Sunday, Dec. 16, 2007

The Magdalen Community is a connective community seeking conversation and dialogue with other spiritualities and religious traditions. This Community takes its inspiration from The Gospel of Mary, where Jesus encourages the assembled community to find the divine nature within.

Call to Silence and Opening Meditation

Music: “Give Me Your Story” from The Magdalene Mystique by Anita Kruse (track #1)

Readings

Advent and the Third Sunday

Advent (from the Latin word “adventus”, meaning "coming") is the beginning of the Church Year for most churches in the Western tradition. It’s a season marked by a period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas. Originally it was a time when Christians readied themselves for baptism and it was represented by the color purple for penitence as well as royalty. There has been a recent shift in the colors and philosophy of Advent to replace the penitence and fasting aspect with thoughts of hope and anticipation. In fact, the third Sunday of Advent (today) is often called the “Sunday of Joy” and is marked by the color pink! Advent can be seen as a time of introspection, longing, preparation and celebration – whatever YOU want it to be in your life.

Morning Poem by Mary Oliver from Dream Work (1986)

Every morning
the world
is created.
Under the orange
sticks of the sun
the heaped
ashes of the night
turn into leaves again
and fasten themselves to the high branches ---
and the ponds appear
like black cloth
on which are painted islands

of summer lilies.
If it is your nature
to be happy
you will swim away along the soft trails
for hours, your imagination
alighting everywhere.
And if your spirit
carries within it
the thorn
that is heavier than lead ---
if it's all you can do
to keep on trudging ---

there is still
somewhere deep within you
a beast shouting that the earth
is exactly what it wanted ---

each pond with its blazing lilies
is a prayer heard and answered
lavishly,
every morning,
whether or not
you have ever dared to be happy,
whether or not
you have ever dared to pray.

A Reading from the Gospel of Mary Magdalene

“…I left the world with the aid of another world; a design was erased, by virtue of a higher design. Henceforth I travel toward Repose, where time rests in the Eternity of Time; I go now into Silence.’” Having said all this, Mary became silent, for it was in silence that the Teacher spoke to her.

(LeLoup translation, Appendix B, The Magdalene Mystique)

Call to Conversation

This will be a quiet time instead of conversation. I have bookmarks and markers for you to draw your self-portrait and your dreams for 2008 on. Give them to me at the end of the service with your self-addressed envelope and I will mail them to you to be received on or around January 1!


Winter Solstice by Lao-Tsu
(to be read together)

In the beginning was the Tao.
All things issue from it;
all things return to it.

To find the origin,
trace back the manifestations.
When you recognize the children
and find the mother,
you will be free of sorrow.

If you close your mind in judgements
and traffic with desires,
your heart will be troubled.
If you keep your mind from judging
and aren’t led by the senses,
your heart will find peace.

Seeing into darkness is clarity.
Knowing how to yield is strength.
Use your own light
and return to the source of light.
This is called practicing eternity.

Closing

Music: “The Conversation” from “All the Way to Heaven” by Jan Phillips (track #3).

Jan is one of Madeleine Manning’s favorite musicians; Madeleine is a longtime friend of Brigid’s Place and needs our prayers as she is transforming her life. Jan was instrumental in guiding the pioneers of Brigid’s Place.






As an expression of appreciation to The Rothko Chapel for use of this sacred space,your love offering in the box marked “Magdalen Community”will be gratefully received.



















For more information about the Magdalen Community, please contact bdickey@rice.edu
or bridgittdickey@sbcglobal.net. Please include “Magdalen Community” in the subject line.
OR:
http://magdalenecommunity.blogspot.com/
http://www.magdalenemystique.com/