Call to Silence & Opening Meditation – Theme: “Exploring Belonging”.
Music: We All Belong ©2008 Ann S. Bugh
Where do I belong?... What do I belong to?... What belongs to me?
When the rhythm’s wrong, what can I do to bring back harmony?
Open your eyes. Open your mind, with a grateful heart.
You will see the web of life and how to play your part.
There’s a place where we all belong--we were called to life by LOVE.
There’s a point where the picture forms if we step back far enough.
Like a million threads in a tapestry of interwoven destinies—
You… and you… and you…and me—we all belong.
You… and you… and you…and me—we all belong.
You… and you… and you…and me—we all belong.
Ripples from a stone, spread across a pool to reach the farthest shore.
Every single thought, every single word--actions even more—
Leave their tiny marks (be they light or dark); no one walks alone.
Each of us must make his way, but we walk each other home.
There’s a truth that includes us all when judgment fades away.
There’s a love deep in every heart nothing can betray.
Like a million notes in a symphony that’s echoed since eternity—
You… and you… and you…and me—we all belong.
You…and you…and you…and me—part of everything we see--
You…and you…and you…and me—we all belong…we all belong…we all belong.
Readings:
MYSTIC BELONGINGS
“The Perfect Way is only difficult for those who pick and choose;
Do not like, do not dislike, then all will be clear.
Make a hairbreadth difference—and heaven and earth are set apart.”
–Seng-ts’an (600AD, Chinese Buddhist)
“Jesus struck the ground with his hand and took up some of it and spread it out and behold, he had gold in one of his hands and clay in the other. Then he said to his companions, ‘Which is sweeter to our hearts?’ They said, ‘The gold.’ He said, ‘They are both alike to me.’ “
--Christ in Islam by James Robson (citations in Muslim literature)
”’Who is my mother and who are my brothers?’ he replied. And stretching out his hand toward his disciples he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister and mother.’”
- Matthew 12:46-50
The “Divine Love” in every person lives not as a part, but in the whole—as a universal spirit of love, a spirit of the whole. Thus, divine love—though indivisible--shares its life in each person. In the unity of the whole, that spirit comprehends all things and, with strictest tenderness embraces each self as itself, as one self.
–paraphrased from Peter Sterry, Platonist (1613-1672)
“To whom God is dearer in one thing than another, that man is still a child. He to whom God is the same in everything has come to man’s estate…Every creature has a stake in the eternal….We love ‘God’ with his own love…Awareness of that deifies us.”
–Eckhart (German Dominican theologian & contemplative of Christian Gnosis)
TRIBAL BELONGINGS
Humans are programmed with a deep need to belong. It drives us to form and join groups. While some species live alone, humans have learned that if we form a tribe, we can share work and live more safely. Living in a tribe has its costs. We have to abide by shared rules and cannot do whatever we want; however, evolution has shown that survival benefits outweigh the costs.
–summarized from Changingminds.org
SOCIAL BELONGINGS
Abraham Maslow outlined 5 fundamental, hierarchical human needs: survival; safety; belonging; esteem; and self-actualization. Belonging is one of the more basic, just above health and safety. Humans are social creatures. We crave connection with others. Once our survival needs are met, we become aware of a need for love, affection, and belonging. In the absence of other humans, we feel loneliness. We long for a partner or children. We strive for acceptance among groups we value. Our “love” need requires both giving and receiving in order to be fulfilled. Our “esteem” needs are also tied to others. We require a healthy degree of self-confidence and self-esteem, but we are also emotionally nurtured by respect and recognition from others.
--summarized from Lifescript.com
PSYCHOLOGICAL BELONGINGS
In the psychology of Carl Gustav Jung, the “collective unconscious” belongs to us all. It is present in and accessible to each of us. It contains symbols for the shared experiences of mankind, the content of “archetype”. Archetypes are like frames that remain constant, while the image that appears inside the frame depends on the individual in which the archetype is triggered. Archetypes by themselves are neutral, without value judgments attached to them, but they can be interpreted positive, negative or neutral ways.
Jung’s concept of “Individuation” describes a process of self realization during which each of us must integrate the contents of our own psyches as we become conscious. While the process is universal, each man’s journey is a unique search for the totality of Self. Yet the person who accepts the contents of his unconsciousness and reaches the goal of the individuation process, becomes conscious of his relationship with everything that lives, with the entire cosmos.
