Call to Silence and Opening Meditation
Opening Music - Cyd Baron
Return again, return again, return to the land of your Soul (2X)
Return to who you are, return to what you are,
Return to where you are born and reborn and reborn.
Hashiveynu, hashiveynu, Adonai eilecha, v'nashuvah, v'nashuva.
Chadeish, chadeish yameinu k'kedem.
(Help us to return to You, O God; then truly shall we return. Renew
our days as in the past.)
Readings
"T'shuvah" means repentance, but it also means return The month of Elul and Days of Awe-the days between Rosh Hashana (the beginning of the new year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), are also referred to as the season of t'shuvah. We look inward to see where we have missed the mark and need to improve. While Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are times of both judgment and change, the entire month of Elul serves as a safe space to restore ourselves and use the process of "tshuvah" to embark upon a new beginning.
The notion that repentance supersedes sacrifice, or punishment for sin, is prevalent in both prophetic and rabbinic literature. We are encouraged to engage in moral return every day. The great Jewish teacher Maimonides (1135-1204) articulated this in his famous "Four Steps of T'shuvah" to guide us in this process:
1) Admitting: First we admit we have made a mistake.
2) Verbalizing: "This is what I did." For this most crucial part of t'shuvah, according to Maimonides, we narrate the action done and articulate why it was wrong.
3) Regretting: "I am embarrassed by my actions," or understanding how the action harmed another individual. We imagine ourselves suffering from the effects of our actions to generate an active, internal desire NOT to do it again.
4) Resolving: "I will stop," the internal decision NOT to repeat the action. The plan or fundamental change to keep us from recommitting the offense.
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Rabbi David Wolpe (Sinai Temple, Los Angeles) writes:
"Each year as Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur approach, we are reminded that sin creates distance. Distance creates factions. So we proclaim the unity of God, but the fractures in our community and in our own souls widen. Thus, the first tablets [of the commandments] were broken by sin, but on Yom Kippur Moses returned with the second tablets, all of one piece. T'shuva, repentance, had created wholeness again.
We create distance when we are afraid, and even more when we are ashamed. Just as sin is a pushing away, love is a drawing close. To believe in God's love is to have faith in the ultimate oneness of the world. For if everything is ultimately one, then all distance, all separation, is temporary. E. M. Forster's famous admonition, 'only connect' is made here into the law of the universe, into God's law: Draw close to Me, and you will be healed.
May this year help us find our way back to each other and back to God."
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O, Hope of Israel:
In our weakness, give us strength.
In our blindness, be our guide.
When we falter, hold our hand.
Make consistent our impulse for good; let us know the joy of walking in Your ways.
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Kol Nidrei (All Vows)
"Kol Nidrei" is the prayer of people not free to make their own decisions, people forced to say what they do not mean. In repeating this prayer, we identify with the agony of our forebears who had to say "yes" when they meant "no". "Kol Nidrei" is also a confession: we are all transgressors, all exiled from the Highest we know, all in need of the healing of forgiveness and reconciliation. For what we have done, for what we may yet do, we ask pardon; for rash words, broken pledges, insincere assurances, and foolish promises, may we find forgiveness.
For transgressions against God, the Day of Atonement atones, but for transgressions of one human being against another, the Day of Atonement does not atone until they have made peace with one another.
(prayer is sung)
Kol nidrei v'esarei v'charamei vkonamei, v'chinuyei, v'kinusei, u-sh'vuot.
Dindarna U'd'isht'va'na, U'd'acharimna, v'di'a'sarna v'di'asrna. al nafshatana.
Mi-yom kippurim zeh, ad yom kippurim ha-ba, aleinu l'tovah.
Kol-hon icharatna v'hon. Kol-hon y'hon sharan. Sh'vikin, sh'vitin, v'teylin um'vutalin.
La shirin, la shirin, la shirin, v'la kayamin.
Nidrana, nidrana lanid'rey. V'esarana, la esarey. U'sh'vuatana la sh'vuot.
(let all our vows and oaths, all the promises we make and the obligations we incur to You, O God, between this Yom Kippur and the next, be null and void should we, after honest effort, find ourselves unable to fulfill them. Then may we be absolved of them.)
