“The soul is the God-given ‘sense’ through which we recognize God’s actions and presence in our lives. But the soul is something we easily lose sight of.” ~Rob Des Cotes
Soul Care
Ancient Streams is offering a weekend of reflection and prayer on the life and care of your soul. Ruth Des Cotes and Paul Woodyard from Imago Dei Christian Communities will be guiding us and offering some spiritual practices in which we become available to God to nourish and restore our souls. During the weekend, there will be group sessions, worship, and times of solitude. Join us as we attend to our souls and are grounded again in God’s love and care.
Cost
$345.00 for meals, retreat fee and 2 nights accommodation
In all the busyness of the Christmas season and the chaos in our world, are you longing for a day to come away and spend time with God? Would you like some time and space to ground yourself in Advent themes?
Ancient Streams is offering a day to reflect on scripture, pray, and open ourselves to God’s presence–on our own and in community with others. We will offer guidance for times of silence and solitude and gather corporately for prayers, listening to Scripture and reflections.
Join us as we open our hearts to hear and respond to the story of Christ’s birth once again.
Date: November 25, 2023 Time: 9:00am-4:00pm Location: Seton House of Prayer, Kelowna, B.C. Cost: $45.00
(e-transfer to ancientstreams10@gmail.com or pay by cheque)
November 2023
25
What to bring?
A bag lunch (we will supply hot drinks and snacks), Bible, pen, journal, slippers. There are a few trails you can walk around the property, if you desire.
“How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given…”
How unobtrusively Christ came into this world! The King of kings was born to a poor Jewish teenager in a cave with animals. There was no fanfare or royal announcement. “How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given”- unless you were an underprivileged shepherd sleeping out in the fields or a foreign astronomer who studied the stars. They received an incredible royal announcement of the birth of this king—angels’ song and a blazing comet! What would it be like to step into this great reversal of our expectations? Perhaps we would hear some good news announced to our souls and to the world.
In the midst of all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, we invite you to reflect and be alone with God. We will offer guidance for the times of silence and will gather corporately for prayers, listening to Scripture, and reflections. Join us as we open our hearts to hear the story of Christ’s birth once again.
Date:November 26, 2022
Time:9:00am-4:00pm
Location: First Baptist Church, Kelowna, B.C.
Cost: $45.00
Via e-transfer to ancientstreams10@gmail.com or in-person
(Please contact us if financial assistance is required.)
We are offering the option to join our Advent Retreat via Zoom. If you are interested, please contact Nancy at ancientstreams10@gmail.com for more details.
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty. The whole earth is full of his glory…” Isaiah 6:3 With the fall season upon us, and our schedules filling up, would you appreciate time to slow down and pay attention to creation and God’s presence all around and within us?
Ancient Streams is hosting a retreat outdoors, offering the opportunity to relish once again that “the whole earth is full of his glory”. This retreat offers an extended time in solitude in the context of community. We will share scripture, corporate prayers and our own experience with each other. The day concludes with a simple meal and sharing in communion together. Come join us as we gather to find nourishment and rest for our souls.
Date:Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022
Time: 1:00pm-7:00pm
Location: Bertram Park, Kelowna, B.C. (We gather at the grassy area at the upper parking lot.)
Are you longing for some quiet space in your life to reflect, pray and be with God, on your own and in the context of community? Consider joining Ancient Streams at Seton House for our weekend retreat on April 8-10, 2022, entitled ‘Journeys in Prayer.’
“Draw near to God and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8) How may we draw near to God through prayer and contemplative practice in the midst of the realities of our daily journeys? Ruth Des Cotes and Paul Woodyard from Imago Dei Christian Communities will be inviting us to ponder this question in the light of the lives and wisdom of contemplatives from the past.
We are looking forward to being together in person for this retreat, while also abiding by all the current Covid restrictions laid out for us by Seton House.
“What marvelous love the Father has lavished on us…” 1 John 3:1a
What is your pre–Christmas season usually like? Do you find yourself overextended and somewhat exhausted by the time Christmas arrives? How might the weeks before Christmas be more than shopping and rushing to finish to-do lists?
If you are desiring a deeper experience of the Advent season, we invite you to join us as we make some space and time in our lives to consider the heart of Advent and Christmas. St John of the Cross, a sensitive and renowned Spanish mystic wrote a poem celebrating the immense love of God shared in the Trinity, extended to us in creation and lavished on us in the Incarnation. This year we will let his words lead us into the story of Christmas and into a deeper appreciation of God’s love for us in taking on our flesh with its burdens and ultimately giving us life through his death.
