The tour continued - with a Quiet Day in Wales
- debbiethrower0
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
‘Ageing with Grace’ – a peace-filled day for the Welsh network
Part II of Debbie’s travels was to cross the Severn Estuary and drive up into the beautiful wilds of Brecon to meet with the Revd Sally Rees, known to many in the Anna Chaplaincy network as Church Lead for Wales over the last five years, and now a member of the freelance training team, working alongside Julia Burton-Jones.
In conjunction with the national team, Sally arranged the first ‘Ageing with Grace’ quiet day, on this occasion offered to Anna Chaplains in the Welsh network at Llangasty Retreat House, Brecon. It was led by fellow freelance trainer Katherine Froggatt and her husband Hugh. Katherine and Hugh have developed this material and led groups in a variety of contexts over the years.
The day was described thus:
'Growing older brings new challenges. There are changes in our life roles, in our abilities and resources to handle the challenges. There is often an increasing reliance on other people. Our society has conflicted messages on ageing. We are surrounded by images of an active, healthy, perfect retirement with the time, energy and resources to enjoy things in a new way.
Yet, at the same time, we are aware that ageing is not all an easy journey. We may have hovering fears of a downward spiral of poor health, loneliness and confusion, of practical changes that have to be made regarding where to live and maybe of dying and death. As a response to these challenges, we offer a day for reflection and prayer.’
The day was an invitation to look at the possibility of ageing as a spiritual opportunity. It gave the Anna Chaplains present a space in which to re-orientate themselves and deepen their inner journey, focusing primarily upon themselves but hugely significant, too, as they support others in their ageing process. Some key questions posed by Katherine and Hugh to the group included:
What is God's invitation to me as I get older, or walk alongside others?
What am I praying for in this ageing journey?
What spiritual practices might support me at this time?
It all offered a wonderful opportunity to withdraw from busyness, begin to look at some of these questions, ponder hopes and fears, and to listen for God’s invitation in the face of ageing.
‘It was a gift of a day,’ reflected Debbie. ‘ The group comprised a wide-ranging mix of experience and ages, and we were led with care and thoughtfulness throughout by Katherine and Hugh. Everyone took something away that was meaningful for them.’
The beauty of the place played its part too: remote and peaceful, there was time to walk to the local church or in the grounds, and to rest.
‘We are so thankful to Katherine and Hugh for all that they have shared with us at Llangasty, and we look forward to seeing this day offered to more Anna Chaplains later in the year.’
Incidentally, the nearby ancient Llangasty church was where Howell Harris had an experience of the Holy Spirit that sparked the C18th Methodist revival.
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