A review of last year’s retreat – 22nd Annual Montreal AWARE – 2011
Every year for the past twenty-one years, Anglican Women Alive, Renewed and Enriched (AWARE) has held week-end spiritual retreats. The 2011 A.W.A.R.E. retreat was a one-day event at the Holiday Inn, Pointe-Claire on 24 September 2011. Seventy women travelled from various parishes in Quebec and Ontario to participate in Bible teaching sessions, discussion groups and worship.
The theme of the 2011 retreat was “Walking with Mary Magdalene – a Woman who Believed” with the lead Bible reference taken from the gospel of St. John 20: 30 – 31. The guest speaker and chaplain Rev. Marsha Mundy, led two teaching sessions on the theme of the retreat.
In the first session, Rev. Marsha taught about about several prominent women in the Bible and the role they have played in bringing forth God’s work and His will on earth. She then highlighted the role of Mary Magdalene in Jesus’ ministry. We learned that Jesus crossed the line of Jewish tradition by including women in His ministry. Mary Magdalene is always at the beginning of lists of women following Jesus and she was a woman of financial means and a woman of committed faith. She not only followed Jesus, but she provided for him, stayed at the foot of the cross and was the first to see our risen Lord.
Vibrant discussions followed on the various questions Rev. Marsha raised in her presentations. We were challenged to ask ourselves what is God asking us to believe Him to do in our lives. We spoke about pioneering women and how their faith inspires us. Several women shared situations in which they or someone they know had to stand apart for a principle they believed in and times when they had difficulty convincing someone else to respect their faith.
Worship Leader Sandy Keymer-Temple, lifted the spirits of all of us through songs of praise and thanksgiving.
Rev. Marsha also served as the chaplain for the week-end and celebrated Eucharist to close the retreat.
We all left feeling alive, renewed and enriched and we look forward to the 2012 AWARE retreat that will be held on the week-end of 21 – 23 September 2012. Sue Winn will be the guest speaker on the theme “Our God of Hope.” Music and worship will be led by Lynda-Jean Coffin.
