Seeing Holy Presence: Franciscan Images of God

Program Details

The Lenten Journey culminates with Easter but the spiritual journey with Jesus continues through Eastertide. Eastertide is the 50-day Christian liturgical season celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, beginning on Easter Sunday and concluding on Pentecost Sunday.

As we continue our 2025-2026 theme of "Seeing Holy Presence," our spring Eastertide series focuses on celebrating new life and living our best spiritual lives.

In this season of Christ's resurrection, we invite you to join us for a Day Apart Retreat to "See Holy Presence" through a Franciscan lens. Franciscan friar Richard Rohr is well known for his best-selling book, "The Universal Christ." This image of God is rooted in a long tradition that begins with St. Francis of Assisi before the San Damiano cross. It continues through his praises of God in Canticle of the Creatures. It finds new life through the gaze of St. Clare of Assisi and reaches maturity in the theology and spirituality of St. Bonaventure.

Rolling Ridge Executive Director, Larry Jay (deemed a "Baptiscan" by Franciscan friars for his Franciscan heart as a Baptist) will guide this day with teaching and hands-on experiences to help you not just "see" but experience God in a new way through a Franciscan lens. You will come away with a deeper understanding of how "The Universal Christ" lives and breathes through the beauty of creation and in the mystery of our souls.

Cost: $92 (includes program from 9:30-3:30, pastries and lunch)

About the Leaders

Larry Jay

As the Executive Director of Rolling Ridge, Rev. Dr. Lawrence Jay works in partnership with the staff to ensure that the guest experience at the Ridge is top quality. He also partners with retreat leaders to provide excellent programming at the Ridge, and is available to speak about the ongoing ministry and historic mission of Rolling Ridge as a place of rest, retreat, and transformation. A trained spiritual director and ordained American Baptist pastor, Larry (as he is known by friends) is a graduate of UCLA, Golden Gate Seminary, Franciscan School of Theology, American Baptist Seminary of the West, and the Gateways to God Missional Spiritual Direction Program. He is also Adjunct Faculty at Merrimack College in the Masters of Spirituality and Spiritual Direction programs. Eco-spirituality is his passion (and was his doctoral dissertation), encouraging everyone to live into the fullness of our connection with our True Self, nature, God, and all people.

Grace Pugh Hubbard

Grace Pugh Hubbard is Climate Care Coordinator for the New England UM Annual Conference. In this role Grace works with the Creation Care Circle to resource local churches in the areas of Eco-spirituality, Education, Energy Efficiency, and Legislative Advocacy across our six states and seven districts. She is a commissioned EarthKeeper and an Artist Advocate. Grace and her husband Joel live in Essex, Vermont and have four children and two grandchildren.