The Restory Retreat Centre

Advent: Hope   "Simeon holding Jesus" Painting by Russian painter Andrey Shishkin (2012) Luke 2:25-35 The Conversation Elements From The Conversation Music “Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace.....” Rom 15‬:‭13 (The Message) ‬                     With our love. George & Matilda

Advent: Hoop   "Simeon holding Jesus" Skildery deur Russiese skilder Andrey Shishkin (2012) Luk 2:25-35 Die Gesprek Elemente Uit Die Gesprek Musiek “Mag die God van hoop, julle deur julle geloof met alle blydskap vreugde en vrede vervul.....” ‭‭Rom 15‬:‭13‬                    Met ons liefde. George & Matilda

Jasper, the Border Collie, at the river Photograph by George Angus You are the giver of all good things. All good things are sent from heaven above, rain and sun, day and night, justice and righteousness, bread to the eater and seed to the sower, peace to the old, energy to the young, joy to the babes. We are takers, who take from you, day by day, daily bread, taking all we need as you supply, taking in gratitude and wonder and joy. And then taking more, taking more than we need, taking more than you give us, taking from our sisters and brothers, taking from the poor and the weak, taking because we are frightened, and so greedy, taking because we are anxious, and so fearful, taking because we are driven, and so uncaring. Give us peace beyond our fear, and so end our greed. Give us well-being beyond our anxiety, and so end our fear. Give us abundance beyond our drivenness, and so end our uncaring. Turn our taking into giving … since we are in your giving image: Make us giving like y...

Our Town: 1943 skildery deur L.S. Lowry “Today as I stood whipping up a new batch of cream, sunlight brightening  the kitchen, the fragrance of lavender heavy in the air, the moment felt infused by God. Every minute detail of colour, fragrance, variety, use and beauty  matters. Everything matters. Everything speaks of care. Of love. Of God.” Dit was daardie laaste paragraaf in Matilda se stuk Whipping up some love wat my weer die digbundel uit die boekrak laat trek het. My vingers ken teen dié tyd die paadjie al goed na Jan Swanepoel se Die ganse dag is ene God , een van my gunsteling gedigte. soos destyds is U ook vandag nie in die donker onweer nie, nie in die weerlig wat die hemel helblink skeur as teken van u krag; al luister ek hoe fyn vandag: selfs in die ligte ruising van die wind is U ten ene male nie, maar oral in my oë en ore: die ganse dag is ene God: ‘n swaeltjie swenk en vou die hemel blou-blou om sy rug ‘n geelvink sk...

We arrange our lives as best we can, to keep your holiness at bay, with our pieties, our doctrines, our liturgies, our moralities, our secret ideologies, Safe, virtuous, settled. And then you – you and your dreams you and your visions, you and your purposes, you and your commands, you and our neighbors. We find your holiness not at bay, but probing, pervading, insisting, demanding. And we yield, sometimes gladly, sometimes resentfully, sometimes late …. or soon. We yield because you, beyond us, are our God. We are your creatures met by your holiness, by your holiness made our true selves. And we yield. Amen                                                       ...