Living Apart Together…

July 25, 2020July 25, 2020Leave a comment

Back in March, at the start of the pandemic and the shelter-in-place edict, none of us would have thought that months later we would still be here – social distancing and uncertain about when we would return to life even as we knew it.

As the health crisis unfolded, we instinctively switched to survival mode, resolved to find alternative ways to keep going. Our homes became both a quarantine fortress and our place of work. Companies and organizations quickly changed their daily operations as they tried to adjust. Parents and teachers turned to homeschooling. Many, understandably, struggled to make it through the day; while scores of others selflessly showed up to serve. Incomprehensibly, too many succumbed to the virus and lost their lives.

And, in the midst of the pandemic, our hearts further erupted at the sight of new, unwarranted and continuous killing of our Black brothers and sisters. While the country and even the world came together to cry “enough”, the poisonous effects of such inhuman cruelty – anger, grief, pain, fear, mistrust, despair – have undoubtedly already attached themselves to many a soul.

How are you doing, really?

It may have been months since 2020 took a detour but many of us have yet to come up for air, even less sit still to tend to our souls. We are submerged in a sea of emotions, which is even amplified for those who are living alone, cut off from regular human connection.

“Where do we go from here?” is a question many have asked these past few months. I don’t purport to have the answer; I am, however, certain that any step forward must come from a place of self-awareness and wholeness. Just as we must come to term with the fact that we are all connected and we are more alike than we are different.

With that in mind, I offer this opportunity for us to intentionally slow down to care for our souls and to do life together. Whether you need time in community, a safe space to lament or a moment of rest from your new normal, I propose that we connect during the month of August to engage through guided discussions, contemplative reflections and to recharge for the days ahead.

The list of offerings, for both men and women, and the registration button are below. Please sign-up as you feel led. I look forward to connecting with you, and until then, I pray that you and yours are safe and well!

In His grace,
Christine

“Let him who cannot be alone beware of community.
Let him who is not in community beware of being alone.”
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Living Apart Together
Free Online Soul Care Pauses
Virtually on Zoom [10:00am-11:00am]
Zoom Link will be Emailed Following Registration

Saturday, August 1: Holy Interruption
Saturday, August 15: Soul Care in Times of Crisis
Saturday, August 29: As We Wait…

“It’s better to have a partner than go it alone…And if one falls down, the other helps…(Ecc. 4:9-10 The Message)

Christine A. Dorvil is Founder and Director of Sabătica. She is a retreat leader and holds a certificate in Spiritual Transformation from the Transforming Center in Chicago where she studied for two years and was mentored by Ruth Haley Barton. Christine is passionate about spiritual formation, restoration and soul care. She holds an MBA in Finance and is pursuing a Masters of Divinity in Old Testament and Hebrew. She is a Fellow of the New York City Leadership Center and serves as Executive Director for the Alliance for Thriving Communities.

Do You Ever Feel Like Running For Your Life?

October 13, 2018October 13, 2018Leave a comment

From time to time I do.

I also know of someone who actually did. Elijah. He was in such a state of desperation and was so fearful that he fled into a cave. One minute he was on top of his world; the next, he was being hunted and on the verge of losing everything, including his own life.

It is unclear that Elijah foreknew his hiding place would be the site of his own Bethel. Be that as it may, instead of being where he would succumb to his despair, the cave was the meeting ground for a divine encounter and where his life was saved and restored. Elijah may not have had a well-thought-out plan but The One whose master plan supersedes all plans, showed up and deployed both familiar and supernatural resources to care for Elijah’s body, spirit and soul.

God met Elijah and didn’t beat around the bush — he went straight to the matter. “Elijah what are you doing here?”, He began. He didn’t judge Elijah for being in the cave, instead, he helped him awaken to his truth, to process and release his worries to God. Fortunately, the prophet didn’t sugarcoat his emotional turmoil and disappointments. He opened up and told God exactly how it was — unlocking the door for his own healing and restoration.

What followed were moments of physical rest and nourishment. Elijah slept and was supernaturally fed until he regained his strength. The journey went on for a while but all along, God kept on speaking with Elijah, guiding him through his own soul assessment and renewal. At the end, Elijah symbolically stood at the entrance of the cave and there was re-commissioned to his calling and purpose.

God’s blueprint for total well-being works — acknowledge where you are, face your truth, tend to your whole self [body, mind and spirit], all-the-while abiding in Him. We must choose to remain centered, to make soul care and sabbatical rest a way of life or fear having to run into a cave. For, as Dallas Willard said, “If you don’t come apart for a while, you will come apart after a while.”

