Tweeting the Daily Office

These days, it seems, all the world's a-twitter. Everybody from Senators to journalists are tweeting. The Abbey has joined the conversation in a unique way: twice a day we pray the Daily Office on twitter.

The Episcopal Church has a blog on which Morning and Evening Prayer is posted every day. I have been using the Abbey's new twitter ID @TheUrbanAbbey to post short excerpts of these prayers daily.

A screenshot of tonight's Evening Prayer session is shown here. It shows (in reverse chronological order) the "tweets," or short 140 character updates, I posted to the public twitter timeline as I read through Evening Prayer tonight. Nearly 70 people followed along - some from as far away as Britain and New Zealand.

Among the responses to our presence and activity on twitter are several comments that the Urban Abbey exemplifies a "new monasticism." Others point to us as an example of a new, electronically-enhanced approach to urban ministry. Many of those who follow us are, themselves, taking similar approaches to ministry in the virtual world.

It is an exciting time to venture into the brave new Web 2.0 world. If you would like to follow along with us, join us for Morning and Evening Prayer each day by signing up at http://twitter.com/ and following the Urban Abbey at http://twitter.com/TheUrbanAbbey -- see you in the twitterverse!

Updates to the Abbey Blog

We recently updated the look of our blog and added some new features. We've posted our Rule of Life at the top of the right sidebar, added a calendar of upcoming events and also included a list of other blogs you may find useful or interesting.

Our current links include The Daily Office blog, which posts Morning and Evening Prayer, every day, from the Episcopal Church, the blog of the Bishop of Buckingham, England and a blog authored by Rev. Bosco Peters of New Zealand. Please send us suggestions for other links, including your own blog if you have one, and we will take a look and might even add it to our list!

More of Father Don's reflections can be found on the Saint Johns Abbey website.

Lenten Thought

Dear Abbey Members and Friends:

Fr. Don Talafous' meditation for Ash Wednesday is below. In today's meditation, he returns to the theme of our 'crosses' by inviting us to think of whether 'adding' some Lenten discipline to already overloaded lives is more appropriate than looking at 'how' we approach the crosses existing in our lives now -- be more generous with our time for co-workers and family, be more patient with the person who always seems to get under our skin, etc. I was listening to this week's edition of Speaking of Faith that deals with depression. One of the people interviewed spoke of a person who helped him the most. That person just sat with him and offered his presence, not suggestions for how to pull out of his depression. I find the meditation below most challenging and a way to truly grow spiritually. Living our lives more generously certainly has the ring of our Savior calling.

Shalom and many blessings, George

"If you wish to be my disciple," Jesus says, "you must take up your cross each day, and follow in my steps" (Luke 9:23). Can't we read in that expression 'your cross' an indication that there is already a cross of some type in our lives? It might be lying neglected under some papers. The point is that it's there, in my life. I don't have to go looking for it or figure out how to make myself one. What Jesus and Lent urge is that we should take it up more generously each day, with good spirit, turn it to good, rather than looking for some other cross which can never have the custom built character of this one, the cross given us by nature or life. Some of the stuff we hear about Lent suggests that we look for what I would call luxury crosses or substitute crosses. Instead of handling well the cross that is right before us, we decide on something more satisfying to our egos, like an hour on our knees each day or skipping meals. These crosses can be about as significant as the ones that rock stars hang around the necks or from their ears. Francois Mauriac has said that the only genuine crosses are those we have not chosen ourselves. Aren't these what Jesus calls 'our' crosses? What are they? For example: the stress that comes with our work; a difficult person we must work with; some nagging physical problem which has no simple solution; putting up more patiently with some grouch or, better yet, not being one ourselves; facing that morning task with more alertness. Let us take up our cross daily; if we haven't lifted it lately, it's right there. All we need is a closer look. Fr. Don Talafous, SJA 2/25/09

A Monastery without Walls

The Urban Abbey is bringing ancient spiritual practice into the modern world and one component of that involves joining the conversation on the Internet. Or, rather, Internets, as the many modes of social networking are coming to be known. We are excited to see so many like-minded groups around the world and have linked to several of their blogs on our newly-updated sidebar (right).

Are you on FaceBook? If so, you might want to follow our blog there. We are also on Twitter (twitter username @TheUrbanAbbey) so please follow us if you are, too.

To continue reading our blog, go here. Thanks for visiting!

Esther de Waal Retreat a Success

Yesterday's special retreat with Esther de Waal, held at Washington's National Cathedral, was a huge success with 41 participants, a total that included many visitors and first-time attendees to an Urban Abbey event. Special thanks to Wayne Lewis who organized this event with the assistance of Anne Omelianowich and George DeFilippi. Thanks, also, to Seton Droppers for printing and folding a supply of Abbey meditation booklets for distribution to participants, and to all who provided refreshments.

Participants in yesterday's event were treated to a wonderful presentation by Esther on the Rublev icon of the three-personed God. Time was set aside for silent contemplation on the icon or in any number of quiet, beautiful spots around the Cathedral. Participants also attended Evensong in the Great Choir of the Cathedral before gathering one last time with Esther in the crypt of the cathedral for a final discussion.

The afternoon provided a wonderful preparation for our move into Lent, which begins this Wednesday. Thanks go to all who participated and, especially, to Esther de Waal for her time with us.

Mindful Eating

As you may have heard, the Abbey has been asked to lead the Adult Forum sessions during Lent this year. Since the parish theme for 2009 is "Feeding the Hungry," we will use this series to explore hunger in all its manifestations--physical and spiritual.

Kathie Panfil has graciously agreed to organize these sessions for the Abbey and has already started to invite other St. George's groups to participate. The dates involved are the Sundays in March (3/1, 3/8, 3/15, 3/22 and 3/29). I will be kicking off the series with an overview modeled on the first session of a curriculum entitled "Just Eating" published jointly by Church World Service and the Presbyterian Hunger Program. As the authors of this curriculum write: "Eating can be a mundane activity done with little thought or reflection; or it can be an opportunity to thoughtfully live out our faith and practice justice."

In other words, we will use this series to explore "Mindful Eating" in all its varied aspects. The Abbey will be working with other groups from the parish. I hope Abbey members will enthusiastically participate in the series. We can use this opportunity to help our fellow St. Georgian's understand how powerful mindful living can be and how the simple act of paying attention can feed us.

If you would like to help with this series, please contact either Kathie Panfil, myself or any member of the leadership team (which also includes Missie Burman and Ron Crocker).

Raima