Centeral for Renewal Retreat Notes

You are now on what we call a Listening in Christ retreat. We have included the word "listening" in the title for a reason. You have come to listen to the Lord Jesus speak to you through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit has been sent to:
- o Teach you all things (Jn. 15:26a)
- o Remind you of everything (Jesus) has said to you (Jn. 15:26b)
- o Guide you into all Truth (Jn. 16:13a)

The Spirit will:
- o Not speak on his own (Jn. 16:13a)
- o Speak only what he hears (Jn. 16:13b)
- o Tell you what is to come (Jn. 16:13b)
- o Bring glory to (Jesus) by taking what is (His) and making it known to you
  - (Jn. 16:14)

The Holy spirit speaks through:
- o Scriptures, spiritual reading, hymns and songs
- o The "still, small voice," or "gentle whisper" in the soul
- o The imagination: thoughts, impressions, mental images, visions, dreams
- o Creation
- o Other people
- o Trials, afflictions, frustrations
- o Ordinary, commonplace events
- o Worship, liturgy

The primary way we "hear" the Holy Spirit is in our minds. Our thoughts can be God speaking. We become aware of Him bringing to our attention a Scriptural truth: a passage jumps out at us; we begin to "see" something about God or ourselves we had not noticed before; we are convicted of sin. We might be out for a walk and notice something in nature, and the Spirit reminds us of God's beauty, or power, or goodness. Sometimes a person will say something, and the Spirit zeroes right into your soul. Maybe in a quiet moment you hear a gentle voice say something; it has authority and you know it is the Comforter. Even suffering or affliction, if we let them, enable the Spirit to lead us away from sin or into deeper faith, trust and maturity.

Our retreat together will give you the opportunity to be like Mary who "sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said." (Lk. 10:39) We want you to listen for the Lord's voice, to become aware of how often He tried to speak to us through the Holy Spirit, and how we, like young Samuel, fail to recognize His voice. Our minds are cluttered. We are distracted, preoccupied with the constant activity of daily life. We are anxious over many things. But if we make it a habit to listen, we will learn to rest and abide in Christ despite the busyness.

What we mean by "Listening"

Center for Renewal Retreat Notes on Listening to God

The Holy Spirit has been sent to:

The Spirit will:

The Holy spirit speaks through:



		What we mean by "Listening" Center for Renewal Retreat Notes on Listening to God You are now on what we call a Listening in Christ retreat. We have included the word "listening" in the title for a reason. You have come to listen to the Lord Jesus speak to you through the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been sent to: o Teach you all things (Jn. 15:26a) o Remind you of everything (Jesus) has said to you (Jn. 15:26b) o Guide you into all Truth (Jn. 16:13a) The Spirit will: o Not speak on his own (Jn. 16:13a) o Speak only what he hears (Jn. 16:13b) o Tell you what is to come (Jn. 16:13b) o Bring glory to (Jesus) by taking what is (His) and making it known to you (Jn. 16:14) The Holy spirit speaks through: o Scriptures, spiritual reading, hymns and songs o The "still, small voice," or "gentle whisper" in the soul o The imagination: thoughts, impressions, mental images, visions, dreams o Creation o Other people o Trials, afflictions, frustrations o Ordinary, commonplace events o Worship, liturgy The primary way we "hear" the Holy Spirit is in our minds. Our thoughts can be God speaking. We become aware of Him bringing to our attention a Scriptural truth: a passage jumps out at us; we begin to "see" something about God or ourselves we had not noticed before; we are convicted of sin. We might be out for a walk and notice something in nature, and the Spirit reminds us of God's beauty, or power, or goodness. Sometimes a person will say something, and the Spirit zeroes right into your soul. Maybe in a quiet moment you hear a gentle voice say something; it has authority and you know it is the Comforter. Even suffering or affliction, if we let them, enable the Spirit to lead us away from sin or into deeper faith, trust and maturity. Our retreat together will give you the opportunity to be like Mary who "sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said." (Lk. 10:39) We want you to listen for the Lord's voice, to become aware of how often He tried to speak to us through the Holy Spirit, and how we, like young Samuel, fail to recognize His voice. Our minds are cluttered. We are distracted, preoccupied with the constant activity of daily life. We are anxious over many things. But if we make it a habit to listen, we will learn to rest and abide in Christ despite the busyness. (Center for Renewal, 134 Old Farms Road, Simsbury, CT 06070, 860.651.1594)