Thankfully, the issues of your life and your well-being are not lost on God. Whether you regularly make space for Him or occasionally find yourself longing for a hiding place, in His grace, He will surely meet you where you are. He will walk you through it and as He did with Elijah, he will restore your soul.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to hide for a little while. You don’t even need to have a perfect plan. You simply need to accept the invitation and make space for God.

In His grace,
Christine

We are excited to announce that during this Fall retreat, we will be introducing and creating space for communal worship. We are equally thrilled that Katie Nelson Troyer, a worship leader with a passion for God’s heart, a teacher and talented musician will be ushering us into that sacred space Friday evening.

Wisconsin-born songbird Katie Nelson made the road her home for eight years. She toured the country performing music from her albums Alabaster Worship (2003), Do You Know Who He Is? (2005), and Speak To Me (2007). After a long battle with health complications and consequent songwriting dry spell, Katie is happy to be healthy and has returned this winter with a new album entitled Lavender & Lace: An Anthology of Queens. In addition to writing and performing original music, Katie spends much of her time leading worship for local churches and mentoring other musicians. She and her husband Scott Troyer, live in Greenwich where they enjoy creating music, cooking together, and gardening.

Christine A. Dorvil is Founder and Director of Sabătica. She is a retreat leader and holds a certificate in Spiritual Transformation from the Transforming Center in Chicago where she studied for two years and was mentored by Ruth Haley Barton. Christine is passionate about spiritual formation, restoration and soul care. She holds an MBA in Finance and is pursuing a Masters of Divinity in Theology and Hebrew. She is a Fellow of the New York City Leadership Center and serves as Executive Director for the Alliance for Thriving Communities.

Sabătica “Unplugged” at The New York Botanical Garden {4.7.18}

March 10, 2018March 31, 2018Leave a comment

There is something rather soothing and reviving with being surrounded by beauty and vibrant colors, especially after months of Winter. I don’t know about you but I’m excited about Spring and everything it brings along — warmer weather, flowers, time outside — and can’t think of a better way to kickstart the season and slow down then with a day at the New York Botanical Garden.

NYBG Cuban Orchid Show

Please join us Saturday, April 7th as we do just that. We will hop on the train in Stamford and head to the NYBG for a day of fun adventure and beautiful time of rest, including:

– Private Guided Tour of this year’s Orchid Show

– All-garden pass

– Lunch

– Meditation & Reflection

All for $80, excluding transportation

Our private tour starts at 11:00 am and we’ll need to arrive at the garden no later than 10:45am. Please consider and plan your departure time accordingly! For your convenience, we are also working on providing transportation options; please check back in for any update.

There is still time — reserve your spot TODAY!

Thank you for slowing down and pursuing beauty with us. We look forward to seeing you at the NYBG. Remember to wear your comfortable shoes, invite a friend and bring your camera!

Selah,

Christine

Photo Credit: C. Dorvil

“Beauty and grace are performed whether or not we will or sense them.

The least we can do is try to be there.”

— Annie Dillard

Standing With Open Hands…

October 31, 2017November 25, 2017Leave a comment

I laid on the hardwood floor partly praying, mostly surrendering. It had been several months since I had lost my job. I was running out of money and found myself wrestling with the fact that I might need to make certain decisions that left me feeling indignant, embarrassed and feeling like a failure. I laid on the floor after having done all I could; I took a deep breath and opened my hands to God. I was still actively looking for work but that moment, I let it all go – the fear, the shame, even the hope of quickly returning to work. That instant, I gave myself permission to be okay, even if that meant taking a detour; even if I were to lose it all.

Hands-Emergent_Leader_Servant_Leadership

The months of unemployment — my liminal space – served as an incubator for additional character development. During that time, I was reminded of several life-changing truths, including the following:

Prayer should come from a place of faith and not of fear – Have your prayers ever sounded like this… “God, I don’t want to face this; please don’t let such and such happen” or “I don’t want to go through that and seem…?” If there is one thing I learned these past few months it is that when our focus is on what we fear the most, our fear becomes our reality. Surrendering requires that we take a stance of faith – in our thoughts, in our prayer, in our actions; for, the fear that consumes us and on which we set our mind will inevitably become true.
The experience of loss can be a great litmus test of our faith – A loss may occur on various forms – loss of a job, a house, a relationship, the passing of someone dear — and may generate various degrees of anguish. We may think we know how we would react when faced with such loss or adversity but in reality, we won’t know until we find ourselves in those situations. It is then we will testify of our beliefs and faith. It is in the testing of our knowing that we are awakened to our strengths and to those areas where we are still questioning. It is absolutely normal and important that we should acknowledge our losses and struggles. Yet, just as important, we must be resilient and resolved to grieve them, to push through and to remain anchored to what we know to be true.
There is rest in the midst of the storm – That moment on the floor when I consciously decided to relinquish control of the situation, I was overtaken by a peace that surpassed my understanding. Once again, Abba took on my yoke and my burden became light. And, the days that followed gifted me with a renewed mind and just as David exclaimed in Psalm 62, I found an inner rest that could have only come from God.

