Via Crucis Retreat Agenda Oct. 17-19

Via Crucis Night One


7:00 – 8:30 pm Worship Gathering

We will start the retreat at the Friday night worship gathering at Believer’s Church. A time of worship and thoughts on the Via Crucis will set up the weekend. After the service, we will head off to FUMC.

9:00 –10:00 pm Getting Settled

Time to get everyone settled and in full monastery mode.

10:00 –10:45 pm Setting Sanctuary and Sacred Tale

Just before His journey to the cross, Jesus shared the Passover meal with His disciples. Even the one who betrayed Him, Judas, was there to break bread. The story of the Last Supper will transport us to Jerusalem where Jesus discussed His fate with His closest friends. This sacred tale, or one which resonates with similar themes, will provide the backdrop for the journey.

10:45–11:30 pm Free Time- Gathering of the Monks

11:30–11:45 pm Compline and a Vow of Silence

The office of Compline is an ancient form of prayer before bedtime. Upon completion of Compline, if the team leader so chooses, participants will enter into a Vow of Silence to be held until morning worship. This session will draw to a close with a Nooma video where participants will be asked to ponder what it really means to stay silent before the Lord. Also explanations of the Hours.













Via Crucis Retreat – FUMC October 17 – 19, 2008


Via Crucis Day Two


7:30 am Morning Prayer

Participants are invited to join the retreat staff in a time of Celtic Morning Prayer.

8 am Breakfast

Our vow of silence will continue at breakfast. The silence will be broken with the monastic practice of reading passages from the Psalms Aloud.

9 am Worship Encounter- Mid-Morning Prayer

We will break our silence by entering into God’s presence with musical worship.

9:45 - 11:30 am Morning Session: The Word

We will begin to explore the themes of sacrifice, servanthood, and submission using the age-old practice of Lectio Divina. Participants will engage in large and small group exercises designed to help them learn to hear the voice of God in Scripture, and to enrich their journey through the final hours of Jesus’ life here on earth. These exercises will be used later during the retreat’s final Via Crucis encounter.

11:30 am –12:30 pm Midday Meal and Free Time

Free time can be structured or unstructured and will be determined ahead of time by the group leader according to the needs of that particular group.

1:30 - 1:45 pm Midday Prayer - Worship

As we gather back together, we will again spend time in musical worship to refocus our hearts and minds upon the theme of picking up our crosses and following Christ.

1:45 – 3:00 pm Afternoon Session: Walking Prayers

As the saints went out on their Wonder Voyages they entered in to what would be called white martyrdom- carried to unknown lands in obedience to Christ. Today we will walk out our prayers in a very special neighborhood.

3:00 – 4:00 Community Time



Via Crucis Retreat – Sample Schedule, continued


Via Crucis Day Two

4:00 – 5:00 pm Afternoon Session: Identifying

Our time in the afternoon will be spent pondering the concept of identifying one’s cross and then choosing to pick up it up. Following Christ is a choice that must be made deliberately, but not lightly. There is a cost involved for each one of us. Small groups will be formed, and each will be assigned a particular point along the Via Crucis upon which they will focus for the evening activity. The groups will spend time in prayer, discussion, and contemplation of their particular Via Crucis station.

5 - 6:45 pm Evening Meal and Break Time

6:45- ?:?? Worship Encounter: Responding

We will gather together for the evening with our minds fixed upon Jesus final hours upon the earth. We will enter into solemn worship as we construct a cross together for the evening’s activity.

Our evening will encompass Jesus’ journey from Gethsemane, to trial, to the Cross, and to the grave. We will participate in a Via Crucis Walk, which combines Scripture reading, exhortation, dramatization, storytelling, worship, and prayer. Each small group will have a role to play in the Via Crucis Walk. Each participant will be encouraged to leave something behind at the Cross.

The evening will end with a Eucharist time.


Via Crucis Day Three


Sunrise Gathering

Our morning begins with a gentle waking and an acknowledgement of the fact that “He is risen.”

7:30 am Pack and Clean

8 am Breakfast

9 am Final Session: Community Gathering

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