CONFESSION OF SIN (to be read together as a community)
Now may it be Your will, O God of all generations, to forgive all our sins, to pardon all our wrongdoings, and to blot out all our transgressions:
The sin we have committed against You under duress or by choice,
The sin we have committed against You consciously or unconsciously,
And the sin we have committed against You openly or secretly.
The sin we have committed against You in our thoughts,
The sin we have committed against You with our words,
And the sin we have committed against You by the abuse of power.
For all these, O God of mercy, forgive us, pardon us, grant us atonement!
The sin we have committed against You by hardening our hearts,
The sin we have committed against You by profaning Your name,
And the sin we have committed against You by disrespect for parents & teachers.
The sin we have committed against You by speaking slander,
The sin we have committed against You by dishonesty in our work,
And the sin we have committed against You by hurting others in any way.
For all these, O God of mercy, forgive us, pardon us, grant us atonement.
(song)
Eloheynu veylohey avoteynu: Tavo l'fanecha t'filateynu.
V'al titalam mitchinateynu. She-eyn anachnu azeyfanim uk'shey oref,
Lomar l'fanecha Adonai eloheynu veylohey avoteynu, tsadikim anachnu, v'lo chatanu,
Aval, aval, anachnu chatanu. Chatanu, avinu, pashanu.
(Our God, God of our mothers and fathers, grant that our prayers may reach You. Do not be deaf to our pleas, for we are not so arrogant and stiff-necked as to say before You, Adonai our God and God of all ages, we are perfect and have not sinned; rather do we confess: we have gone astray, we have sinned, we have transgressed.)
A Reading from the Gospel of Mary (Lelour Translation, The Magdalene Mystique)
Peter said to him: "Since you have become the interpreter of the elements and the events of the world, tell us: What is the sin of the world?" The Teacher answered: This is no sin. It is you who make sin exist, when you act according to the habits of your corrupted nature; this is where sin lies. This is why the Good has come into your midst.cats together with the elements of your nature so as to reunite it with its roots."
Then he continued: "This is why you become sick, and why you die: it is the result of your actions; what you do takes you further away. Those who have ears, let them hear."
"Attachment to matter gives rise to passion against nature. Thus trouble arises in the whole body; This is why I tell you "Be in harmony. . ." If you are out of balance, take inspiration from manifestations of your true nature. Those who have ears, let them hear."
Call to Conversation
Two short prayers by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810) in fo"The Gentle Weapon: Prayers r everyday and not everyday moments."
There must be a way I can regain decency and virture.
There must be a way I can recapture the purity and perfection of my soul.
God, lead me there; don't turn me away. Open Your hands and welcome me back.
God of wonders, You've given me the most wonderful of all gifts-the gift of free will.
May my will never deviate from Your Holy will.
Guide me always, so that all the choices I make are good ones-
choices that are in harmony with Your will, as long as I live.
Closing Music
(Jewish tradition teaches that, on the days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur (the Days of Awe), God writes in the Book of Life the names of those who will live and prosper in the coming year. However, the Book is not yet sealed, and during this time, true repentance can cause a name to be added. At the end of Yom Kippur, with the final blast of the shofar, the Book is sealed. Jews everywhere-even those for whom this is only a tale, wish each other "Shana tova tikateyvu" [May you be written for a good year] and "G'mar chatima tova" [May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year}.)
refrain: May you be sealed for a good year, for a sweet year, for a healthy year.
May you be written in the Book of Life. G'mar chatima tova.
1) A holy day, a solemn day. A day to set aside.
On Yom Hakipurim from our sins we will not hide.
2) We make amends to others for the wrongs that we have done.
Then we ask God for forgiveness. Yes, we face the Holy One.
3) When day turns into night, the final shofar blast we hear.
As the Book of Life is closed, we say, "In Jerusalem next year."
We ask for your comments/thoughts to continue our conversation. Thank you.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Sunday September 9, 2007
Today we continue our study of early Christianity inspired by the Episcopal Diocese "Peace Village" kit.
CALL TO SILENCE AND OPENING MEDITATION
Readings - Strands of Early Christian Thought
Readings from the Lost Gospel "Q" (thought to be earlier than Mark)
As the walked along the road they met a man who said to Jesus, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus answered, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the son of man has nowhere to rest his head."To another he said, "Follow me." But that person replied, "Let me go and bury my fathr first." Jesus answered, "Let the dead bury their dead. Your duty is to go and spread the news of the realm of God."
