To Get Away from Your Phone Yet?
I was more than ready to leave my phone behind for a day: Facebook screaming its messages of impending disaster, gridlocked political division, authoritarian government takeover, tariffs, trade war, stock market tanking, looming government shutdown, and endless text messages from my kids: Where is my uniform? Can you bring home some milk? Can you pay this bill, read this document, send that check, pick up my prescription, get some cat litter, and on and on and on. I was beyond ready for a break!
So, on a Saturday morning in late September, I gathered with 100 other people to pray and meditate at the Minnesota Contemplative Outreach Annual Retreat at Saint Andrews Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi, MN. The weather was perfect: 70° and sunny, the bright blue sky filling the horizon line beyond the retreat center windows and the maple trees just starting to turn, a flare of orange against the blue. The retreat was led by Dr. Christine Luna Munger of the Episcopal House of Prayer in Collegeville, MN https://ehouseofprayer.org/on changes in prayer patterns in our daily lives. One of the best things about Christine’s facilitating was that she chanted and sang to us! Her voice was melodic as an angel’s, as she led us in responsorial prayer. Throughout the conference presentation, we had several sessions of centering prayer for 20 minutes, each the highlight of the day where we sat together in a large circle, silently repeating our sacred word as a symbol of our consent to the divine presence and God’s action within. The gong of the singing bowl began each session, ringing clear and true, and peace slowly returned.
As we meditated in silence, the golden trees flickered in the wind outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.
During these uncharted times of uncertainty, extreme views and diatribes, terrifying political assassinations, raids on immigrants and their families, what a breath of fresh air it was to gather with like-minded souls and pray for unity and peace in our country and in our world. We experienced the peace that passes all understanding, knowing that God is in charge and we can continue to trust the Divine power and all will be well. At least for today.
One interesting segment of the retreat involved Group Spiritual Direction, where we gathered in smaller groups scattered throughout the large conference room and expansive lobby. I sat in a small circle of chairs with three people who were sitting at my table: one woman, and two men. Before we began, following the format provided, we each raised our hands in agreement that anything spoken within this circle was absolutely confidential. I met Bryce at the retreat last year, a retired pastor who has an interesting hobby of breadmaking. One of his friends was in our group, along with a young mother brand-new to centering prayer, who seemed in need of some quiet and a day away from the kids.
What is it like to share intimate details of your life with complete strangers? I found it rather liberating. You can say anything you want to get it off your chest; after all, you may never see these people again. We each shared in turn when the bell rang for about 2-3 minutes, and then chose another person to go next. I relayed a mantra from some of my other meetings that had been running through my mind: God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.
I shared that I had been practicing Centering Prayer faithfully for five years with a group of people on Zoom, since the pandemic started in 2020. The change I had noticed in my prayer pattern was that I no longer needed the group to do this. In the beginning, I needed to see their faces to enter into this process and hear them speak. My Zoom group was the gateway. These people taught me how to meditate! Now, I could slip in and out of silence and God-consciousness on my own, sitting in my chair by the window, my large cat stretched out beside me, his sleepy gold eyes winking knowingly. Outside the window, a thick green vine had literally grown up from the ground to brush against the glass facing my chair. This long, leafy vine was nearly battering the window, which I saw as a symbol of the fruitfulness of my prayer, so many prayers answered over the years, so much comfort and consolation received.
I don’t remember what my other small group members said that day, but I hoped to see them again at the next retreat in December. One revealed something personal, and I was glad he’d found a safe space to share what was on his heart and mind. The young mother seemed tearful, without sharing any reason for this, but we were glad she could come to a new circle of friends who were supportive in their listening, their expressions of care, a simple nod to indicate, yes, we’ve been there, too.
Minnesota Contemplative Outreach was founded in 1985 by Father Thomas Keating of St. Benedict’s Monastery in Snowmass, Colorado, and Sister Virginia Matter of St. Paul’s Monastery, together with a core group of lay practitioners. Sister Virginia is a spiritual director par excellence, who has been listening and directing spiritual seekers for four decades at the Benedictine Center. On Saturday, September 27, Sister Virginia was recognized for her leadership in founding the organization and received a large round of applause from many grateful Minnesota contemplatives who have gathered together for years in person and more recently on Zoom. Sister Virginia knew Father Thomas Keating well, and we are so honored by the legacy of Minnesota Contemplative Outreach in the Twin Cities and beyond and its connection to St. Paul’s Monastery.
(Now, you have the opportunity to join us at Saint Paul’s Monastery for a weekend Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina retreat, November 21-23, 2025 led by Laurie Erickson and Oblate Gwen Pickering. Here we will enter again into the silence where wisdom is found, for God speaks to us in the quiet of our hearts. Editor’s Note: This Retreat is currently full, but you can join the waitlist, contact development@stpaulsmonastery.org. This retreat is a regular offering at the Benedictine Center. Stay tuned to our calendar for further offerings.)