Individuation is a natural, inherent process in man that grows from the inside. The first step is integration of all aspects of the personality; the second phase--what Jung called the transcendental function—involves realizing the unity of the archetype of the Self. The process of individuation is not easy for Westerners because we have difficulty with paradoxes. It requires us to accept both the superior and the inferior, the rational and the irrational, order and chaos, light and darkness, yin and yang. The Self, according to Jung, is not “universal consciousness”. It is rather an awareness of our unique nature and our intimate connection with all life--not only human but also animal, plant, mineral, and the entire cosmos. Completing this process gives us a sense of ‘unity’ and acceptance of life as it is.
--Summarized from www.soul-guidance.com/houseofthesun/individuationprocess
EXPLORING BELONGING
Most people spend much time and energy balancing the various “external” groups to which they belong. They may put a family group first, then a work group, then a larger community, then a country, then the human race, the planet earth, etc. This external balancing act is never simple. Many belongings “overlap”;others “conflict”. Inherent in 99% of “external belongings” is a degree of separation—i.e. each group includes something while excluding something (or someone) else.
In synchronicity with all these external belongings, each of us is continuously challenged to balance and rebalance on our inner journey toward “where we belong”. This inner search for integration happens at a deep level, ever flowing and changing like the energy of an underground stream. What is important on the inner search for belonging is conscious presence and awareness. Caroline Myss, in The Anatomy of the Spirit traces spiritual growth as a series of spirals. She describes how we evolve, level by level, physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually as we realize the potential, the full power of who and what we are. Energetically we expand like an intuitive blue print that unfolds as it directs what we manifest and feel connected to. This inner journey is often reflected in the external belongings that support or challenge us along our way. Exploring belonging teaches us lessons about control, surrender, attachment, connection, harmony. Ultimately, the belonging of “coming home to ourSelves” brings us full circle to the certain knowledge that “there’s a place for us here”. It comes with the recognition that we belong wherever we are in every moment (in the words of Anita Kruse and Sandy Stewart) in the “peace that passes all human understanding” and the “love that holds us all.”
Call to Conversation
Closing Meditation & Music:
To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour. --William Blake
There’s a Peace © 2006 by Anita Kruse & Sandy Stewart , from the CD The Magdalene Mystique
there’s a peace that passes all human understanding
there’s a hope that offers a hand in the dark
there’s a light that’s shining with grace inside me
and I think it’s riding the wings of my heart
there’s a love that leads me
there’s a love that frees me
there’s a love that heals me when I fall
there’s a peace that passes all human understanding
there’s a love that holds us all
when the world seems shattered and faith unraveled
when the ground is shaking and lives torn apart
there’s a light still shining with grace inside me
and I know it’s riding the wings of my heart
there’s a love that leads me
there’s a love that frees me
there’s a love that heals me when I fall
there’s a peace that passes all human understanding
there’s a love that holds us all
Monday, May 12, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Sunday 3-30-08
A Reading from Genesis 1:1-5, Tanakh
When God began to create heaven and earth--the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind (spirit) from God sweeping over the water--God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. god called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, a first day
.CALL TO SILENCE AND OPENING MEDITATION
A Reading from the Gospel of Philip 53:14-23, NHL
Light and darkness, life and death, right and left, are brothers of one another. They are inseparable.Because of this neither are the good good, nor the evil evil; nor is life life, nor death death.For this reason each will dissolve into its original nature. But those who are exalted above the world are indissoluble, eternal.
(from An Uncommon Lectionary by John B. Butcher, pg 81, 2002)
Ode 8: 1-12 (read responsively)
Open your hearts to the exultation of the Lord And flow your love from your heart to your lips in a holy life. Carry fruit to the Lord. Talk and look in his light.Stand up with your shoulders back, You who sank low.Your who were silent, speak, Your mouth has been opened.You were despised. Now feel uplifted. Your goodness is high.The right hand of the Lord is with you. The Lord will help you.[Christ begins speaking ]"Hear the Word of truth Drink knowledge I offer from the Most High. Your flesh cannot know what I say to you, Nor your garments what I show you.Keep my Mystery. It keeps you. Keep my faith. It keeps you.Know my knowledge, you who know me in truth. Love me tenderly, you who love.I do not turn my face from my own.. I know them."
(from An Uncommon Lectionary by John B. Butcher, pg 81-2, 2002)
A Reading from Julian of Norwich
All shall be well, And all shall be well, And all manner of things Shall be well.