What kind of day will this be? This is a day to slow down, focus on Jesus, prayerfully listen to scripture and a saint from the past, pay attention to the movements in our hearts and give God our worship. We will offer guidance for times of silence and solitude, and will be gathering corporately for shared prayers, scripture and reflections, concluding our day with communion. A quiet day considering God’s heart of love in sending Jesus and sharing in His loving presence with others may be just what your heart needs!
This year we will be gathering in person at First Baptist Church and also offering the retreat via Zoom. Please RSVP to ancientstreams10@gmail.com and to receive further information about the day.
“Oh come, let us adore him—Christ the Lord!”
Blessings, Nancy Keery and the Ancient Streams Team
Date: November 27, 2021 Time: 9:00am-4:00pm Place: First Baptist Church, Kelowna or via Zoom Cost: $25.00 Please RSVP: ancientstreams10@gmail.com
What a summer we’ve had–heat waves, fires, day after day of smoky skies, Covid numbers rising again, the tumultuous events around the world…I, certainly, have felt the need to continually find my grounding in God as the Source of life, love and peace in the midst of it all. I’ve also realized once again how much I need the companionship of others who are also seeking to grow deeper roots in God. Accompanying each other in our journey of longing for God is one of the primary goals of Ancient Streams. Together we intentionally pursue practices that bring us into a greater awareness of God’s presence, love and transforming power–in our own lives and in His kingdom.
Our Fall Outdoor retreat at Bertram Park, Kelowna has become one of the rhythms we enjoy as a way to experience God’s loving presence in the world all around us. This is an afternoon and early evening with times of solitude and community, connecting with God and each other through prayer, scripture and attentiveness to God’s presence in His creation. Each year this day has been a special gift to us. I wonder what He will have for us this year! We’ve set the date for Sat., Oct. 2 and will be following Covid restrictions as they apply to our outdoor setting.
Along with our retreat day, this fall we are offering a twice a month small group (formerly our monthly meeting) which will be focusing on prayer. Jesus exhorted his disciples to remain in Him as a branch remains in the vine. Our group will be exploring some of what this oneness that Jesus described in John 15 is all about. We will be learning from some of those who have walked ahead of us on this ancient path, sharing together in our own practice of prayer, scripture reading, meditation and contemplation. Are you longing to connect more deeply and intimately with God? Then, come along and join us on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month. Contact us at ancientstreams10@gmail.com for more information, and so we can plan appropriately.
We hope that these offerings will be an encouragement to you and perhaps others you know. Blessings, Nancy Keery & Ancient Streams team
Fall Outdoor Retreat: Date: October 2, 2021 Time: 12:30pm-7:00pm Place: Bertram Park, Kelowna: upper parking lot Cost: $15.00 Please RSVP ancientstreams10@gmail.com
Small group on Prayer & Christian meditation: 2nd & 4th Thursday evening of each month: 7:00pm-9:00pm First meeting will be the 4th Thursday, September 23, 2021 Please RSVP ancientstreams10@gmail.com
Advent Retreat: Saturday, November 27, 2021 More information to follow!
A woman and a man
speak in the garden.
The woman in her tear-blurred vision
presumes the man a gardener.
Recognition thunders through her
when he calls her name.
Here he is,
he who Thursday prayed in anguish
prostrate beneath the olive trees,
he who Friday stumbled, struggled
in staggering steps
up to Skull Hill
where she heard the hammer reverberate,
watched helplessly as he was hung
on that leafless tree,
himself the bruised and stricken fruit.
Sunday she came to the garden
under cover of the sleepless dark—
what else could she do?
But now she had seen him
standing before her,
heard him speak to her,
entrust her with a message to the others.
Heart racing, legs and feet flying,
mind spinning, she ran to relay the news.
How could it be?
Did she realize that in the dawnlit dew
she with him in the garden witnessed
Eden’s transgression transposed into an unthinkable new key?
From a forbidden tree, Adam took and ate,
then shifted the blame.
On a cursed tree, her Rabboni gave himself utterly,
opened a path beyond fig-leaf coverings of shame.
Here before her
the Master Gardener,
he who stooped low
to clear invasive roots of sin and death,
who subjected himself willingly
to thorns and the scorching heat of day,
who entered the inchoate clay
and emerged, piercing through darkness
and clearing the way to the Tree of Life
at the centre of a new heaven and a new earth.
Eve had let the serpent’s words take root,
originally reached for knowledge beyond her;
but today she ran, the first to bear Easter witness,
proclaiming what she knew:
“I have seen the Lord.”
