A few years ago, during the 2022 John Philip Newell book signing at Montreat, a Celtic violinist and bagpiper began to play. Before long, people were dancing. What started as a simple line for signed books became something communal and embodied. I watched a room full of people remember that spiritual life can live in music, movement, laughter, and community.
I have carried that memory with me, and it returns now as Montreat prepares to welcome John Philip Newell and Cami Twilling for The Great Search 1, the first retreat in a three‑part journey of Earth & Soul practice.
You are Invited
To a thin place where there is space for the sacred,
for what is between.
For you.
You are invited to listen.
To the sacred earth beneath you.
And to the sacred that is you.
The Hunger Behind the Retreat
Many of us are living in a season of spiritual disorientation. I hear it in conversations on porches and in quiet moments after worship. Maybe you have heard it too, in the
way people pause before answering questions about faith.
Where, and how, do we seek home when familiar institutions no longer feel like home? How might intimacy with Earth restore intimacy with our own souls, and with each other? What becomes possible when we listen for sacred presence in our bodies, relationships, and the living world?
These questions reflect the quiet ache many of us carry, the longing for belonging, for presence, for a way of faith that feels alive again.
You are invited.
Come with joy.
Be led here with peace.
In these sacred forests, let us learn to hear the mountains.
They were singing before you.
They are singing around you.
The Retreat Itself
This October 21–23, 2026, John Philip Newell and Cami Twilling will join us for The Great Search 1, the first retreat in a three‑part series exploring expanded vision, intimacy with Earth, and spiritual presence. Earth & Soul retreats center prayer, meditation, stillness, teaching, reflection, and community. This year’s retreat will be grounded in the first three chapters of Newell’s new book, The Great Search. We will hear the wisdom of Thomas Berry, Nan Shepherd, and Martin Buber, voices who remind us that the sacred is not distant but woven into the fabric of the world. Even though this is part of a series, participants do not need to have attended earlier Earth & Soul programs. There is no prerequisite except a willingness to listen deeply, and perhaps to let the land surprise you.
We will rejoice that you are here.
Come, listen deeply in gathering places.
Come, rest under the oak.
Come nap on the moss.
Come, dip your hands in the creek and hold the water where the Spirit whispers.
Why Montreat is the Right Landscape
In Montreat, these questions take on flesh. Our mountains, the creek, the changing leaves, and the paths beneath our feet become part of the conversation. After all this valley has endured, healing and home carry particular weight here. It has been a profound gift to have It has been a profound gift to have John Philip Newell and Cami Twilling share their wisdom with us during this season of storm recovery. Their teachings remind us that renewal is not only possible. It is already beginning.
So come, holy one, with dust on your shoes,
with wonder or weariness curled in your bones.
You have come far,
and the hills know it.
You do not have to know how to arrive.
The land already welcomes you.
The birds are singing you in.
The water is waiting to kiss your hands.
Invitation
Whether you are rooted in a faith community, standing at its edges, or searching for language for a longing you cannot yet name, you are invited, and you are welcome.
Come ready for prayer, deep listening, and companionship in the search. You may not find easy answers, but you will find companions for the search. And perhaps the way home begins by remembering that Earth & Soul were never separate.
We pray that your shoulders soften.
We pray that the ache of carrying begin to uncoil.
We pray that you let your community see you as you are,
not only who you have had to be.
You are not late.
You are not lost.
You are not alone.
All the trees shall clap their hands
and rejoice,
you are here.
Come home, holy one.
Yes, beloved, we really mean you.
You are holy too.
Blessings. I hope you will join us at Montreat, this thin place, a threshold between Earth and Spirit.
Sarah Skinner is a director of programs at Montreat Conference Center.
This article was originally published in the August 2026 edition of Montreat Conference Center’s email newsletter Cultivating Curiosity which highlights for spiritual growth at Montreat. Sign up to receive Cultivating Curiosity directly in your inbox by clicking here.