Fellow Pilgrims,
I’m writing to invite you to join me for a writing retreat this coming September. All the details are below!
This September’s theology house at St. Mary of the Lake is a unique opportunity to participate in a Sacred Writing Retreat with author and theologian Beth Felker Jones.
Theology House will provide an opportunity to:
Slow down and make space to listen for God’s voice in the midst of your writing life.
Discover practices that help writing become an act of prayer, attention, and faithful presence.
Learn practical tools for developing a sustainable writing rhythm rooted in grace rather than pressure.
Reflect on the relationship between theology, creativity, and vocation.
Spend dedicated time writing in the peaceful surroundings of St. Mary of the Lake.
Share your work, if you wish, in a supportive and encouraging community of fellow writers.
This retreat is not about producing a finished product or achieving perfection. Instead, it is an invitation to cultivate a writing life marked by attentiveness, patience, and joy. Through teaching, guided writing practices, quiet reflection, conversation, and generous stretches of writing time, participants will explore how writing can become a way of noticing God’s presence and responding with faithfulness.
Whether you’re beginning a new project, returning to a long-neglected one, or simply longing to reconnect with the practice of writing, you’ll leave with renewed vision, practical tools, and a deeper sense of how your words can become part of your spiritual life.
The entire event, including accommodations and meals, is only $250. Spaces are limited, so register today.
Beth Felker Jones is an author, theologian, and teacher whose writing invites readers to discover the beauty of Christian faith with clarity, wisdom, and hope. She is the author of numerous books, including Practicing Christian Doctrine, Faithful, Why I am Protestant, and God the Spirit, as well as a bestselling Substack (Church Blogmatics) articles, essays, and devotional writings for a wide range of audiences. Her work spans academic theology, church education, and spiritual formation, always seeking to make deep theological ideas accessible and life-giving.
A lifelong writer, Beth believes that writing is both a craft and a spiritual practice—one that requires attention, patience, and openness to God’s work. She has spent decades helping students, pastors, and fellow writers cultivate thoughtful, faithful words that serve the church and the world. As a retreat leader, she encourages writers at every stage—from journal keepers to published authors—to embrace rhythms of creativity rooted in grace rather than striving.
Beth serves as Professor of Theology at Northern Seminary and lives in the Chicago area with her family.
Grace & peace,
BFJ
Check out streaming video courses on theology, church history, biblical studies, and more at Seminary Now. See my course and others from leading authors and professors.
And consider taking a class with me at Northern Seminary, where we talk about theology, doctrine, the bible, and many other wonderful topics.
Are you a writer? I love book writing software from Living Writer.
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.