Silence of the Land

GERMANTOWN -- When life gets too hectic, people often seek to get away from the stresses of daily life. A weekend at the beach or in the mountains, a day of pampering at a spa or a visit to a museum can bring temporary restoration.

But consider this the next time you're feeling depleted physically and spiritually: escape to a day or weekend of silence and solitude.

The Dayspring Retreat Center is 200 acres of reclaimed fields, woodland, walking trails and nature preserved in the heart of urban sprawl. But the real beauty of this place is the opportunity to be still in solitude and silence of the tongue.

"It's a place set aside to be in silence, and that's pretty rare," said Nat Reid, director of the retreat center. "It's a place where people can come and be in a quiet, beautiful setting and not be interrupted. Just relax and be. It's open to anyone who wants to have a silent retreat; most happen to be faith-based."

Not only is talking shhh-ed, but laptops, cell phones, iPods and any other electronic equipment is forbidden during a visit. Coming electronically naked allows a person to "be close to the earth and to yourself, which tends to get totally distracted in daily life," said Catherine Gibson, a member of the Dayspring Church and the mission group that oversees the retreat center.

Dayspring Retreat Center was established in 1953 by the Church of the Saviour in Washington, D.C. As the congregation began its ecumenical work in the city, members came to realize they would need a place of retreat and spiritual renewal if they were to be effective in their ministries.

"One thing they were looking for in their search was a property that had distinct areas, where you could feel separate from other people," said Mr. Reid. "(The property) really does have many moods. There are three (man-made) ponds and each has a different feeling." Merton's Pond is named for spiritual writer Thomas Merton. Alice's Pond is named for a woman who used to live on the property. The Lake of the Saints is the largest pond. It got its name because of the torrential downpour that occurred one night that filled it with water, according to Mr. Reid.

There's a large grassy meadow, woodlands and a stream. Paths and grassy trails crisscross the land for guests to walk and contemplate at will.

The farm was once a sod farm which, according to Mr. Reid, was a mixed blessing. Some of the sod was used for RFK Stadium, he noted. But the sod farming depleted the top soil which, he said, made it possible for the fields to flourish with tall grasses that now support wildlife. "A county biologist who works with the stewards of the Earth Ministry (program at the center) said these are some of the healthiest meadows in the state," said Mr. Reid. Deer, fox and birds are abundant, and the property adjoins the Germantown Greenway, a county-owned park.

But encroaching development is always a threat, they said. The county has long wanted to build a six-lane highway on a stretch of land between the retreat property and nearby housing developments. So far, those opposed to it have been able to stall the project, but, said Ms. Gibson, it's an ongoing issue.

The old farmhouse serves as administrative offices and is where Dayspring Church worships on Sunday mornings from October through May. From June to September, the congregation worships outdoors in an open-air sanctuary among the trees. Congregants are also involved in the center's activities. Wellspring Center, a conference center that can accommodate 50 or more people, is also part of the Dayspring ministry, but is not a silent retreat center. The ministry's Simple Gifts Project is under construction and will provide a demonstration and teaching center with two "ecologically-sensitive" cottages and an education center.

Retreat and seek

Organized silent retreats are scheduled most weekends; some are sponsored by Dayspring and others by outside groups. Some are open to anyone, and most have a faith-based theme, such as forgiveness, prayer or seeking God. An open retreat at the end of April will be on the foundations of hope.

Participants for these retreats arrive early Friday evening for dinner, which is followed by a formal introduction to the theme and "an introduction to silent retreat, what that is and why we do it," said Mr. Reid. Guests have a brief time to make introductions before entering the "great silence."

"After that, the group will be in silence until Sunday morning," said Mr. Reid. "The leader of the group will not stay in silence. He or she usually gives a 15-minute talk after breakfast and dinner on Saturday." Tea is served on Saturday afternoons, accompanied by classical music recordings "that helps people find that silent center within," said Mr. Reid.

During the silence, participants can stay in their private rooms, walk or meditate anywhere they want, including the gathering room of The Lodge, where they also dine, in silence. The center has two cooks on staff who prepare homemade vegetarian meals and guests are asked to help set tables and clean up. If anyone needs to communicate with words, they are asked to do so with pen and paper. But if an occasional slip of the tongue should happen, the offender receives an encouraging note to remain in silence "and hope that will be honored. Everybody's forgiving, and you just go back to being silent," said Ms. Gibson.

The silence is officially broken Sunday morning. "After breakfast the group will gather and the leader will introduce a time of 'sharing out of the silence,' if anyone feels moved," said Mr. Reid. "The group is asked to receive anything shared in silence ----not discuss it, just receive it."

Lunch is then filled with talking and laughter as the group is finally allowed to communicate verbally again.

The Lodge was built over a two-year period of Saturdays by Church of the Saviour volunteers. The one-story building is surrounded by tall trees and has banks of large windows to let in natural light. Adirondack and rocking chairs line the deep front porch, which overlooks the rolling meadow and Lake of the Saints. In summer, the meadow's milkweed attracts hundreds of monarch butterflies, said Ms. Gibson.

The interior is all wood, except for the fireplace wall in the gathering room. The dining room has two tables for seating up to 18 people, the maximum the center can accommodate. About a half dozen upholstered chairs and a sofa, and rocking chairs provide seating in the gathering room. Plush floor pillows are stacked in front of a bookcase filled with books on spiritual topics. Some were authored by retreat participants or leaders.

