Dear Middleway Urban Monastery friends,
Days, months, years, decades. No matter how long it has been since your loved ones passed, you still miss them. This month, we honor those who've passed away both by celebrating their lives and by delving into our sense of grief and loss. First Friday Oct. 7 in downtown Bryan will kickoff our month-long look at loss in a special way of sharing a picture of your loved one. Then we'll host Letters to Loved Ones on Oct. 22. Read more ways you can tap into our many offerings below.
Dia de Los Muertos gives us an opportunity to celebrate the lives of our loved ones who have passed. Use the QR code above OR click the button below to upload a picture of your loved ones who have died. They will be part of a Celebration of Life slide show this month on our website. And the slideshow will be on public display Oct. 7, 5:30-7 p.m. during First Friday, 217 W. 26th, Bryan. Add pictures of deceased loved ones here Letters to Lost Loved Ones will be the topic for our Journaling event this month, Oct. 22, 10:30 a.m.-Noon. View our weekly schedule
TACO TUESDAY!
Raging Bull Street Tacos will be our food truck of the month Oct. 25, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. They'll be parked in our lot at the corner of W. 24th Street and N. Washington Ave. Grab a taco (or more) and then come inside the monastery to eat, chat with others, and listen to come spicey music. We'll keep you posted. In the meantime, check them out on their Facebook page
Middleway Book Club goes fiction
Here's a real page turner: After two years and more than 20 seriously excellent books on spirituality, Middleway's book club is going fiction. No lie.
Everyday life is full of spiritual experiences and we're sure we can spot them in novels as well. Our first dive into fiction will be "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens.
This book group is hybrid, so participants can either attend in person at the monastery or by Zoom, Oct. 25 at 10:30 a.m.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86289918385?pwd=SjcwUW5NMlZnWUtlNFFYd01waVZzUT09
Meeting ID: 862 8991 8385
Passcode: 164675
12-Step Community to discuss "Breathing Under Water"
People in any 12-Step programs and their friends and families are especially welcome to our study of Richard Rohr's "Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps." We gather each Tuesday evening. The monastery is open from 5-8 p.m. and the book discussion component, led by Amy and Michael Thompson, is part of the evening.
Journeys in Prayerful Silence
Two sessions to experience different styles of silent prayer and meditation will be offered in October.
On Thursday, Oct. 6 and 13, at 6 p.m. there will be a short teaching on the background and purpose of each type of prayer, followed by 15 minutes of practicing. Take time-out with Heidi Campbell and learn how to cultivate peace and stillness through journeying into different expressions of prayerful silence.
Middleway is open on Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. and the prayerful silence segment will be from 7-7:30 p.m. Those who wish to come early or stay late can explore the monastery's many prayerful spaces.
Something for everyone
Between now and January there surely is at least one special program of interest for you. When we say ALL are welcome, we mean it. In addition to the those described above, look ahead to these:
Journaling One’s Story – Learn to write about your life to bring deeper spiritual meaning. Monthly on fourth Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.-Noon.
Book Club – “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens, discussion Oct. 25, 10:30 a.m.
Friends of St. Joan - A monthly gathering for youth and young adults who identify as LGBTQIA+. Join us in a safe place to explore spirituality, third Mondays, 6-8 p.m. Next up: Oct. 17.
Dia de los Muertos and a look at grief and loss, Oct. 22, 10:30-Noon.
Sacred chanting – Learn this ancient method of singing, Nov. 5, 10:30 a.m.-Noon.
Wassail at the Monastery – Get a taste of our hospitality with a cup of this traditional holiday beverage. No agenda. We’ll merely open the doors for you to take a breather before the holiday rush, Dec. 3, 10:30 a.m.-Noon.
Post-Holiday – Celtic Women’s Christmas, Jan. 6, 1-3 p.m.; The Spirituality of Gaming, Jan. 14, 10:30 a.m.-Noon.
How to experience the monastery While we offer a variety of programs you can attend, the monastery is also open for you to just come for a dose of the relaxing atmosphere where no one will bug you. Read, retreat from the hectic pace of your world, use the free art supplies, or partake of any of our prayer techniques that are gently explained in materials throughout the monastery. Children are welcome to come with an adult and may find the art area or special children's spirituality area a way to peace away from electronic distractions. Spiritual direction offered at Middleway A spiritual director is one who can listen to you with a holy ear and doesn't try to "fix" you with their solutions. Being listened to -- truly listened to -- is powerfully healing. You and your spiritual director normally meet monthly for an hour. Our current spiritual directors are listed at https://www.middlewayurbanmonastery.org/spiritual-direction. Email us at info@middlewayurbanmonastery.org if we can help you. We need you at Middleway We've added several programs at night, which means the monastery will be open for some new times. If you've been unable to volunteer during the days, here's your chance. Middleway is 100 percent volunteer operated. Come be one who welcomes others into this peaceful place. While there, you'll be able to enjoy the hope, peace and comfort as well. Sign up at https://timecounts.org/middlewaymonastery/. After you've selected the areas you want to volunteer in, you'll be able to click the Opportunities tab, then Assignments, then Available Shifts. Middleway Urban Monastery's Guide for Life