Another person said, "I will follow you, but first let me go and say good-bye to my family." Jesus said to him, "no one who puts a hand on the plough and continues to look at what was left behind is suited for the realm of God."No one lights a lamp and puts in under a bushel basket. They put it on a stand so that everyone can see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is clear, your entire body fills with light. But if your eye becomes clouded, your body is in darkness. Be careful that your light never fades into darkness.
When you see clouds in the western sky, you say, "It's going to rain"And it does! When the wind blows from the south, you predict scorching weather. And it comes! You know the lay of the land and can read the face of the sky. So why can't you interpret the here and now?
The Lost Gospel Q: The Original Sayings of Jesus (Paperback)
by Marcus Borg (Editor), Thomas Moore (Introduction)
Readings from the Gospel of Thomas
Mary asked Jesus, "Who are your disciples like?" He replied: "They are like little children in a field that does not belong to them. When the field's owners come they will say:"Give our field back." They will strip naked in the owners' presence and give it back, returning their field to them."
When you go into a region and walk around in the rural areas, whenever people receive you, eat whatever they provide for you, and heal their sick.
A Reading from the Gospels
A Reading from Luke 24: 13-35
That very day two of them were going to a village named Emma'us, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cle'opas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet might in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see." And he said to them,' O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary t hat the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, but they constrained him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went into stay with them. When he was at table with them, h e took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?" And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, who said, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon! Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
A Reading from The Gospel of Mary Magdalene
I, she said, I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to Him, Lord I saw you today in a vision. He answered and said tome, Blessed are you that you did not waver at the sight of Me. For where the mind is there is the treasure.
http://ww.gnosis.org/libarary/marygosp.htm
Call to Conversation
Closing Meditation
CALL TO SILENCE AND OPENING MEDITATION
Readings - Strands of Early Christian Thought
Readings from the Lost Gospel "Q" (thought to be earlier than Mark)
As the walked along the road they met a man who said to Jesus, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus answered, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the son of man has nowhere to rest his head."To another he said, "Follow me." But that person replied, "Let me go and bury my fathr first." Jesus answered, "Let the dead bury their dead. Your duty is to go and spread the news of the realm of God."
Another person said, "I will follow you, but first let me go and say good-bye to my family." Jesus said to him, "no one who puts a hand on the plough and continues to look at what was left behind is suited for the realm of God."No one lights a lamp and puts in under a bushel basket. They put it on a stand so that everyone can see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is clear, your entire body fills with light. But if your eye becomes clouded, your body is in darkness. Be careful that your light never fades into darkness.
When you see clouds in the western sky, you say, "It's going to rain"And it does! When the wind blows from the south, you predict scorching weather. And it comes! You know the lay of the land and can read the face of the sky. So why can't you interpret the here and now?
The Lost Gospel Q: The Original Sayings of Jesus (Paperback)
by Marcus Borg (Editor), Thomas Moore (Introduction)
Readings from the Gospel of Thomas
Mary asked Jesus, "Who are your disciples like?" He replied: "They are like little children in a field that does not belong to them. When the field's owners come they will say:"Give our field back." They will strip naked in the owners' presence and give it back, returning their field to them."
When you go into a region and walk around in the rural areas, whenever people receive you, eat whatever they provide for you, and heal their sick.
A Reading from the Gospels
A Reading from Luke 24: 13-35
That very day two of them were going to a village named Emma'us, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cle'opas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet might in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see." And he said to them,' O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary t hat the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, but they constrained him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went into stay with them. When he was at table with them, h e took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?" And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, who said, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon! Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
A Reading from The Gospel of Mary Magdalene
I, she said, I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to Him, Lord I saw you today in a vision. He answered and said tome, Blessed are you that you did not waver at the sight of Me. For where the mind is there is the treasure.
http://ww.gnosis.org/libarary/marygosp.htm
Call to Conversation
Closing Meditation
Monday, September 10, 2007
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Today we continue our study of world religions inspired by the Episcopal Diocese 'Peace Village" kit by turning to early Christianity.
CALL TO SILENCE AND OPENING MEDITATION
Peace...comes within the Souls of [humankind] when they realize their relationship, their oneness, with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells Wakan-Tanka, and that his center is really everywhere, it is within each of us."
