Finding Our Still Point in a Turning World
The Covenant Companions (CCs) and discerning CCs met on March 21, 2026 to explore how they fully live their Franciscan values and CC covenants during turbulent times. The day was conducted as a hybrid retreat (in person and via Zoom), a first for the CC community to encourage participation from those who cannot attend in person due to distance or personal circumstances.
Facilitator Al Gustafson opened the morning with a quote from T.S. Eliot: “at the still point, there the dance is.” Through a series of contemplative gazing and listening exercises, he encouraged attendees to return to their center and find a place of stillness and presence. One experience involved selecting a piece of nature (rocks, twigs, leaves) and taking the time to behold it with respect. In another exercise, retreatants paired off to practice contemplative listening as an act of love and reverence. When minds wandered and life’s tasks intruded, participants were encouraged to begin again.
After a fun and delicious lunch, the afternoon focused on revisiting commitment statements for CCs and commitments to be made by discerners. Mary Ellen Durbin, convener of the Spiritual Enrichment ministry, framed reflection questions using garden imagery, asking retreatants to journal about how their gardens were first planted, what has changed, and what new desires, dreams, or practices are calling to them. The day closed with a synodal process where participants reflected on their impressions of the day and how they want to move forward in gratitude.
CC Mary Krystinak, participating via Zoom from Colorado, noted: “I appreciated the extra effort to offer the retreat in a hybrid format. It was great reconnecting with our small group online. I really enjoyed reviewing my covenant from the beginning to now. It All Began in a Garden was a great idea and I enjoyed reflecting in this manner on the changes over the years with my covenant.”
Mary continued: “The quotes resonated with me, especially the T.S. Eliot one on the still point. I am using his poems in my morning reflections, sitting outside, listening to the birds, the wind, and the rustle of the breeze.”
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