Dear Middleway Urban Monastery friends,
Whatever else you have planned for Tuesday, plan a stop by Middleway to add a little peace to your day as we open our doors to the public for the first time.
At 10 a.m., we will have a morning prayer time and then start some meditative background music. Coffee, hot tea and cold water will be nearby for your enjoyment. You'll be able to spend your time as you like, discovering the library, the art area, several sitting areas, and an icon room. This slice of hope, peace and comfort will be available until 4 p.m. daily Tuesday-Friday and on first and fourth Saturdays. There will be many more special offerings coming so stay tuned.
The picture above is our library which features more than 2,000 books that are available to read at the monastery now and soon will be cataloged and ready to lend.
Keep reading to find out how Middleway can fit into your life.
Read about what's going on at Middleway below. Then check out our Facebook group page or website.
Open house and blessing set for Nov. 7
An open house will be held at 6-8 p.m. Nov. 5 during First Friday events in downtown Bryan. A blessing of the monastery and its ministry will be held at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome to stop by, have refreshments and see what Middleway has to offer.
First retreat to feature Enneagram for Fuller Loving, Living
In a world full of personality assessments, the Enneagram stands apart for the ways that it not only describes our behavior (and the basis of that behavior) but for the ways it prescribes practices which can help us live more resourcefully.
To mark its grand opening, Middleway is offering a free retreat on this topic to the first 20 people who register in person at Middleway, beginning Nov. 2 through Nov. 10. The retreat will be 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at the monastery. Lunch will be provided.
Join spiritual directors Jim and Kathy Reiter as they share about the background of this ancient personality inventory, provide a narrative orientation to the nine personality types, help participants understand the personal results of an online assessment and offer some sense of next steps in your spiritual journey to your authentic, true self.
Middleway's book club moves to monthly hybrid gathering in November
We've tackled a book each month since August 2020, and we plan to continue. But we're making some changes.
First, because we have a physical location, we will be able to meet in person. But because we're also attached to those who've joined in from time to time from various parts of Texas and other states, we will include our Zoom links so that peope can continue to join in person and online.
Second, we are moving to a once-a-month format rather than weekly AND we will try a daytime gathering rather than evening. We're still pinpointing the day and time, but it will be later in the month.
So go ahead and get the November book, "Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith" by Kathleen Norris, and start reading.
Watch for more information in this newsletter next week.
Upcoming books are:
December - No meeting
January 2022 - "The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are" by Brene Brown
Volunteer at Middleway through a Circle of Stewards
Come be a part of the Middleway community! We need volunteers who can be there in person. A second volunteer training will be Nov. 1, 1:30 p.m., but if you can't attend that, don't worry. Sign up anyway, and we'll train you when you come. It's easy, and you'll be able to enjoy the hope, peace and comfort while you are there as a volunteer.
Offer your talents in administration, reception, hospitality, plants/greenery, library, arts, technology/information, worship, cleaning, and growth/sustainability. Each of these areas are called Circles of Stewards, which are groups of people within the community who share similar interests and want to help make Middleway as special, sacred space for all.
We still need people to volunteer as receptionists and hospitality guides at the monastery when visitors start to come. We will be notifiying volunteers through our Time Counts site of opportunities for three-hour shifts. Sign up for as many as you like!
You can sign up at https://timecounts.org/middlewaymonastery/. Simply fill in the form and make your choices. Then when opportunities become available in the Circle(s) of your choice, you will be notified and can decide if you are able to participate at particular times. For example, if we have a need for a receptionist on Tuesday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., everyone who has expressed an interest in being a volunteer receptionist will receive an email in advance noting that opportunity. Each person would decide whether to volunteer for that time. That is how each of you will be notified of volunteer opportunities.
These opportunities are more than volunteering -- they are community forming. Being at Middleway will be less of the typical "doing" associated with most volunteer activities and more of the "being," that is, being present to welcome visitors and enjoy the surroundings yourself! With this in mind, our volunteers are in community with the Middleway Urban Monastery's Guide for Life:
Conversion of Life “Conversatio”: Living our life as if it were a conversation with God, in a commitment to personal spiritual disciplines.
Humility: Living our life in perspective, in a commitment to assess and honor one’s own gifts and those of others.
Hospitality: Living our life in service of others, in a commitment to welcome guests in love and a spirit of prayer.
Prayer: Practicing a spiritual discipline that includes daily prayer.
Ecumenism: Honoring all expressions of Christian faith and respecting in Jesus’ name all persons of other religions and faiths.
Other ways to experience Middleway Urban Monastery
Ready to dig a little deeper spiritually?
Join our Facebook group page. Doing so will let you receive notices about events as well comment and see what others in the Middleway community are saying.
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.
Pass the word. Ask your frieds to subscribe to this newsletter by going to https://www.middlewayurbanmonastery.org/contact Enter the email address at the Subscribe button on the lower right.
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