You are not alone
Our mission is to provide space for those seeking hope, comfort and peace as they explore ways of experiencing God’s love.
Dear Friends of Middleway Urban Monastery,
You're not alone.
We hear this statement a lot these days in relation to the ongoing pandemic. But it has been important for a lot longer than this year.
We at Middleway Urban Monastery had been saying that for years before we formed. You see, we are spiritual directors and clergy whose passion and vocation is to listen to others, truly listen. And we realized that we were hearing with increasing frequency the stories of so many who felt disconnected from a faith community. It's what urged us to begin.
You are not alone.
In our case, we saw numbers from a Pew Research study which indicated at least 135,000 people in Brazos County, where we were founded, felt spiritual but were not connected to any faith community. And, the study showed that rippled throughout our nation and other countries to become millions of people who feel disenfranchised. Without community, millions may indeed feel alone in trying to figure out where God is. Certainly many who've linked up with Middleway from near and far have told us that they thought they were the only ones who felt disconnected from a faith community. Many have been pleasantly surprised to discover others who stepped away from the faith of their childhood and now are seeking something to fill their souls, just as they are.
You are not alone.
Partake of any of the daily prayers, meditations, book study or retreats offered through Middleway to begin finding the pieces of your soul that have been packed deep inside you all this time. As you begin to feel refreshed, you will reconnect with the wonderful soul God created you to be. And, you do not have to explore alone. We spiritual directors are available to listen to you. We don't try to fix you. We aren't counselors. We just offer to listen to you monthly and perhaps ask questions to help you discern your choices or introduce you to new ways of praying that fit your style as a new way to communicate with God. A list of spiritual directors can be found at https://www.schoolforspiritualdirection.org/spiritual-directors. If you have questions about what spiritual direction is or want help finding a good fit for you, email us at info@middlewayurbanmonastery.org
You are one in a million!
Prayer tip: What to do when news upsets you
All of us check into some kind of news every day, be it local, state, national or international. You could rattle off numerous issues right now that have you concerned. This may cause feelings of sadness, disgust, anger, hopelessness, etc. We can limit ourselves on how much we read or hear, but the fact is we need to know what is going on in our lives and the lives of others who share this planet with us.
How about this? Pray the news. Here's how:
Select the news you want to use.
Read or listen to a news item as it is reported.
Pay attention to your emotions. When you begin to feel sad, angry, disgusted, etc., stop reading or listening to that news article.
Spend a few minutes trying to determine what it was about that story that caused that emotion.
When you have determined what caused that emotion, pray to God about it. Then spend some time in silence listening for what God might say in response.
Creativity continues in weekly book study Discussions on "Creativity: Where the Divine and the Human Meet," by Matthew Fox, will continue on Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. This week's discussion is on Chapter 2. It's not too late to join. Everyone is welcome. We read and discuss one chapter a week. Plan to join us on Zoom at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86289918385?pwd=SjcwUW5NMlZnWUtlNFFYd01waVZzUT09 Meeting ID: 862 8991 8385 Passcode: 164675 OR find your local number to dial in: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdizMlCaXm "Come to Your Senses" retreat set for Sept. 26 Since creation, God has spoken to humans through the five senses, and the Bible is full of examples from Genesis to Revelations. We, too, can use our senses prayerfully to communicate with God. Using simple surroundings readily available at home or wherever a person may be, this retreat will help you experience God through hearing, seeing, smelling, touching and tasting. The retreat, led by Kathleen Phillips, is interactive and consists of brief teachings followed by prayer time for each sense. Retreat with us from 9 a.m.-noon on Sept. 26. It's free, so come and invite your friends to join as well. Everything you need will be easily available in your own home...a Bible, a piece of string about a yard long, and your own morning coffee or beverage of your choice and lunch when it's time. That's all. We'd love to know you are joining, if you can email us at info@middlewayurbanmonastery.org . The zoom link on Sept. 26 at 9 a.m. is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85916473742?pwd=QVBLRXNiTUc3QlFDbE1QdmRSMGJ6QT09 How to Enter Middleway Urban Monastery Imagine our Facebook public group page to be a physical building. When you enter our URL, facebook.com/groups/TheMiddlewayUrbanMonastery, it is like opening the door of a physical building, because you will find all that is offered there. Likewise, you can come to our website and explore the offerings, including links to our Twitter and Instagram accounts, if you like those formats and want to follow. For those new to our community: Thanks for your interest in Middleway Urban Monastery. For the time being, our monastery is online only. We plan to eventually offer a physical space in Bryan, Texas. Even then, however, we will continue to offer our prayer times, meditations, centering, contemplation and various workshops and retreats online and led by spiritual directors and leaders around the Bryan-College Station area. If, for whatever reason. you feel "spiritual but not religious," that you no longer have a church or that you are just "done" with organized religion, no worries. We do not ask you to join the FB group page in order to participate. Just come to the monastery online – and eventually in person – as often as you want. We're about providing you space as you seek hope, comfort and peace as you explore ways of experiencing God’s love. Then, if you want to stay informed and take part in as many things as you can, subscribe to this weekly newsletter by going to https://www.middlewayurbanmonastery.org/contact and entering your email address at the Subscribe button on the lower right.
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