Contemplative Practices

Jesus stole away to sit with God in prayer. Martin Luther relied on four hours of prayer a day. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., on the advice of Howard Thurman, spent two straight weeks in contemplation.

As followers of Jesus, Protestant descendants and heirs of the essential, ongoing work of civil revolution and spiritual reformation, we are not running a 100-meter dash. Force of will is insufficient; our body, mind, spirit and soul need sustenance for the long haul.

That is why The Ministry Lab offers:

• Daily Breath, a daily moment of renewal from national leaders in contemplative practices
• Midweek Retreat, a half-hour every Wednesday at noon CST/CDT to join with others to rest in God’s presence. Through deepened awareness and greater emotional and spiritual balance, you can engage more fully in the essential work of God’s Beloved Community.

Sign up to receive Daily Breath and/or join the Midweek Retreat. 

Additional Resources

• Watch here for a growing list of Lenten Devotionals.
• Traci Smith, author of Faithful Families: Creating Sacred Moments at Home (Chalice) offers two free downloadable practices to share with children and families: Snuggles under God’s Wings and After a Natural Disaster.
• The Ministry Lab’s online resources are available to introduce new practitioners, kick-start lapsed practices, and encourage the devout.
• The Center for Contemplative Mind in Society offers its Tree of Contemplative Practices along with links to many of the practices. 
• Online Taizé Evening Prayer at Minnehaha United Methodist Church long has offered a service of sung prayers, scripture and silence. During COVID-19, an online Taizé Prayer service is available.
• The Shalem Institute offers free online resources and courses to support mental and spiritual well-being for congregational leaders, including a Compassion Guided Meditation and Three Essentials for Leadership in the Time of Coronavirus.
• The Upper Room offers online e-courses for small groups, meditation and prayer groups, inspiring videos and more.
• Minnesota Contemplative Outreach has numerous resources.
• The Many share Groundings: Guided Meditations with Music, Visuals and Words

Labyrinths

The Ministry Lab’s labyrinths are currently not available due to COVID-19. However, we are glad to help you plan for the future: the three labyrinths may be reserved up to one year in advance. A notebook of activities accompanies each labyrinth. 

• 34-foot Chartres replica canvas labyrinth (green or black)
• 20-foot Vision Quest canvas labyrinth (lilac)

Cost: $50 per week ($25 per week for the churches of the Synod of Lakes and Prairies). More info at The Labyrinth Society.

While The Ministry Lab labyrinths shelter in place, you might create an outdoor labyrinth to share with your congregation and community. For ideas, see Create a Snow Labyrinth! or the Labyrinthian Great Idea. A labyrinth lit with luminaria is a beautiful and powerful way to observe Christmas Eve or New Years Eve!