All of the artwork was donated and created by church members. Framed photographs taken on the property hang in guest rooms. In the gathering room a charcoal drawing on brown paper represents "the Jesus" an artist said he met while on a retreat there. A liturgical fabric wall hanging has the words "The Dayspring from on high, the people who dwelled in darkness" stitched in Arabic. The artist chose those words from scripture and wrote them in Arabic because of the "way the characters dance and sing." A nine-block, clay relief sculpture is displayed in the foyer. Each tile depicts an event in Jesus' life, such as his birth, baptism and crucifixion. The artist now lives in Maine.

Overnight guests stay at The Inn, which has 18 private rooms (one is fully handicapped accessible, as is The Lodge). The one-story brick building has two wings -- Mark and Matthew, named for the writers of two of the New Testament gospels. Rooms were recently renovated, and each is furnished with a single bed, a wall-hung sink, a cushioned chair, a writing table and bench, a lamp and table, and a Bible. Each has a large window overlooking the woodland. There is no air conditioning. Bathrooms, with showers, are located at one end of the building, off an enclosed walkway, so as not to disturb the silence in The Inn. Mornings, a staffer walks up and down the hall tapping gently on the keys of a small chime as a gentle wake-up call to guests.

Personal retreats

Dayspring is open to anyone who seeks solitude and silence. Many come for mini day retreats. Guests bring their own food and are free to roam the grounds in silence. There is no charge, but donations are accepted.

"People often show up with an agenda," said Andrea Burgard, administrator of Dayspring Church, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2006. It may be a career decision or a relationship issue focus, or just a day to read. "We encourage them to name those agendas, then set them aside and let the 'new word' come -- whatever word God is bringing them."

"It's an opportunity to be open, to be yourself, to be really in the present, in the moment," said Ms. Gibson.

"Nature is holy and we tend not to notice it. It announces itself if we're quiet and open. On a mini-retreat, it's a whole different way of looking at it, in silence," said Mr. Reid.

Many of the day retreaters are people involved in service work to others who are feeling emotionally and spiritually depleted. Mothers of young children also come for mini-retreats, according to Mr. Reid.

"Some come because they are searching (spiritually)," said Ms. Gibson.

Paul Clark, a Montgomery County pastor who is currently on sabbatical, comes to the center two or three days a week to refocus. "I've been coming here for seven years," he said. "I find the grounds holy and sacred. They've been prayed over many times. You feel it when you come on the grounds."

Seven years ago he was trying to decide whether to leave a secure job for pastoring an inner-city church that was struggling. After a three-day silent retreat, he said it became "very clear" he was to pursue the pastorship, which he did for seven years. "I could not have survived those seven years without coming here. The retreats settle me down and center me."

The Rev. Clark is in another "period of change," he said, and is seeking God's direction. "Sometimes I hear something. Sometimes I don't." He brings his personal journals and reflects on what he's written, "particularly the parts I think God is instructing me to listen to.

"The other thing that's important is that I believe in the message of a person's dream," he said. "I have my most significant dreams here."

Ms. Burgard said the center serves about 500 overnight retreat guests annually and has an international mailing list.

"This is unusual because it's one of the few Protestant silent retreats. Most of them are (Roman) Catholic retreat centers," she said. The location of silent retreat centers in the U.S., Canada and Europe can be found online at www.retreatsonline.com/guide/silent.htm.

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If you go ...

Dayspring Retreat Center offers space for personal and group silent retreats. Facilities can accommodate up to 18 people. The center is available to anyone for a personal, mini silent retreat. The only restrictions are no talking and no electronic equipment, such as laptops and cell phones. There are no recreational activity facilities, since the time spent at the center is meant to be a time of personal reflection. Both buildings are wheelchair accessible. No pets.

GETTING THERE: From Frederick, take Interstate 270 to Exit 15, go left a short distance on Md. 118, then left a short distance on Md. 355 to Neeslville Church Road and turn right. Dayspring is on the left.

PERSONAL MINI DAY RETREATS: Arrive around 10 a.m. and depart between 2 and 4 p.m. They are available at no cost, although donations are welcome.

INDIVIDUAL RETREATS: For individuals, the fee is $40 per overnight, which includes linens. Bring your own food. Kitchen available for use. Design your own schedule or you can request spiritual companionship from a member of the Dayspring community.

GROUP RETREATS: The fee for retreats sponsored by Dayspring is $140 per person. For outside groups, the fee is $150 per person. Both include food (six meals) and linens. A maximum of 18 people per group.

UPCOMING RETREATS: For a complete schedule, visit www.serve.com/dayspringretreat.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To schedule a retreat or for more information, call 301-428-9348.

2nd side:

"In practice, what is silence? Silence is a form of fasting, a way of not responding to the kinds of stimulation to which we normally respond. During retreat, we purpose not to talk. ...

Silence involves fasting from inner mental and emotional stimuli of thoughts, imaginations, feelings and desires. To be still and know that God is God involves noting thoughts, feelings, and desires as they come into awareness but remaining detached from them. This allows such contents of consciousness to be recognized but not responded to. ...

The purpose of this fast of silence is to empty oneself. Awareness of God is difficult if our inner cup is full of stuff. Letting go of thoughts, feelings and desires empties the cup of self. ..

-- Dayspring Retreat Center

E-mail: info@findthedivine.com