From Hehaka Sapa (Black Elk), Lakota/Ogala Sioux
READINGS - STRANDS OF EARLY CHRISTIAN THOUGHT
A Reading from the Lost Gospel "Q" (thought to be earlier than Mark)
Love your enemies
Do good to those who hate you.
Bless those who curse you
Pray for those who treat you badly.
When someone strikes you on the right cheek, offer them the other cheek, too.
When someone takes your coat from you, let them have your shirt as well.
Give to everyone who asks. And if someone robs you, don't demand your property back.
The Lost Gospel Q: The Original Sayings of Jesus (Paperback)
by Marcus Borg (Editor), Thomas Moore (Introduction)
Readings from the Letters:
1 Thessalonians 4: 9-18
But concerning love of the brethren you have no need to have any one write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do love all the brethren throughout Maceado'nia. But we exhort you, brethren, to do so more and more, to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we charged you; so that y0u may command the respect of outsiders, and be dependent on nobody. But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will baring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel's call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.
1 Corinthians 2: 6-8
Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away ;But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glorification. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
1 Corinthians 12:13
For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - Jews, Greeks, slave or free - and we are made to drink of one Spirit.
James 2: 14-18
What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. But some one will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.
A Reading from The Gospel of Thomas
Jesus said," Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all. [And after they have reigned they will rest.]"
When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty."
Readings from the Gospels
Mark 4: 30-32
And he said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or whta parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth largae branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."
John 20: 11-18
But Mark stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing him to be the gardaener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away>" Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew," Rab-boni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not hole me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God." Mary Mag'dalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
CALL TO SILENCE AND OPENING MEDITATION
Peace...comes within the Souls of [humankind] when they realize their relationship, their oneness, with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells Wakan-Tanka, and that his center is really everywhere, it is within each of us."
From Hehaka Sapa (Black Elk), Lakota/Ogala Sioux
READINGS - STRANDS OF EARLY CHRISTIAN THOUGHT
A Reading from the Lost Gospel "Q" (thought to be earlier than Mark)
Love your enemies
Do good to those who hate you.
Bless those who curse you
Pray for those who treat you badly.
When someone strikes you on the right cheek, offer them the other cheek, too.
When someone takes your coat from you, let them have your shirt as well.
Give to everyone who asks. And if someone robs you, don't demand your property back.
The Lost Gospel Q: The Original Sayings of Jesus (Paperback)
by Marcus Borg (Editor), Thomas Moore (Introduction)
Readings from the Letters:
1 Thessalonians 4: 9-18
But concerning love of the brethren you have no need to have any one write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do love all the brethren throughout Maceado'nia. But we exhort you, brethren, to do so more and more, to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we charged you; so that y0u may command the respect of outsiders, and be dependent on nobody. But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will baring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel's call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.
1 Corinthians 2: 6-8
Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away ;But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glorification. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
1 Corinthians 12:13
For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - Jews, Greeks, slave or free - and we are made to drink of one Spirit.
James 2: 14-18
What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. But some one will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.
A Reading from The Gospel of Thomas
Jesus said," Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all. [And after they have reigned they will rest.]"
When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty."
Readings from the Gospels
Mark 4: 30-32
And he said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or whta parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth largae branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."
John 20: 11-18
But Mark stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing him to be the gardaener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away>" Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew," Rab-boni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not hole me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God." Mary Mag'dalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
A Reading from The Gospel of Mary Magdalene
But they were grieved. They wept greatly, saying, How shall we go to the Gentiles and preach the gospel of the Kingdom of the Son of Man? If they did not spare Him, how will they spare us? Then Mary stood up, greeted them all, and said to her brethren, Do not weep and do not grieve nor be irresolute, for His grace will be entirely with you and protect you. But rather, let us praise His greatness, for He has prepared us and made us into Men. When Mary said this, she turned their hearts to the Good, and they began to discuss the words of the Savior.
Peter said to Mary, Sister, we know that the Savior loved you more than the rest of woman. Tell us the words of the Savior which you remember which you know, but we do not, nor have we heard them. Mary answered and said, What is hidden from you I will proclaim to you. And she began to speak to them these words: I, she said, I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to Him, Lord I saw you today in a vision. He answered and said to me, Blessed are you that you did not waver at the sight of Me. For where the mind is there is the treasure.
http://www.gnosis.org/library/marygosp.htm
Closing Dialogue
Solo: Are you aware of the light and the peace within you?