(as quoted in The Seeker's Guide, by Elizabeth Lesser, pg. 387, 1999)
A Reading from the Gospel of Mary, pages VIII (11-24) and IX (1-20)
...The Blessed One ... greeted them all saying, 'Peace be with you-- may my Peace arise and be fulfilled within you! "Be vigilant, and allow no one to mislead you by saying, 'Here it is!' or "There it is!'"For it is within you that the Son of Man dwells. Go to him, for those who seek him, will find him.""Walk forth, and announce the gospel of the Kingdom. Impose no law other than that which I have witnessed."Do not add more laws to those given in the Torah, lest you become bound by them."Having said all this, he departed.The disciples were in sorrow, shedding many tears, and saying: "How are we going to go among the unbelievers and announce the gospel of the Kingdom of the Son of Man?"They did not spare his life, so why should they spare ours?" Then Mary arose, embraced them all and began to speak to her brothers:. "Do not remain in sorrow and doubt, for his Grace will guide you and comfort you. Instead let us praise his greatness, for he has prepared us for this. He is calling upon us to become fully human." Thus Mary turned their hearts toward the Good, and they began to discuss the meaning of the Teacher's words.
(from The Gospel of Mary Magdalene by Jean-Yves Leloup, pg. 27-9, 2002)
CALL TO CONVERSATION
CLOSING PRAYER AND MEDITATION (in unison)
Dear Divine One:May there come over the earth a great and glorious light. May we remember Heaven.May all who suffer feel pain no more.May sorrow depart, may disease end, may war stop, may doubts cease, and all hearts gladden.May we remember Heaven.May every child and every man and every woman now, this instant, feel sure release from the bondage of their past. Amen
(Adapted from Illuminated Prayers by Marianne Williamson, 1997)
When God began to create heaven and earth--the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind (spirit) from God sweeping over the water--God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. god called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, a first day
.CALL TO SILENCE AND OPENING MEDITATION
A Reading from the Gospel of Philip 53:14-23, NHL
Light and darkness, life and death, right and left, are brothers of one another. They are inseparable.Because of this neither are the good good, nor the evil evil; nor is life life, nor death death.For this reason each will dissolve into its original nature. But those who are exalted above the world are indissoluble, eternal.
(from An Uncommon Lectionary by John B. Butcher, pg 81, 2002)
Ode 8: 1-12 (read responsively)
Open your hearts to the exultation of the Lord And flow your love from your heart to your lips in a holy life. Carry fruit to the Lord. Talk and look in his light.Stand up with your shoulders back, You who sank low.Your who were silent, speak, Your mouth has been opened.You were despised. Now feel uplifted. Your goodness is high.The right hand of the Lord is with you. The Lord will help you.[Christ begins speaking ]"Hear the Word of truth Drink knowledge I offer from the Most High. Your flesh cannot know what I say to you, Nor your garments what I show you.Keep my Mystery. It keeps you. Keep my faith. It keeps you.Know my knowledge, you who know me in truth. Love me tenderly, you who love.I do not turn my face from my own.. I know them."
(from An Uncommon Lectionary by John B. Butcher, pg 81-2, 2002)
A Reading from Julian of Norwich
All shall be well, And all shall be well, And all manner of things Shall be well.
(as quoted in The Seeker's Guide, by Elizabeth Lesser, pg. 387, 1999)
A Reading from the Gospel of Mary, pages VIII (11-24) and IX (1-20)
...The Blessed One ... greeted them all saying, 'Peace be with you-- may my Peace arise and be fulfilled within you! "Be vigilant, and allow no one to mislead you by saying, 'Here it is!' or "There it is!'"For it is within you that the Son of Man dwells. Go to him, for those who seek him, will find him.""Walk forth, and announce the gospel of the Kingdom. Impose no law other than that which I have witnessed."Do not add more laws to those given in the Torah, lest you become bound by them."Having said all this, he departed.The disciples were in sorrow, shedding many tears, and saying: "How are we going to go among the unbelievers and announce the gospel of the Kingdom of the Son of Man?"They did not spare his life, so why should they spare ours?" Then Mary arose, embraced them all and began to speak to her brothers:. "Do not remain in sorrow and doubt, for his Grace will guide you and comfort you. Instead let us praise his greatness, for he has prepared us for this. He is calling upon us to become fully human." Thus Mary turned their hearts toward the Good, and they began to discuss the meaning of the Teacher's words.
