Dear Middleway Urban Monastery friends,
A winter storm is raging outside here in Texas where Middleway is based, and that same storm is whipping across many of the regions where our members reside throughout the United States. For people who've spent more time than usual at home for the past year, many are grateful to stay in longer until the storm passes. We were forewarned and urged to get prepared with food and shelter for ourselves, our pets and our plants, if possible.
Similarly, those who follow a liturgical church calendar know that Lent begins on Wednesday. It's a time when Christians prepare for Easter, often by examining the "storms" of life and making changes toward a better life in the way of Christ.
Just as we know the winter weather will pass and signs of spring will soon appear, Christians know there will be an Easter Sunday soon. But first we prepare through Lent. Middleway has a special program to kickstart your Lenten journey. Check it out below and prepare to participate!
And as a Lenten practice, you might also plan to partake of any of our other programs and events. We have several prayer services and devotions each day of the week.
Read about what's going on at Middleway below. Make a note to check out our Facebook group page or website.
The Way of the Wilderness: The Path to Fullness of Life in the Season of Lent
In this season of Lent, you are invited to journey with open-hearted pilgrims from Middleway Urban Monastery to walk the Way of the Wilderness. To guide us on the path, we will be using the Second Breath app, a resource overflowing with simple and transformative spiritual practices. Through teaching, spiritual practice, conversation and shared experience, we will follow Jesus of Nazareth into the Lenten wilderness to cultivate and discover a dynamic inward spiritual journey that leads to “fullness of life.
The Way of the Wilderness includes:
The Second Breath app with full access to all premium content. (Available in both the Apple App Store and Google Play.)
A weekly group spiritual direction session facilitated by a spiritual director with Middleway Urban Monastery.
A participant guide for each person including recommended practices, encouragements and instructions to walk the Way of the Wilderness throughout the season of Lent.
Program Details:
Sundays, Feb. 28-March 28, 6:45-8 p.m.
Aneya Elbert, facilitator and spiritual director, can answer questions sent to aneya.kay@gmail.com. This program and the app were developed by the Second Breath Center.
Zoom Instructions: Register at the link below and you will receive the link in your email.
Book club updates
Calling all ragamuffins.
"Each moment of our existence, we are either growing into more or retreating into less," wrote Brennan Manning, author. The idea is to accept that God loves you no matter what, according to our February book, "Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out." We'll talk about the book and what it means to our lives on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Central on Zoom. Our discussion is on chapters 7-9 this week, and you can join from anywhere.
Meeting ID: 862 8991 8385 Passcode: 164675
or call in 1 346 248 7799
Other books chosen for coming months:
March - The Magnificent Defeat by Frederick Buechner
April - Soul Making: The Desert Way of Spirituality by Alan Jones
May - Streams of Living Water by Richard Foster
How to Visit Middleway Urban Monastery
Ready to dig a little deeper spiritually? We're here for you.
You're a "member" if you are receiving this newsletter. Come and see what the monastery has for you online. When you enter our URL, facebook.com/groups/TheMiddlewayUrbanMonastery, it is like opening the door of a physical building, and you will find all that is offered there.
Likewise, you can come to our website and explore the offerings, including links to our Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube accounts, if you like those formats and want to follow.
If you know others who would like to "join," ask them to subscribe to our weekly newsletter by going to https://www.middlewayurbanmonastery.org/contact and entering their email address at the Subscribe button on the lower right.
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