Unison: We have the feeling and the movement,
The passion for the well-being of all.
Solo: Light spreads, just as love spreads.
Are you willing to speak your feeling of light?
Unison: Yes, indeed, we must speak the feeling.
We must act the peace.
Solo: Then let us practice the feeling.
Let us practice the action of peace.
UNISON: Let us dance the feeling.
Let us dance the peace,
Let us dance from the light.
Solo: Let us move together
In the light and the peace.
UNISON: Let us go forth in the power of the Spirit.
We ask for your comments/thoughts to continue or Sunday conversation.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Mary Magdalene Study Group
The Mary Magdalene Study Group will reconvene Thursday, September 6, at 12:30 p.m., at Brigid's Place in the McGeehee Building at Christ Church Cathedral. Free parking is available in the Cathedral parking lot.
Here is a link to a map and directions to the Cathedral:
http://www.brigidsplace.org/events/Programs.asp
Here is a link to a map and directions to the Cathedral:
http://www.brigidsplace.org/events/Programs.asp
Sunday, Sept. 9, 2007
Today we continue our two-week exploration of Native American Spirituality influenced by the Episcopal Diocese's "Peace Village" kit.
OPENING MUSIC - Jennifer Keeney, flute
CALL TO SILENCE AND OPENING MEDITATION
The President in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. But how can you buy or sell the sky? the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?
Every part of the earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every meadow, every humming insect. All are holy in the memory and experience of my people. We know the sap which courses through the trees as we know the blood that courses through our veins. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters. The bear, the deer, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the dew in the meadow, the body heat of the pony, the man all belong to the same famly. The shining water that moves int he streams and rivers is not just water, but the blood of our ancestors.
If we sell you our land, remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life that it supports. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also received his last sigh. The wind also gives our children the spirit of life. So if we sell our land, you must keep it apart and sacred, as a place where man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow flowers. Will you teach your children what we have taught our children? That the earth is our mother? What befalls the earth befalls all the sons of the earth.
This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.
One thing we know: our God is also your God. The earth is precious to him and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its creator. Your destiny is a mystery to us. What will happen when the buffalo are all slaughtered? The wild horses tamed? What will happen when the secret corners of the forests are heavy with the scent of many men and the view of the ripe hills is blotted with talking wires? Where will the thicket be? Gone! Where will the eagle be? Gone! And what is to say goodbye to the swift pony and then hunt? The end of living and the beginning of survival.
When the last red man has vanished with this wilderness, and his memory is only the shadow of a cloud moving across the prairie, will these shores and forests still be here? Will there be any of the spirit of my people left? We love this earth as a newborn loves its mother's heartbeat. So, if we sell you our land, love it as we have loved it. Care for it, as we have cared for it. Hold in your mind the memory of the land as it is when you receive it. Preserve the land for all children, and love it, as God loves us. As we are part of the land, you too are part of the land. This earth is precious to us. It is also precious to you.
(Attributed to Chief Seattle, c.1855. Gary Null, Secrets of the Sacred White Buffalo, Prentice Hall, 1988)
SECRETS OF THE SACRED WHITE BUFFALO
In a Lakota Sioux legend, a woman, carrying a sacred pipe, appeared to the people during a time of great famine. She taught them that the stem of the pipe represented the trees and all growing things; the red bowl symbolized the flesh and blood of the people, the smoke was the breath of their prayers rising to Wakan Tanka. The woman taught them of the connection between sky and Earth and the unity of all life and that by offering their thanks to Wakan Tanka with the pipe, many blessings would come to them. Before she left them, she promised to return when the time was right. Then, she walked toward the West, stopped, knelled to the Earth and rolled over four times. She turned into a buffalo, changing colors with each turn. First black, then brown, next red, and finally white. The people, following her teachings, were never hungry again.
In the summer of 1994, her promise to return seemed to be fulfilled. A white buffalo was born in Jamesville, Wisconsin. It changed colors as prophesies - from white to black to red to yellow and back to white. The colors represent the four directions: white - north, black - west, red - south, yellow - east. This white buffalo has great symbolic significance. For many Native American tribes, the return of the white buffalo is likened to the second coming of Christ - it signals a profound change for the planet and for mankind. For the Native American, nature is divine, and they, too, are a part of nature. Their ceremonies are performed in order to regenerate Mother Earth. Living harmoniously with nature is essential for the survival of humankind.