“The Psalms have a surprising and marvelous depth for those who know how to enter them. They are bread, miraculously provided by Christ, to feed those who have followed Him into the wilderness.” – Thomas Merton
Reading the Psalms
Everything in our lives can be an occasion for prayer. In the Psalms, we find prayers offered from every conceivable circumstance and state of heart. We all have our favorite Psalms, others feel more removed from our experience. In this retreat, we will explore together how to enter the Psalms more fully in order to participate in their expanse, richness and authenticity as expressions to God. We’ll also have times of silence and contemplation as we follow Him “into the wilderness.”
Come join us as the Psalms become expressions of our own heart’s cry and a drawing into wordless prayer where we are grounded more deeply in God’s presence and love. The retreat will include times of teaching, small groups, contemplative worship, and prayer.
Seton House of Prayer Kelowna, BC March 27-29, 2026 Led by Paul Woodyard and Ruth Des Cotes from Imago Dei Christian Community
Cost Double occupancy: $390.00 for meals, retreat fee, and 2 nights accommodation Single occupancy: $410 for meals, retreat fee, and 2 nights accommodation $240.00 for meals & retreat fee (no overnight)
$130 non-refundable deposit due by March 16.
Select “Register” button for registration and payment information. Contact ancientstreams10@gmail.com if you have questions.
Would you like to give towards a retreat scholarship fund for those with financial barriers? Contact us.
All four weeks of On Retreat: A Prayer Podcast are posted!
Merry Christmas from Ancient Streams! Thank you for all the ways you have engaged with our ministry through prayer, giving, and participation.
In this final week of Advent, join us for a guided time of prayer and contemplation on the story of the birth of Christ. All four prayer mediations are posted on our website and linked below.
We also would love to hear your feedback on this new resource as we plan for the future.
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” 2 Cor. 8:9
The nativity story is full of “great reversals” where everything seems to be upside down—God takes on human flesh, a poor Jewish girl bears God’s Son, and marginalized shepherds receive an angelic announcement. In all of these reversals, we gaze right into the heart of God and hear the Good News. Come join us as we reflect on the mystery of Christ becoming poor for our sakes and receive the Good News for all people.This is a day of silence to reflect on Scripture, pray, and open ourselves to God’s presence—on our own and in community with others. We will offer guidance throughout the day and gather for prayers, Scripture, and personal sharing.
After the retreat, we are hosting an optional dinner for those who desire more time to connect with each other.
Date: November 29, 2025 Time: 9:00am-4:00pm (optional dinner to follow)
Location: Seton House of Prayer, Kelowna, B.C. (dinner at nearby home)
A bag lunch (we will supply hot drinks and snacks), Bible, pen, journal, slippers. There are a few trails you can walk around the property, if you desire.
Fall Outdoor Retreat “Let the earth bless the Lord … O Ye mountains and hills bless ye the Lord… O ye green things upon the earth bless ye the Lord… Praise Him and magnify Him forever.” (From Canticle Benedicite)
For over 13 years, the Ancient Streams community has gathered for an outdoor day retreat at Bertam Park. Each year is different–whether blue skies & bright sunshine, grey clouds over a silver lake, or short cloud bursts of rain accompanied by a rainbow. We don’t know what we will receive, but we have never been disappointed. God continuously pours out his gifts of love and presence through His creation.
At this retreat, there will be an extended time for solitude as well as corporate times for Scripture, prayers, and sharing our experience with each other. At sunset, we conclude the day with a shared meal and communion by the lake. Come join us and see what God has for us this year!
As you engage with the journey of this Holy Week, here is a poem one of our members wrote based on her experience at the Silent Retreat at Seton House of Prayer. May it bless your own meditations and reflections.
Paschal Mystery in Remix
I walked the path slowly,
through a red-bricked prayer labyrinth
encircled by the stations of the cross.
At each station, an ivory Christ protruded
from a dark-oak backdrop.
He was never alone, but surrounded
by supporters and dissenters
alike. Faces from throughout history,
embodying a myriad
of postures and prayers.
I walked the path slowly,
surrounded by crucifixion
in stages. In every direction,
he caught my eye.
I raised my palm-imprinted hand
with the condemning crowd, enraged
by his silence. Then, doubled-back
to reach down and wipe Christ’s grief-acquainted brow.
“in the way of righteousness there is life”(Prov. 12:27)
Rightly Related to All Things
Life has never been more complicated. Demands on our time and attention abound. How might we live in such a way as to embody Jesus’s teaching to seek righteousness before everything else (Matt 6:33)? What does this look like for each of us in the unique paths and circumstances of our lives? Drawing from ancient and modern wisdom, we will explore together how we can increasingly receive the light and love of God in all aspects of our lives through the practice of prayer.
Come join us as we reflect on our lives and attachments in a context of prayer and worship. The retreat will include times of teaching, discussion, contemplative music, and personal prayer.
