2019 Pre-Lenten Gathering Part I from New England Conference UMC on Vimeo.

2019 Pre-Lenten Gathering Part II from New England Conference UMC on Vimeo.

Each year Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar invites all New England Conference clergy to join him at a Pre-Lenten Gathering, a daylong spiritual retreat, to help clergy center and prepare for the Lenten season.

This year’s retreat was held on Feb. 11, 2019 at Aldersgate UMC in North Reading, MA. A gathering planned for Feb. 12 at Lake Sunapee (NH) UMC was canceled due to snow.

The retreat leader was the Rev. Dr. Elaine Heath.

She recommended the following resources:

“Come with Me: Daily Living with a New Monastic Rule of Life”
By Wendy J. Miller
 
“Right Here Right Now: The Practice of Christian Mindfulness”
by Amy G. Oden
 
“Five Means of Grace: Experience God's Love the Wesleyan Way”
by Elaine Heath
 
“Sleeping with Bread: Holding What Gives You Life”
by Dennis Linn, Sheila Fabricant Linn and Matthew Linn 
Dr. Heath describes this as “an adult picture book of theology” using the Prayer of Examen.