(from The Gospel of Mary Magdalene by Jean-Yves Leloup, pg. 27-9, 2002)
CALL TO CONVERSATION
CLOSING PRAYER AND MEDITATION (in unison)
Dear Divine One:May there come over the earth a great and glorious light. May we remember Heaven.May all who suffer feel pain no more.May sorrow depart, may disease end, may war stop, may doubts cease, and all hearts gladden.May we remember Heaven.May every child and every man and every woman now, this instant, feel sure release from the bondage of their past. Amen
(Adapted from Illuminated Prayers by Marianne Williamson, 1997)
Sunday, February 21, 2008
Call to Silence and Opening Meditation
Song Hiney Mah Tov u-Mah Nayim Shevet Achim Gam Yachad (How good and lovely it is for us to be together as brothers and sisters.)
Reader:
Before the gate has been closed,
Before the last question is posed,
Before I am transposed.
Before the weeds fill the gardens,
Before there are no pardons,
Before the concrete hardens.
Before all the flute-holes are covered,
Before things are locked in the cupboard,
Before the rules are discovered.
Before the conclusion is planned,
Before the closing of God’s hand,
Before we have nowhere to stand.
Bless us with peace.
Reader:
Grant peace, goodness and blessing, grace, kindness and mercy,
to us and to all Your people Israel, and to all who dwell on earth.
Bless us, our Creator, all of us together
through the light of Your Presence.
Truly through the light of Your Presence, Adonai our God,
You gave us a Torah of life—
the love of kindness, justice and blessing, mercy, life, and peace.
May You see fit to bless your people Israel
at all times, at every hour, with Your peace.
Praised are You, God, who blesses Your people with peace.
Song (“Sim Shalom,” by Julie Silver, text Jewish Liturgy):
Sim shalom, tovah, uv’racha, sim shalom, tovah uv’racha. (2x)
Chein va-chesed, chein va-chesed v’rachamim (2x) v’rachamim
Sim shalom, tovah, uv’racha, Sim shalom, tovah uv’racha. (2x)
Aleinu v’al kol Yisrael, Yisrael amecha, v’al kol yosh-vei tevel
Sim shalom, tovah, uv’racha, Sim shalom, tovah uv’racha. (2x)
(Grant peace and happiness, blessing and mercy, to all Israel, your people, and to all who dwell on earth.)
SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT
Two or more Readers:
Words there are and prayers, but justice there is not, nor yet peace.
The prophet said:
In the end of days, God shall judge between the nations;
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruninghooks.
Although we must wait for judgment,
we may not wait for peace to fall like rain upon us.
The teacher said:
Those who have made peace in their house,
It is as though they have brought peace to all the world.
Peace will remain a distant vision until we do the work of peace ourselves.
If peace is to be brought into the world,
we must bring it first to our families and communities.
The psalmist said: See peace and pursue it.
Be not content to make peace only in your own household;
Go forth and work for peace wherever men and women are struggling in its cause.
Reader:
God gave us
the power of speech, that magic gift
by which each soul, unique and separate,
yet shares its life with others.
Though each individual,
unaided and alone, is weak and helpless,
God’s gift of love brings us strength:
Not by might nor by power,
but by God’s spirit—
the thirst for knowledge,
the urge to create,
the passion for justice,
the will to give love and loyalty.
Sometimes we have lived at peace with one another,
but all too often we are deaf
to the divine wisdom within us,
preferring the law of the jungle,
preferring war to peace,
preferring evil to good.
Reader:
May we find peace with those we love,
growing together over time.
May we be at peace with ourselves
And with the labors that fill our days.
May we fashion peace in our world
With wisdom and gentle patience.
Song: (“Shalom Rav,” music by J. Klepper and D. Freelander, text Jewish liturgy)
Shalom rav al Yisrael am-cha tasim l’olam. (2x)
Ki Atah hu Melech Adon l’chol ha-shalom. 2x)
Shalom rav al Yisrael am-cha tasim l’olam. (2x)
V’tov b’einecha l’vareich et amcha Yisrael,
B’chol eit u-v’chol sha-ah bishlomecha.
Shalom rav al Yisrael am-cha tasim l’olam. (2x)
(O grant abundant peace to Your people forever, for You are the Sovereign of peace. May it please You to bless us and to bless all Your people with Your peace at all times and at all hours.)
Reader:
Let there be love and understanding among us. Let peace and friendship be our shelter from life’s storms. May God help us to walk with good companions, to live with hope in our hearts and eternity in our thoughts, that we may lie down in peace and rise up wanting to do God’s will.
