Overview
40 Days of Lengthening Silence
Belly of the Whale Ministries
5 reviews
Feb 18 - Apr 5, 2026
40 Days of Lengthening Silence
Virtual Lenten Retreat
Feb 18 - Apr 5, 2026
Belly of the Whale Ministries
5 reviews
$69
About your trip
Gently lengthen your practice of silent prayer by adding one additional minute of silence each day -
beginning with 1 minute on Ash Wednesday and gradually growing to 40 minutes by Easter.
Quiet your spirit and breathe new life into your weary soul.
Register for this virtual retreat and experience...
Ash Wednesday Welcome
(Feb. 18, 12:15-1:00 pm Eastern Time)
to launch our journey into silence together.
(Live via Zoom or later via recording.)
40 Daily Emails
filled with words of encouragement and
simple practices of lectio, visio & audio divina.
6 Weekly Gatherings
(MONDAYS at 12:15 Eastern Time - live via Zoom or later via recording.)
to share silent prayer in sacred community based on
the number of minutes of silence designated for that day.
February 23 (5 minutes), March 2 (11 mins), March 9 (17 mins)
March 16 (23 mins), March 23 (29 mins), March 30 (35 mins)
Downloadable Quieting Resources
including 10 tips for silent prayer, scriptures on silence,
a simple calendar for tracking your lengthening silence, and more...
You are warmly invited to join as an individual or part of a group (friends, family or congregations) to share this gentle journey into deepening quiet.
It would be an honor to share this sacred journey into deepening quiet together with you.
Your companion in silence,
Sharon
Rev. Sharon Seyfarth Garner, Director
Belly of the Whale Spiritual Direction & Retreat Ministries
What's included
Ash Wednesday Welcome
We will gather virtually on February 18 from 12:15-1:00 pm Eastern Time to launch our journey into lengthening silence together.
40 Daily Emails
Every morning you will receive an email with a reminder of how many minutes of silence is designated for the day along with simple prayer practices to help you quiet your spirit and breathe deeply.
6 Weekly Gatherings
Every Monday (12:15 pm ET) we will gather live online for shared silent prayer. The length of our session will depend on how many minutes of silence are designated for that day.
Ash Wednesday Welcome
Virtual Gathering to Begin Our Shared Journey into Sacred Silence
We will gather from 12:15-1:00 Eastern Time (please adjust for your time zone) on Ash Wednesday (February 18, 2026) for an orientation and shared prayer practice together. A recording of this session will be available the following day.
40 Daily Emails
Simple Spiritual Practices for Silent Prayer
Every day from Ash Wednesday (February 18) - Easter Sunday (April 5) you will receive an email with simple prayer practices to encourage your lengthening silence and deep listening throughout Lent.
6 Weekly Gatherings
Virtual Silent Shared Prayer
Every Monday at 12:15 Eastern Time (please adjust for your time zone) we will gather live via Zoom for silent prayer together. The duration of our gatherings will depend on what the length of silence is for that day...
February 23 - 5 minutes
March 2 - 11 minutes
March 9 - 17 minutes
March 16 - 23 minutes
March 23 - 29 minutes
March 30 - 35 minutes
Recordings of these sessions will be available the following day.
About your organizer
Belly of the Whale Ministries
5 reviews
"Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the whale." (Jonah 2:1)
Just as Jonah encountered God in the
"belly of the whale,"
we also long for safe space
amidst our stormy and busy lives
to encounter God -
space where we can
express our spiritual longings,
ask the challenging questions,
and nurture a genuine relationship with the Divine.
Belly of the Whale Ministries provide just this sort of safe space
to dive deeper into a meaningful life of faith.
