First time
Nobody is going to make a fuss of you.
That is a promise, not an apology. You can come in, get a coffee, sit by the window for two hours and leave without speaking to anybody beyond your order. Or you can end up at the front at six with your hands open. Both are the point.
Midday Prayer · 12pm today · everyone welcome
How it goes
The first ten minutes
- 01
Park round the back
The lot is behind the building and it is free. Come over the footbridge and in through the back door, which is the one everybody uses.
- 02
The counter is on your left
Order there, sit anywhere. Table service after that. Bottomless drip before nine.
- 03
The big room is straight ahead
That is the sanctuary. It is open whether or not anything is happening in it. The candle rail and the prayer wall are along the right hand wall.
- 04
At six, noon and six, people gather at the front
It lasts twenty to forty-five minutes. Join in, or carry on with your breakfast. Both are completely normal here.
Practical
Where, when, and what it costs
412 Grand AvenueBigfork, MT 59911
- Sunday7am to 2pm
- Monday5:30am to 3pm
- Tuesday5:30am to 3pm
- Wednesday5:30am to 3pm
- Thursday5:30am to 3pm
- Friday5:30am to 3pm
- Saturday6am to 3pm
Get the week before you come
One email on Sunday night with the week’s hours, what is on the menu, and who needs prayer. It is the easiest way to pick a morning.
Things people worry about
- What happens if I walk in during prayer?
- Nothing. People come and go through the whole thing. Sit anywhere, keep eating if you are eating, and leave when you want.
- Will somebody try to talk to me?
- Somebody will take your order and say good morning. Beyond that, no. If you want to be left alone you will be left alone, and that is not us being cold, it is us being careful.
- Do I have to buy something to sit here?
- No. The sanctuary is free and always will be. Plenty of people come in with their own thermos and sit by the window for an hour.