SACRED CEREMONIES
Although the names of ceremonies and exact ritual methods vary from tribe to tribe, symbolism remains similar, as does the original meaning of the rituals.
The Pipe Ceremony
This sacred ritual connects the physical and spiritual worlds - a link between Earth and sky. The pipe is prayer in physical form; smoke is the words. The fire is the same fire as the sun and is the source of life. The tobacco plant connects the worlds - the roots go deep into the Earth and the smoke rises to the sky. The pipe was often smoked at a tribe member's death as a form of last rites. It was also smoked to confirm an agreement, as in signing a contract. Breaking one's work after smoking the pipe was unthinkable. The pipe is a living, breathing, spiritual being.
The Sweat Lodge - The Purification Ceremony
According to William J. Walk Sacred, a Cree medicine man, "sweat lodge" is a misnomer. The purification ceremony is a rebirthing process, an integration of the spiritual and the physical. The lodge is constructed in a circular shape of branches covered with tarps or blankets. The circular shape is intended to be womb-like. An offering of tobacco is made of the medicine man, who will conduct the ceremony. The ceremony opens with prayer and contemplation. Four sacred herbs are sent to the four directions. Sage purifies the space from negative energy. Sweet grass summons powerful beings from the other side to bring healing. Cedar is also used for purification so the spirits can do their work. Tobacco is offered to bless the Earth. Lava stones are piled outside the lodge, where a fire is built to heat them. The hot stones are brought inside the lodge, one at a time, and sprinkled with herbs. Water is poured on the hot rocks, forming steam, which unifies everyone within. Each person inside offers prayers, thanksgiving, and praise. The medicine man then weaves all of the prayers together. Following the ceremony is the wopella, a time of thanksgiving and sharing.
THE VISION QUEST
A vision quest is an arduous journey into the core of oneself and should not be taken lightly. Each tribe has its own method of pursuing the vision quest. Generally, a long period of preparation takes place, beginning with prayer. The seeker then finds a medicine man, who is offered a sacred pipe. This medicine man is then responsible for guiding the individual during the quest. An alter is usually prepared in a sacred place, where the person is enclosed within a circle laid out by the medicine man. The seeker then stays protected in the circle for several days, fasting and praying. The medicine man and his helpers keep a sacred fire burning during the entire quest; this fire represents the fire of life carrying prayers to the heavens. At the end of the vision quest, the medicine mad the his helpers retrieve the seeker and helps him/her to interpret and integrate the experience.
A READING FROM THE GOSPEL OF MARY MAGDALENE
I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to Him, "Lord I saw you today in a vision." He answered and said to me, "Blessed are you that you did not waver at the sight of Me. For where the mind is, there is the treasure." I said to Him, "Lord, how does he who sees the vision see it, through the soul or through the spirit?" The Savior answered and said, "He does not see through the soul nor through the spirit, but the mind that is between the two that is what sees the vision..."
Animal Totems
Fetishes/Totems are animal carvings that have been used by The People for over a thousand years. It is the spirit within the fetish that is of value, not the object itself. By honoring the animals and acknowledging their special "medicine" (their nature traits), we may summon our own similar attributes. We can focus on the qualities we have that are like a certain animal. We can carry a fetish with us or keep it on a bedside table. Fetishes may be used to discover, enhance, or simply remember a relationship with a fetish for taking care of a fetish always remaining mindful and respecting the spirit of the animal that the fetish represents.
CALL TO CONVERSATION'
CLOSING MEDITATION
Canticle of Creatures
Be thou praised,O Lord, for all Thy creation,
More especially for our Brother the Sun,
Who bringeth forth the day and givest light thereby,
For he is glorious and splendid in his radiance,
And to Thee, Most High, he bears similitude.
Be Thou praised, O Lord, for our Sister the Moon, and for the Stars:
In the heaves,
Thou hast set them bright and sparking and beautiful.
Be Thou praised, O Lord, for our Brother the Wind,
For the air and for the clouds, For serene and for tempestuous days,
For though these dost Thou sustain all living things.