Reader:
Give me no gift of weapons
nor feelings of victory.
I want no triumph.
Let me fight, but lose!
Give me heroic stubbornness in love,
unending heart,
to give friendship without measure,
to forgive without end.
Only grant me strong bright senses
to bring happiness, to help, to hear the needs
of even a pulse-beat,
the call of any person.
A Reading from the Gospel of Mary
(INSERT)
******
Song: (“Oseh Shalom,” music by Nurit Hirsch, text: Jewish liturgy.)
Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya-aseh shalom aleinu v’al kol Yisrael, v’im’ru Amen.
Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya-aseh shalom aleinu v’al kol yoshvei teiveil, v’im’ru Amen.
(May the One who causes peace to reign in the high heavens make peace for us, all Israel and all who inhabit the earth.)
Call to Conversation: (World poetry on peace)
“LET PEACE PREVAIL IN THIS WORLD” Ravi Sathasivam/Sri Lanka
When you look for peace
then the peace lies within you.
When you search for peace
then it is not hard to find.
When you want to keep peace alive
then you allow white doves to fly over you.
When you make peace with others
then the whole world lives in your heart.
When you let peace be in the world
then you live in a wonderful world.
When you allow peace to flow around the world
then your hateness will go and love will flow.
When you open the door for peace
then peace is welcome to your lives.
Let the peace prevail in our wonderful world.
“ALL TORAH’S PATHS ARE PATHS OF PEACE—PRAYER REFLECTION” Lewis Eron
True peace cannot be found on a one-way street.
It’s a bit more real on single-line rail tracks
If there are turn-asides to let trains pass.
Four-way intersections train us to take turns.
Stop signs and traffic lights and turning lanes and rest stops promote real peace.
Good rules and good feelings and a little sense
Make for safe driving.
But true peace can only be found when traffic moves smoothly
Through a crowded city,
Or quickly down an eight-lane freeway.
No grid jams, no fender benders, no blasting of horns
Granting the right of way, being alert, forgiving others,
Both hands on the wheel and not riding the brakes
Moving together, not bumping each other on our different journeys
To the same final goal.
That’s peace.
That’s coming home.
“IF THERE IS TO BE PEACE” Lao-Tse
If there is to be peace in the world,
There must be peace in the nations.
If there is to be peace in the nations,
There must be peace in the cities.
If there is to be peace in the cities,
There must be peace between neighbors.
If there is to be peace between neighbors,
There must be peace in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home,
There must be peace in the heart.
CLOSING SONG:
YIH’YEH SHALOM (There will be Peace) (by Rick Recht)
1) When we hear one another there will be peace in the world.
When we understand one another there will be peace in the world.
When we love one another there will be peace in the world.
Yih’yeh shalom, yih’yeh shalom ba-olam.
Yih’yeh shalom, yih’yeh shalom.
2) When we believe one another there will be peace in the world.
When we learn from one another there will be peace in the world.
When we work with one another there will be peace in the world. (CHORUS)
3) When we believe that peace will come, we can see the beauty in everyone
When we believe that peace can be, we are children of one family. (CHORUS)
Song Hiney Mah Tov u-Mah Nayim Shevet Achim Gam Yachad (How good and lovely it is for us to be together as brothers and sisters.)
Reader:
Before the gate has been closed,
Before the last question is posed,
Before I am transposed.
Before the weeds fill the gardens,
Before there are no pardons,
Before the concrete hardens.
Before all the flute-holes are covered,
Before things are locked in the cupboard,
Before the rules are discovered.
Before the conclusion is planned,
Before the closing of God’s hand,
Before we have nowhere to stand.
Bless us with peace.
Reader:
Grant peace, goodness and blessing, grace, kindness and mercy,
to us and to all Your people Israel, and to all who dwell on earth.
Bless us, our Creator, all of us together
through the light of Your Presence.
Truly through the light of Your Presence, Adonai our God,
You gave us a Torah of life—
the love of kindness, justice and blessing, mercy, life, and peace.
May You see fit to bless your people Israel
at all times, at every hour, with Your peace.
Praised are You, God, who blesses Your people with peace.