When you face stormy seas, I will be there with you with endurance and calm; you will not be engulfed in raging rivers. If it seems like you’re walking through fire with flames licking at your limbs, keep going; you won’t be burned. Isaiah 43:2 (The Voice)

Is there something in your life for which you need to open your hands? What have you been holding on to that ought to be surrendered? You don’t have to do it alone! There is provision for it all, if only you would open your hands.

In His mercy!
Christine

Gather me to be with you…

March 18, 2017Leave a comment

O GOD, gather me now to be with you as you are with me.

Soothe my tiredness;
quiet my fretfulness;
curb my aimlessness;
receive my compulsiveness;
let me be easy for a moment.

O LORD, release me from the fears and guilts which grip me so tightly;
from the expectations and opinions which I so tightly grip,
that I may be open to receiving,
to learn something refreshingly different.

O GOD, gather me to be with you as you are with me.
Forgive me for claiming so much for myself
that I leave no room for gratitude;
for confusing exercises in self-importance
with acceptance of self-worth;
for complaining so much of my burdens that I become a burden;
for competing against others so insidiously
that I stifle celebrating them and receiving your blessing
through their gifts.

O GOD, gather me to be with you as you are with me.
Keep me in touch with myself,
with my needs,
my anxieties,
my angers,
my pains,
my corruptions,
that I may claim them as my own
rather than blame them on someone else.

O LORD, deepen my wounds into wisdom;
shape my weakness into compassion;
gentle my envy into enjoyment,
my fear into trust,
my guilt into honesty,
my accusing finger into tickling ones.

O GOD, gather me to be with you as you are with me.

– Ted Loder

Sabătica Fall 2016 – Peace that Endures [Reflections & Pictures]

September 30, 2016December 30, 2016Leave a comment

We are not at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we are not at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God. –Thomas Merton

As we prayed and began to prepare for this year’s Fall retreat, the word PEACE kept on surfacing. Considering the current state of our cities, nation and world, overtaken by fear and despair, we took it as a clear indication of where our focus ought to be and a confirmation that our gathering needed not only to provide a space for serenity and respite but also to engage in practices that would harness an inner peace that could endure through layers of fear, global chaos and uncertainties. So, for two days we gathered and through selected teachings, various practices, rest and community, we pursued the peace that endures. What ensued was a beautiful lesson and testament of faith — faith to trust and proceed despite obstacles; faith to show up, to be vulnerable and to seek peace with ourselves, with others and with God.

For various reasons, this second Fall retreat was very significant to me, especially for the lessons it brought along. It didn’t go according to the original plan but as it unfolded and as everyone later shared about their experiences to and during the retreat, it was certain that it all transpired just as it was supposed to.

To every soul who attended, to our teachers and helpers who selflessly gave of themselves and to all of you, our friends reading this post, we pray for continued grace and enduring peace.

Here are some of the moments that were captured during the retreat.

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you…”
— Isaiah 26:3

Sabătica Fall Retreat: {Peace That Endures}
Date: September 23-24, 2016
Location: Dolce Conference Center, Norwalk, CT
Retreat Leader: Peace That Endures, Lectio Divina, Meditation {Christine Dorvil},
Retreat Teachers: Pilates {Sarina Fiorita}; Painting {Vernice Holmes}; Aromatherapy {Dorota Matys}

There is Something I Wanted to Tell You

August 8, 2016August 8, 2016Leave a comment

As we start this new work week, I wanted to share this prayer as a reminder [to us all] to be mindful of how we spend our days, to be consciously aware of life’s daily distractions and to be intentional about scheduling regular time alone with Abba — the one sure way to remain true to our divine identity, to renew our strength and to find sustaining peace.

Holy One,
there is something I wanted to tell you
but there have been errands to run,
bills to pay,
arrangements to make,
meetings to attend,
friends to entertain,
washing to do…
and I forget what it is I wanted to say to you,
and mostly I forget what I’m about,
or why.
O God,
don’t forget me, please,
for the sake of Jesus Christ….

O Father in Heaven,
perhaps you’ve already heard what I wanted to tell you.
What I wanted to ask is
forgive me,
heal me,
increase my courage, please.
Renew in me a little of love and faith,
and a sense of confidence,
and a vision of what it might mean
to live as though you were real,
and I mattered,
and everyone was sister and brother.