Be Thou praised, O Lord, for our Sister the Water,
For she giveth boundless service, and is lowly, precious and pure.
Be Thou praised, O Lord, for our Brother the Fire,
Through whom Thou givest light in the night hours,
For he is beautiful and joyous, vigorous and strong.
Be Thou praised, O Lord, for our Sister Mother Earth,
Who doth nourish us and ruleth over us.
And bringeth forth divers fruit, and bright flowers and herbs.
We ask for your thoughts/comments to continue our Sunday conversation. Thank you.
OPENING MUSIC - Jennifer Keeney, flute
CALL TO SILENCE AND OPENING MEDITATION
The President in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. But how can you buy or sell the sky? the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?
Every part of the earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every meadow, every humming insect. All are holy in the memory and experience of my people. We know the sap which courses through the trees as we know the blood that courses through our veins. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters. The bear, the deer, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the dew in the meadow, the body heat of the pony, the man all belong to the same famly. The shining water that moves int he streams and rivers is not just water, but the blood of our ancestors.
If we sell you our land, remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life that it supports. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also received his last sigh. The wind also gives our children the spirit of life. So if we sell our land, you must keep it apart and sacred, as a place where man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow flowers. Will you teach your children what we have taught our children? That the earth is our mother? What befalls the earth befalls all the sons of the earth.
This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.
One thing we know: our God is also your God. The earth is precious to him and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its creator. Your destiny is a mystery to us. What will happen when the buffalo are all slaughtered? The wild horses tamed? What will happen when the secret corners of the forests are heavy with the scent of many men and the view of the ripe hills is blotted with talking wires? Where will the thicket be? Gone! Where will the eagle be? Gone! And what is to say goodbye to the swift pony and then hunt? The end of living and the beginning of survival.
When the last red man has vanished with this wilderness, and his memory is only the shadow of a cloud moving across the prairie, will these shores and forests still be here? Will there be any of the spirit of my people left? We love this earth as a newborn loves its mother's heartbeat. So, if we sell you our land, love it as we have loved it. Care for it, as we have cared for it. Hold in your mind the memory of the land as it is when you receive it. Preserve the land for all children, and love it, as God loves us. As we are part of the land, you too are part of the land. This earth is precious to us. It is also precious to you.
(Attributed to Chief Seattle, c.1855. Gary Null, Secrets of the Sacred White Buffalo, Prentice Hall, 1988)
SECRETS OF THE SACRED WHITE BUFFALO
In a Lakota Sioux legend, a woman, carrying a sacred pipe, appeared to the people during a time of great famine. She taught them that the stem of the pipe represented the trees and all growing things; the red bowl symbolized the flesh and blood of the people, the smoke was the breath of their prayers rising to Wakan Tanka. The woman taught them of the connection between sky and Earth and the unity of all life and that by offering their thanks to Wakan Tanka with the pipe, many blessings would come to them. Before she left them, she promised to return when the time was right. Then, she walked toward the West, stopped, knelled to the Earth and rolled over four times. She turned into a buffalo, changing colors with each turn. First black, then brown, next red, and finally white. The people, following her teachings, were never hungry again.
In the summer of 1994, her promise to return seemed to be fulfilled. A white buffalo was born in Jamesville, Wisconsin. It changed colors as prophesies - from white to black to red to yellow and back to white. The colors represent the four directions: white - north, black - west, red - south, yellow - east. This white buffalo has great symbolic significance. For many Native American tribes, the return of the white buffalo is likened to the second coming of Christ - it signals a profound change for the planet and for mankind. For the Native American, nature is divine, and they, too, are a part of nature. Their ceremonies are performed in order to regenerate Mother Earth. Living harmoniously with nature is essential for the survival of humankind.
SACRED CEREMONIES
Although the names of ceremonies and exact ritual methods vary from tribe to tribe, symbolism remains similar, as does the original meaning of the rituals.
The Pipe Ceremony
This sacred ritual connects the physical and spiritual worlds - a link between Earth and sky. The pipe is prayer in physical form; smoke is the words. The fire is the same fire as the sun and is the source of life. The tobacco plant connects the worlds - the roots go deep into the Earth and the smoke rises to the sky. The pipe was often smoked at a tribe member's death as a form of last rites. It was also smoked to confirm an agreement, as in signing a contract. Breaking one's work after smoking the pipe was unthinkable. The pipe is a living, breathing, spiritual being.