Cost $360.00 for meals, retreat fee, and 2 nights accommodation $220.00 for meals & retreat fee (no overnight) $120 non-refundable deposit due by March 17.
Select “Register” button for registration and payment information.
Contact ancientstreams10@gmail.com if you have questions.
Would you like to give towards a retreat scholarship fund for those with financial barriers? Contact us.
We want to express our heart-felt gratitude to all who have supported Ancient Streams over this past year. Your participation in our retreats and small groups, prayers and generous financial contributions have allowed us to carry on our ministry of accompaniment into a deeper relationship with God and our personal transformation.
In November, we had the largest attendance we’ve ever had for an Advent Day Retreat. We received positive feedback expressing appreciation for the material presented and the time for prayer and solitude. One encouraging comment was, “God is at work. Keep doing what you’re doing!” We take this to heart as we look into 2025.
Our weekend spring retreat is coming up on March 21-23. Paul Woodyard and Ruth Des Cotes from Imago Dei Christian Community will be facilitating a retreat called, “Rightly Related to All Things”. Details about the retreat will be coming out shortly.
Blessings, Ancient Streams Team
Important Email Address Update for Donations E-Transfer to: Admin@TrinityLegacy.ca. In the note section, clearly specify the donation is for Ancient Streams.
Make a cheque payable to: Trinity Legacy Foundation. Please clearly specify in the memo section that the donation is for Ancient Streams.
Personal Spiritual Direction A spiritual director is someone who listens compassionately and helps one discover God’s presence and leading in one’s life. As we begin this new year, are you interested in this kind of accompaniment?
Nancy Keery offers one on one spiritual direction as well as the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises in daily life. Contact Nancy for spiritual direction.
Ancient Streams is thankful to be a project of the Trinity Legacy Foundation . Check out all the amazing projects.
In all the busyness of the Christmas season and the chaos in our world, are you longing to get away and spend time with God? Would you like some time and space to ground yourself in the hope of Immanuel, “God with us”?
Ancient Streams is offering a day to reflect on Scripture, pray, and open ourselves to God’s presence—on our own and in community with others. We will offer guidance for times of silence and solitude and gather corporately for prayers, listening to Scripture, and reflections.
Join us as we open our hearts to hear and respond to the story of Christ’s birth once again.
Date: November 30, 2024 Time: 9:00am-4:00pm Location: Seton House of Prayer, Kelowna, B.C. Cost: $45.00
(e-transfer to ancientstreams10@gmail.com or pay by cheque)
November 2024
30
What to bring?
A bag lunch (we will supply hot drinks and snacks), Bible, pen, journal, slippers. There are a few trails you can walk around the property, if you desire.
Dear Friends,
Are you longing to go deeper in your experience of God? Perhaps you can relate to St John of the Cross’ insight, “there is a certain ‘ah, I-don’t-know-what’ that one feels is yet to be said, something unknown still to be spoken, and a sublime trace of God as yet uninvestigated but revealed to the soul” (Spiritual Canticle).
Ancient Streams seeks to provide opportunities to search out these deep desires for God in solitude and community. Our gatherings honour both the heart’s cry to “seek his face” alone and our need to be together expressing to others what is in our soul and receiving insight and encouragement from God’s word, each other and those who have walked with God before us.
We are very grateful to each one who has given financially to Ancient Streams. Your gifts allow us to continue offering this ministry to others.
Nancy Keery (for Ancient Streams)
Fall Outdoor Retreat “Come to me…and I will give you rest.” (Matt.11:28)
Dallas Willard reminds us, “We must arrange time for our communion with God as we draw aside in solitude and silence.” What better way to do that than to “come away” with Jesus into his abundantly beautiful creation! This retreat day is a time to set aside our distractions, open ourselves to God and receive His presence in the world He has created. There will be an extended time of solitude as well as corporate times for prayers, scripture and sharing our experience with each other. At sunset, we will conclude the day with a shared meal and communion by the lake. Come, receive, and find rest for your soul.
In his book, Into the Silent Land, Martin Laird writes, “We are built for contemplation…communion with God in the silence of the heart is a God-given capacity, like the rhododendron’s capacity to flower, the fledgling’s for flight, and the child’s for self-forgetful abandon and joy.” Are you feeling drawn to silent prayer and discovering God’s presence in contemplation?
In this small group, we will explore “the silent land” of contemplative prayer. We will be reading Martin Laird’s book, Into the Silent Land, learning from saints from the past and also each other’s prayer journey. Each time we meet, we will make space to practice contemplative prayer together.
Personal Spiritual Direction A spiritual director helps you get in touch with and respond to your deep desires for God and His presence in your life. Nancy offers individual spiritual direction as well as the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises. Contact Nancy for spiritual direction.
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