What I wanted to ask in my blundering way is
don’t give up on me,
don’t become too sad about me,
but laugh with me,
and try again with me,
and I will with you, too.

What I wanted to ask is
for peace enough to want and work for more,
for joy enough to share,
and for awareness that is keen enough to sense your presence
here,
now,
there,
then,
always.

Ted Loder, Guerrilas of Grace
As adapted and reprinted in Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton

Do you emotionally feel heavy and dejected?
Are you weary, in need of lasting rest and peace?
Please join us this coming September for our Fall 2016 Retreat, as we seek sweet rest and enduring peace to sustain through the layers of fear, global chaos and uncertainties.

Peace that Endures
Friday, September 23rd – Saturday, September 24th
Dolce Conference Center in Norwalk, CT
Registration is Open

The fee has been reduced and you are now able to register for both or either day.
Take advantage of the multiple options, register today
Review Schedule: HERE
Register: HERE

We are not at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we are not at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God. –Thomas Merton

Sabătica Supper No. 1

February 20, 2016May 20, 20161 Comment

Despite the cold, windy, below zero degree weather, eight brave friends came out to join our very first Sabătica Supper – for me, it was a night to remember! We cooked together, laughed, sang and got acquainted with one another. Old friends got to catch up and new friends were made. As the hostess of Supper No. 1, I felt an overwhelming sense of joy as I looked around and observed how engaged, unreserved and happy everyone was. In that singular gathering, many nations were represented namely the United States, Haiti, Peru, Mexico, Venezuela and Italy; thus bringing to life a long-time dream of opening my home and table to the world. Above all, as I watched everyone kick off their shoes and put their worries aside for those few hours; as I subsequently hear comments about the Supper bringing relief to someone’s depression and a well needed break to an exhausted mom, I am overtaken by a deep sense of gratitude to have had the opportunity to witness, on day one, Sabătica’s mandate to facilitate immediate respite and to encourage a life of joy, lived in the now. [SS No.1 – 02.13.16]

Post Sabătica Re-entry…

September 14, 2015September 14, 2015Leave a comment

I returned home from Sabătica’s inaugural retreat with a totally refined understanding of what “Sabătica” is about and a deeper personal longing for more of Abba. I am still downloading, processing and waiting for the words to come, to possibly articulate the overwhelming infilling and various lessons learned, both as a director and a participant.

Yet, in the meantime, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and everyone who attended, who contributed her/his time, resources, expertise and who made our inaugural retreat a wellspring of refreshing water.

Saturday Crew Minus Five From Friday

Thank you to every soul sister who came from near and far, who helped create a welcoming space for camaraderie, laughter, tears, prayers, impartation, fun, personal discoveries and life giving memories.

Thank you to our teachers, Vernice Holmes, Dorota Matys and Sarina Fiorita, who not only taught from their expertise and hearts but also facilitated turning Sabătica into a tribe of connected souls.

Friday night’s impromptu post-meditation gathering in the hallway

Thank you to our creatively invisible, fun and talented photographers, Mark Helenese and Eddie Pierre who worked tirelessly to capture our retreat.

Thank you to the entire team at Dolce who were so efficient, gracious and patient from planning to execution and who provided a beautiful space for us to gather and renew.

Sabătica’s Art Gallery

Last and certainly not least, thank you to Abba, my not-so-silent partner who not only planted the seed for Sabătica but also brought the dream to life and continue to unfold the blueprint.

From the Aromatherapy Session

Today, as I try to wrap my mind around what occurred this weekend, I am at peace, joyful and excited. My heart is filled to the brim with the feedback, kind words and well wishes that have been directed my way and which are forever engraved in my soul.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Until next time, Selah!
Christine

kind words from this weekend

Dorota Matys: Thank you for including me in your event Christine, by now I hope you know that you did a phenomenal job, and that you are onto something really grand!!!
I Love your excellence and I’m so Proud of you! You’ve created an event that can bring balance and healing to so many, don’t even think of not doing this again…

Vernice Holmes: Thank You Christine Dorvil for a memorable, significant and powerful weekend at the launch of your dream “Sabatica” To the blowing of the Shofar to the fun, laughter & Joy in God’s Presence to the walk in nature! I loved every moment! Happy New Year! Love you

Cassandra Dais: Hi Christine, Just wanted to say that Friday was truly a blessing, good company (1st and foremost the Holy Spirit), good food, good time! I know that Saturday was equally if not more amazing. Thank you for all your hard work, time, energy all that you poured into this weekend. With God all things are possible. XOXO Cass

Stay tuned for our “Testimonial” page and for all the beautiful pictures from our photographers.