habit [ hab-it ] /noun/ : a settled disposition or tendency to act in a certain way, esp. one acquired by frequent repetition of the same act until it becomes almost or quite involuntary.

We do the hard work of friendship among those we go, establishing relationships artfully with people religious or nonreligious or formerly religious, with people of all ages, with people from all Christian denominations, and with people of different cultures. Through friendship, we are able to work within the structures of other groups and organizations to help provide teaching and depth in support of their mission.

A monthly habit of encountering a profound person from our pre-Christian and Christian past - what we call our “Guest” for the evening. Over the course of one hour, Rick, skilled teacher and interpreter, gives access to some of the deepest thoughts of our “Guest”, teaching the hearers according to their capacity to receive such depth.

A habit of gathering to enjoy a profound encounter with Art and the masters of its different forms. Over the course of ninety minutes (with an intermission), Rick shows the hearers how to “read” the productions of a particular artist - novels, poetry, drama, song lyrics, music, painting, etc. He invites the hearers into conversation about what they notice. He demonstrates how to explore the truth of things by going through the imagination, and how to cultivate a more refined sensibility.

This ancient practice or spiritual discipline is a particular form of Christian friendship. A person long familiar with the ways of God and learned in the spiritual traditions practices a highly focused way of listening to the “inner life” of a person (a Directee). The Director attends to how the Holy Spirit is activating this person, giving to him or her a distinct identity and purpose. A Director asks “What is God up to with you right now?” The Director’s attends only to this in a person, teaching a Directee how to lay claim to his or her unique relationship with God, so that he or she can become more able to respond to God, and confidently.

Retreats are a regular practice of the Institute and a particular form of Spiritual Direction. A retreat is a sacred time for a person to keep awake and learning in his or her spiritual and theological understanding. Retreats offer a person a more concentrated opportunity to be found by God. He or she is helped or guided through this experience, step by step, by the Directors.

The Faber Institute is continually writing and publishing our thoughts, informed by extensive research and study of texts from the Great Tradition and on current issues and relevant topics. Publications include the Letters to Peregrinus, Notes from the Wayside, Rewilding the Word, and the Advent and Lenten Meditations.