Our first ever-in person retreat was a success. On Tuesday, June 25th, we gathered a dozen people to devote a day to prayer, rest, and silence. It was a blessing to meet in the historic Elim Baptist Church (now Mill City Church) in Northeast Minneapolis. One of the attendees shared with us that the “space was great, food was amazing, the book you published is incredible. Loved the open time and communal prayer/worship.”

These Local Day Retreats take place in the heart of cities. It is a chance to profoundly experience God in the very city we live in. This helps us feel the reality we know, that God is with us everywhere. These retreats have a flexible structure that allows each person to pursue the paths God is inviting them upon. This embodies the monastic reality that each person pursues their walk with Jesus on their own, within a supportive community. During the retreat, people are supported in four ways. The communal times praying the divine office give rhythm and recentering to the retreat. We partake the Eucharist together before lunch. One of the monastics is available to encourage and guide them back into prayer and silence. Lastly, we produce a book exclusively for each retreat full of liturgy, prayer guides, and a portion of our Way of Life.

Making times of extended silence for prayer is important. It helps remind us that we can make silence in our day-to-day life. In these hours, we enter into the monastic experience where we are alone yet together. Each person devoted themselves to prayer for the day, and the love of God met each person in unique and personal ways.

We began our day in the historic sanctuary of this baptist church that was built in 1905. After a brief welcome, we answered some questions and took a few minutes to teach everyone the simple way we would be singing the Divine Office. Then, as incense fill the sanctuary, we all stood up to face the cross at the front of the Church, and we sang the Divine Office of Lauds together. After the blessing, they were sent off into silence with their retreat books to pray. At midday, we came together to pray the Divine Office of Sext, partake the Eucharist, and then enjoy a three-course lunch. As people finished lunch, they headed off to pray for the afternoon. We concluded the retreat by praying the Divine Office of None.

It is particularly special to get to pray the Divine Office together from the Urban Monastic Breviary. These liturgies are works of love by Paul Prins. He has been diligently translating them for us to pray individually and together. With the coronavirus pandemic pushing our community online within months of starting, there have only been a precious few times he has gotten to hear a chorus of voices sing along with him.

Here are a few other comments shared with us by those who attended.

“I personally needed the quiet day and really appreciated the space that this retreat gave me.”

“The book is really great! I love that you included a lot of explanation, examples, as well as some extra things. I like the style of your writing and find it very comfortable to read. It feels like I’m being cared for through the words.”

“The retreat was very different from others I’ve been to. I did appreciate the opportunity for long, uninterrupted times of silence.”

Mill City Church offered their first floor to pray (the Sanctuary plus five more rooms), giving ample space for people to rest, move, and pray. During these individual prayer times, people told us that they spent time in: Breath Prayer, Centering Prayer, Contemplative Prayer, Illuminating Scripture, Journaling, Listening Prayer, Spiritual Reading, Visio Divina, and more.

The feedback from attendees was incredibly positive, and we are looking forward to the next local day retreat we will host (most likely in Europe). Hope that you can join us soon!

Thank you to Reverend Stephanie Williams O’Brien, Trevor Rankin and Mill City Church for their support, hospitality, and welcome for our retreat. Your generosity was a blessing to us, and one that we passed on to all those who joined us that day. Thank you for opening and sharing your church with us.

Photos from the Day

Note: We will not publish photos where attendees are identifiable from our local day retreats.