Middleway Urban Monastery, a community for people seeking a spiritual connection in their lives, has opened in Bryan.
Organizers said the monastery, which is online initially until space can be provided safely, seeks to guide those who feel “spiritual but not religious,” who have felt disenfranchised by church or who simply feel the need for additional spiritual avenues to supplement a regular church experience.
“Many of us are walking along life’s journey seeking something we don’t quite know how to name. On one side, there’s a deeper meaning … something spiritual. On the other, there’s religion. As we move ahead, there may be times to dip into one side or the other. But that can be scary or difficult to navigate, so we keep to the middle,” according to the monastery’s website.
Various national studies recently have shown that as many as 100 million people in the U.S. feel “spiritual but not religious.” Middlway Urban Monastery aims to help people find a way forward in their Christian journey.
The urban monastery is supported as a missional community by St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. It is led by members of the Bryan-College Station Spiritual Directors’ Gathering, which includes members of Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, United Church of Christ and non-denominational churches.
One of the cornerstones of Middleway is the “praying of the hours,” an ancient practice in which a person pauses at various times during the day to offer prayers. Middleway offers Morning Prayer at 8 a.m., Noonday at noon, and Evening Prayer at 5:15 p.m. Occasional late evening services, called Compline, will be offered as well.
In addition to these practices, Middleway includes a variety of prayer styles, music, retreats and optional connection to area spiritual directors as ways of helping a person in self-discovery in the Christian faith.
Connect to Middleway Urban Monastery on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheMiddlewayUrbanMonastery/ or at www.middlewayurbanmonastery.org. For more information, email info@middlewayurbanmonastery.org
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