I once read this quote about friendships:  “To have a sacred relationship is to be a friend of the soul of another being. It is to see the other as a soul, and to meet the other as a soul.”  In many ways, this statement sums up my covenant group experience.  Our group is made up of five clergy women that was initiated through relationships developed in seminary.  Since graduation the rigors of ministry necessitated our covenant group and the Holy Spirit has kept it vibrant years past graduation.  It has been more than three years that we have met monthly for a time of sharing, reading, prayer, sometimes tears and always laughter where we have held each other’s souls and participated in each other’s lives.  Very rarely does anyone miss a gathering of our group … I can only think of one time in three years that I missed our time together.  We all have realized that our covenant group time is essential to our lives as women and as pastors.

It wasn’t too long that we were together when we realized we needed to spend time retreating so that we could spend extended periods of sharing and supporting each other.  This past retreat we tried something new – we participated in a Shade and Fresh Water’s Covenant Group retreat which was led by four spiritual directors from Shade and Fresh Water.  We had scheduled the retreat several months ahead of time not realizing that it was going to be such a sacred time for our group because of unknown dilemmas that many of us would be facing immediately prior to the retreat.  But God knew … and in God’s timing the retreat came not a day too soon and not a day too late.

As a group and as individuals, it was a time to go deeper.  After getting caught up with each other for some alone group time, we were presented with the plan that was specifically tailored to our groups’ desires and needs.  Ahead of time, we were asked to consider what paths we might like to experience to draw us closer to God and each other and that’s exactly what was planned for us.  Over the next day and a half, we spent time listening for God’s voice in our lives by reviving our need for Sabbath, walking the labyrinth, writing Haiku, experiencing sacred story, and meeting in spiritual direction.  Our spiritual directors made us feel safe and secure as a group and as individuals to share what was happening in our lives and how we needed to hear from God, every word and expression held in confidence.  And in this sacred space, each one of us heard God’s voice.

Just last week our covenant group was together and I asked the question of what each of us thought about our covenant group retreat now almost two months later.  We all agreed that the timing was truly miraculous – only a God kind of thing – and that we each drew something that has caused us to go deeper and feel closer to each other and to God.  For me, I experienced a creative side of myself through poetry as well as recognized the tangible benefits of individual spiritual direction.  Since the retreat, I have journaled more and sought out my own spiritual director.  All of us recognized that God moved very powerfully in our lives during that time of retreat and now more than ever, we know that our covenant group is consists of sacred friendships ordained by God.

Rev. Dionne Hammond