Holland HouseHolland HouseBut what does that mean?
A book on Cistercian Christian spirituality puts our ethos very well:
“Decentering the self, making room for the Other of God through humility and obedience, entails the discipline of hospitality. It means making room in oneself for all who challenge us to move beyond the narrow confines of self-absorption, self-fixation, self-preoccupation. Through constant hospitality the monk is able to make room for the other: the other person, other people, and the Other who is God.”
This sums up the ethos and ministry of Holland House very well. Christian hospitality is about making room in our hearts for the other, the table always open and space made ready. In the context of this particular Christian house it means welcoming everyone of whatever faith, gender, sexuality, race or nationality, in the name of Christ, through his Spirit of gracious generosity and infinite love as witnessed by the Gospels and expressed in the writings of the Apostles.
Holland House also seeks to provide the space, time and ethos that will facilitate an authentic encounter with self, the other and the Divine – whether on retreat, at a business meeting with colleagues, walking in the gardens, or sitting in quiet prayer and meditation. “But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matt 6.6)
The room is the chamber of the heart, and the ‘reward’ is simply the experience of knowing that through prayer, meditation or contemplation, the presence of God dwells deeply within you, so that you might know the truth of Jesus’s words “As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (Jn 17.21)
Holland House boldly states that it seeks to be “in harmony with creation”. Being in harmony with Creation means finding harmony with other faith traditions. Holland House seeks to encourage people from other traditions to use the House and to share their spiritual treasures with us. Each year, we hold three Interfaith days where people from the Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh faiths meet together to share elements of one another’s traditions. The Trustees of Holland House see this as an important and growing area of our ministry and work.
Being in harmony with Creation also means understanding our place as individuals, groups, and human beings in a creation filled with many other kinds of ‘beings’. To support this, we developed ‘Forty Ways To Live In Harmony’ by looking after our gardens organically, paying attention to habitat and encouraging insects, birds, mammals and reptiles to make our grounds their home. We carefully purchase food and ingredients, sourcing locally and sustainably whenever possible. We are founder members of the Sustainable Restaurant Association and our housekeeping team clean the House with eco-friendly products. These are also deeply important expressions of our spirituality.
To take stock, discern, take time to pay especial attention your life, and life with God.
It is possible to book an individually guided retreat for 2 or 3 days, where after an initial conversation with your accompanist to clarify your focus, you would be given some guidance and the opportunity to meet with your accompanist once a day to discuss what was emerging from your reading/ thinking/ praying/ looking.
Costs will be for a standard overnight stay plus a donation for accompanists, depending on the length of your stay. AS with other retreats, bursaries are available.
To book, dates can be negotiated with the Warden and other accompanists via Reservations.
Currently we have two accompanists for IGRs…
Emily Miller is an Ignatian-trained Spiritual Director working in Worcestershire and London. She enjoys supporting people with busy lives to find God in all things. Emily is a member of the Third Order of the Society of St Francis and has a background in business and mediation. Emily is an Anglican laywoman.
Helen Stanton is a theologian and spiritual director, and currently works as the Warden of Holland House. Helen often uses the arts as part of her ministry of spiritual accompaniment. For the last 25 years she worked in theological colleges and courses preparing Anglicans and Methodists for ordination. Helen is a Catholic Anglican laywoman.
Emily Miller is an Ignatian-trained Spiritual Director working in Worcestershire and London. She enjoys supporting people with busy lives to find God in all things. Emily is a member of the Third Order of the Society of St Francis and has a background in business and mediation. Emily is an Anglican laywoman.
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Helen Stanton is a theologian and spiritual director, and currently works as the Warden of Holland House. Helen often uses the arts as part of her ministry of spiritual accompaniment. For the last 25 years she worked in theological colleges and courses preparing Anglicans and Methodists for ordination. Helen is a Catholic Anglican laywoman.
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Please book via reservations@hollandhouse.org