Midweek Retreat is a recorded contemplative practice released at noon each Wednesday.
Generally, the practice consists of:
- Welcome and Introduction
- Body/Breath Awareness
- Guided Prayer or Meditation
- Silence
- Invitation to Reflect
Members can receive the weekly recording by sending an email of request to ministrylab@unitedseminary.edu. [Become a member here.]
Find upcoming practices in the sidebar.
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Find resources to support your regular practice in our Contemplative Practices lib guides.
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If you are new to Contemplative Prayer, contact Rev. Emily Meyer, The Ministry Lab’s executive director. Emily is certified by Shalem Institute as a contemplative prayer small group and retreat leader and by Mindful Schools as a Mindfulness facilitator and will gladly guide you through what to expect and how to best utilize the recorded practice.
This Week’s Practice

Image credit: Pixabay: 4311868
We return to recorded practices with our late summer version of lectio divina – a series of nature-based poems paired with biblical readings from non-traditional translations (mostly).
July 26 – Pentecost 9: Tanaya Winder’s Stone Mother/Matthew 13:10-17 (from First Nation Version: New Testament)
August 2 – Pentecost 10: Patricia Hooper’s In the Clearing / Ecclesiastes 1:4-11 (The Inclusive Bible)
August 9 – Pentecost 11: Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s Summer Haibun / Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NRSV)
August 16 – Pentecost 12: Melinda Palacio’s The Praying Tree / Genesis 2:4-10 (The Inclusive Bible)
August 23 – Pentecost 13: Kwame Dawes’ Shook Foil / Isaiah 6:1-8 (The Inclusive Bible)
August 30 – Pentecost 20: Kamilah Aisha Moon’s Mercy Beach / Malachi 3:1-4 (The Inclusive Bible)
September 6 – Edgar A. Guest’s It’s September / Psalm 65:8-13 (Psalms Anew)
September 13 – Ari Banias’ A Sunset / Isaiah 55:10-11 (NRSV)
September 20 – Yi Lei’s Nature Aria / 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 (First Nations Version: New Testament)
September 27 – Paul Laurence Dunbar’s Merry Autumn / Isaiah 55:10-11 (NRSV)
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If you would like to receive weekly recordings of the practice, send an email of request here.
Learn More
Have something you’d like to discuss? Need to check out resources? Share questions, interests and ideas with The Ministry Lab’s Executive Director, Rev. Emily Meyer, visit our FAQ page, or search our site.
The Ministry Lab
Cultivating vibrant church leaders and congregations by pooling the wisdom and resources of the Minnesota Annual Conference United Methodist Church, Minnesota Conference United Church of Christ, Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area, The Synod of Lakes and Prairies (PCUSA), and United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities.
Contact
Rev. Emily Meyer
Executive Director, The Ministry Lab
ministrylab@unitedseminary.edu
tel | 651-279-1677
The Ministry Lab open hours are temporarily suspended. Contact Emily Meyer for consultations, to access resources, or to register for workshops.