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From the earliest days of Christianity, men and women went into the desert to be alone with God. Freed from the noise of the city and the busy-ness of daily concerns, they were free to communicate with the Creator. Retreat today is separating oneself from the distractions of ordinary life to seek the face of God. It can take many forms: spending a quiet hour alone, reflecting or listening to the word of God in scripture, or spending from one to as many as thirty days in solitude, listening to God's Word and letting God lead one to greater intimacy.
There are two forms of retreat. One is called a preached or "conference" retreat, in which a director gives a series of talks and suggests to a group of retreatants topics and scripture for private reflection. The second is a directed retreat, in which the retreatant meets individually each day with a director to discuss how s/he is being led by God. The direcctor provides guidance for the retreatant and offers scripture to focus his or her prayer.
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