Our June 23rd gathering for Contemplative in the Kootenays will be peripatetic! We’ll start off at the Anglican church in Balfour, and hop the afternoon ferry over to Yasodhara Ashram to join in the celebration there.  As many of you know, we’ve been holding retreats at the Ashram for four years, and often participate in the Sunday satsang after retreats. Beyond our group relationship, many of us have personal connections to the Ashram and its members. This year, we’ve been invited as a community to join in the Grand Opening Celebration for the Temple of Light. So we’ll end our time a bit early, and head over to the east side of the lake to celebrate.

We will meet at St. Michaels and All Angels, 8551 Busk Road in Balfour, at 10 a.m as usual.  St. Michael’s is a lovely little grey-blue church just four blocks off Highway 31; Busk Road is the road to the east (towards the lake) immediately north of the ferry.

Those who want to go to the Ashram will catch the 1:10 ferry and get there in time for strawberries AND the grand opening! After strawberry dessert, we go with the community and friends into the Temple for the Grand Opening at 2:30. Here’s a link to the information that they have provided: http://www.yasodhara.org/2018/05/temple-of-light-grand-opening-strawberry-social/

Our day will follow the usual schedule in the morning, with meditation, lectio divina and a brief time of reflection, plus communion. If anyone wants, I will teach a brief introduction to centring prayer at the beginning.

Please bring your own coffee/tea, water, and lunch as the church has no kitchen. If you don’t think you can spend three hours on a pew, please bring a mat or comfortable camp chair!

As always, please bring something to write in and something to write with.