every era since it was built. The staff there provide good simple food, and more than you could possibly eat. The village is lovely, and the grounds are small, but well kept. It is a place of peace.

The library, and the other book shelves contain an amazing range of books - Spiritual book, and studies of course, but also some Pratchett, some political autobiographies, and some readers digest novels. I began reading "Till we have faces", and I will now have to find a copy and finish it!

Although this retreat was specifically designed to be for trainee readers about to be licensed, Pleshey run many other events during the year, some ore open to anyone to attend. Details are on the web site.

There are a few pictures of my weekend here.