Coming of the Light Advent Retreat

Coming of the Light is an Advent retreat at Rivendell Retreat Centre on Bowen Island, British Columbia, built around making a working lamp from raw materials. It is a spiritual retreat for anyone who would enjoy the challenge of creating a lamp from scratch while exploring the mystery of the season. It is led by Jennifer Cuthbertson and Dilly Baker, both members of the Rivendell Community.

What to Expect

This is a distinctive Advent retreat that speaks to head, heart, and hands. The focus is on the slow, intentional making of a lamp. As you shape it, you are invited to reflect on how the themes of the season, darkness, waiting, hope and light, intersect with your own life. The work is meant to be unhurried, so the making becomes a form of reflection as much as a craft.

The retreat runs for four days and ends with a shared ritual of lighting the lamps, marking the approach of Christmas.

Numbers are limited because of the hands-on nature of the retreat. Rivendell's other programmed retreats are held in a rhythm of silence, spiritual direction and a daily group gathering, but the detailed schedule for this particular retreat is shaped by its facilitators.

About Jennifer Cuthbertson

Jennifer Cuthbertson is a member of the Rivendell Community who enjoys making lamps from found objects. Her love of the craft is the seed of this retreat.

About Dilly Baker

Dilly Baker is an experienced retreat facilitator in the UK and a member of the Rivendell Community. She brings her years of facilitation to the group alongside Jennifer's lamp-making.

The Setting

Rivendell Retreat Centre is on Bowen Island, British Columbia. Rivendell describes stepping into silence as stepping away from all that distracts us, so we can listen more deeply, rest, and see more clearly what is important. Guests on this retreat stay in a private cabin.

Before You Go

No experience of making lamps is required. The retreat is open to anyone drawn to the challenge, and the organizers suggest it may be a good first step if you have been considering a retreat at Rivendell but have not yet managed it.

Rivendell works to keep its retreats financially accessible. The cost covers food, basic costs and facilitation at a set daily rate, and you add what you can afford for your accommodation. Payment can be made on arrival. A small non-refundable registration fee is taken at the time of registering. Rivendell also asks that each person choose one retreat per year, so that as many people as possible can attend.