The Sweat Lodge - The Purification Ceremony
According to William J. Walk Sacred, a Cree medicine man, "sweat lodge" is a misnomer. The purification ceremony is a rebirthing process, an integration of the spiritual and the physical. The lodge is constructed in a circular shape of branches covered with tarps or blankets. The circular shape is intended to be womb-like. An offering of tobacco is made of the medicine man, who will conduct the ceremony. The ceremony opens with prayer and contemplation. Four sacred herbs are sent to the four directions. Sage purifies the space from negative energy. Sweet grass summons powerful beings from the other side to bring healing. Cedar is also used for purification so the spirits can do their work. Tobacco is offered to bless the Earth. Lava stones are piled outside the lodge, where a fire is built to heat them. The hot stones are brought inside the lodge, one at a time, and sprinkled with herbs. Water is poured on the hot rocks, forming steam, which unifies everyone within. Each person inside offers prayers, thanksgiving, and praise. The medicine man then weaves all of the prayers together. Following the ceremony is the wopella, a time of thanksgiving and sharing.
THE VISION QUEST
A vision quest is an arduous journey into the core of oneself and should not be taken lightly. Each tribe has its own method of pursuing the vision quest. Generally, a long period of preparation takes place, beginning with prayer. The seeker then finds a medicine man, who is offered a sacred pipe. This medicine man is then responsible for guiding the individual during the quest. An alter is usually prepared in a sacred place, where the person is enclosed within a circle laid out by the medicine man. The seeker then stays protected in the circle for several days, fasting and praying. The medicine man and his helpers keep a sacred fire burning during the entire quest; this fire represents the fire of life carrying prayers to the heavens. At the end of the vision quest, the medicine mad the his helpers retrieve the seeker and helps him/her to interpret and integrate the experience.
A READING FROM THE GOSPEL OF MARY MAGDALENE
I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to Him, "Lord I saw you today in a vision." He answered and said to me, "Blessed are you that you did not waver at the sight of Me. For where the mind is, there is the treasure." I said to Him, "Lord, how does he who sees the vision see it, through the soul or through the spirit?" The Savior answered and said, "He does not see through the soul nor through the spirit, but the mind that is between the two that is what sees the vision..."
Animal Totems
Fetishes/Totems are animal carvings that have been used by The People for over a thousand years. It is the spirit within the fetish that is of value, not the object itself. By honoring the animals and acknowledging their special "medicine" (their nature traits), we may summon our own similar attributes. We can focus on the qualities we have that are like a certain animal. We can carry a fetish with us or keep it on a bedside table. Fetishes may be used to discover, enhance, or simply remember a relationship with a fetish for taking care of a fetish always remaining mindful and respecting the spirit of the animal that the fetish represents.
CALL TO CONVERSATION'
CLOSING MEDITATION
Canticle of Creatures
Be thou praised,O Lord, for all Thy creation,
More especially for our Brother the Sun,
Who bringeth forth the day and givest light thereby,
For he is glorious and splendid in his radiance,
And to Thee, Most High, he bears similitude.
Be Thou praised, O Lord, for our Sister the Moon, and for the Stars:
In the heaves,
Thou hast set them bright and sparking and beautiful.
Be Thou praised, O Lord, for our Brother the Wind,
For the air and for the clouds, For serene and for tempestuous days,
For though these dost Thou sustain all living things.
Be Thou praised, O Lord, for our Sister the Water,
For she giveth boundless service, and is lowly, precious and pure.
Be Thou praised, O Lord, for our Brother the Fire,
Through whom Thou givest light in the night hours,
For he is beautiful and joyous, vigorous and strong.
Be Thou praised, O Lord, for our Sister Mother Earth,
Who doth nourish us and ruleth over us.
And bringeth forth divers fruit, and bright flowers and herbs.
We ask for your thoughts/comments to continue our Sunday conversation. Thank you.
Sunday, Sept. 2, 207
Today we continue our two-week exploration of Native American Spirituality influenced by the Episcopal Diocese's "Peace Village" kit.
OPENING MUSIC - Jennifer Keeney, flute
CALL TO SILENCE AND OPENING MEDITATION
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