Song (“Sim Shalom,” by Julie Silver, text Jewish Liturgy):
Sim shalom, tovah, uv’racha, sim shalom, tovah uv’racha. (2x)
Chein va-chesed, chein va-chesed v’rachamim (2x) v’rachamim
Sim shalom, tovah, uv’racha, Sim shalom, tovah uv’racha. (2x)
Aleinu v’al kol Yisrael, Yisrael amecha, v’al kol yosh-vei tevel
Sim shalom, tovah, uv’racha, Sim shalom, tovah uv’racha. (2x)
(Grant peace and happiness, blessing and mercy, to all Israel, your people, and to all who dwell on earth.)
SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT
Two or more Readers:
Words there are and prayers, but justice there is not, nor yet peace.
The prophet said:
In the end of days, God shall judge between the nations;
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruninghooks.
Although we must wait for judgment,
we may not wait for peace to fall like rain upon us.
The teacher said:
Those who have made peace in their house,
It is as though they have brought peace to all the world.
Peace will remain a distant vision until we do the work of peace ourselves.
If peace is to be brought into the world,
we must bring it first to our families and communities.
The psalmist said: See peace and pursue it.
Be not content to make peace only in your own household;
Go forth and work for peace wherever men and women are struggling in its cause.
Reader:
God gave us
the power of speech, that magic gift
by which each soul, unique and separate,
yet shares its life with others.
Though each individual,
unaided and alone, is weak and helpless,
God’s gift of love brings us strength:
Not by might nor by power,
but by God’s spirit—
the thirst for knowledge,
the urge to create,
the passion for justice,
the will to give love and loyalty.
Sometimes we have lived at peace with one another,
but all too often we are deaf
to the divine wisdom within us,
preferring the law of the jungle,
preferring war to peace,
preferring evil to good.
Reader:
May we find peace with those we love,
growing together over time.
May we be at peace with ourselves
And with the labors that fill our days.
May we fashion peace in our world
With wisdom and gentle patience.
Song: (“Shalom Rav,” music by J. Klepper and D. Freelander, text Jewish liturgy)
Shalom rav al Yisrael am-cha tasim l’olam. (2x)
Ki Atah hu Melech Adon l’chol ha-shalom. 2x)
Shalom rav al Yisrael am-cha tasim l’olam. (2x)
V’tov b’einecha l’vareich et amcha Yisrael,
B’chol eit u-v’chol sha-ah bishlomecha.
Shalom rav al Yisrael am-cha tasim l’olam. (2x)
(O grant abundant peace to Your people forever, for You are the Sovereign of peace. May it please You to bless us and to bless all Your people with Your peace at all times and at all hours.)
Reader:
Let there be love and understanding among us. Let peace and friendship be our shelter from life’s storms. May God help us to walk with good companions, to live with hope in our hearts and eternity in our thoughts, that we may lie down in peace and rise up wanting to do God’s will.
Reader:
Give me no gift of weapons
nor feelings of victory.
I want no triumph.
Let me fight, but lose!
Give me heroic stubbornness in love,
unending heart,
to give friendship without measure,
to forgive without end.
Only grant me strong bright senses
to bring happiness, to help, to hear the needs
of even a pulse-beat,
the call of any person.
A Reading from the Gospel of Mary
(INSERT)
******
Song: (“Oseh Shalom,” music by Nurit Hirsch, text: Jewish liturgy.)
Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya-aseh shalom aleinu v’al kol Yisrael, v’im’ru Amen.
Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya-aseh shalom aleinu v’al kol yoshvei teiveil, v’im’ru Amen.
(May the One who causes peace to reign in the high heavens make peace for us, all Israel and all who inhabit the earth.)
Call to Conversation: (World poetry on peace)
“LET PEACE PREVAIL IN THIS WORLD” Ravi Sathasivam/Sri Lanka
When you look for peace
then the peace lies within you.
When you search for peace
then it is not hard to find.
When you want to keep peace alive
then you allow white doves to fly over you.
When you make peace with others
then the whole world lives in your heart.
When you let peace be in the world
then you live in a wonderful world.
When you allow peace to flow around the world
then your hateness will go and love will flow.
When you open the door for peace
then peace is welcome to your lives.
Let the peace prevail in our wonderful world.
“ALL TORAH’S PATHS ARE PATHS OF PEACE—PRAYER REFLECTION” Lewis Eron
True peace cannot be found on a one-way street.
It’s a bit more real on single-line rail tracks
If there are turn-asides to let trains pass.
Four-way intersections train us to take turns.
Stop signs and traffic lights and turning lanes and rest stops promote real peace.
Good rules and good feelings and a little sense
Make for safe driving.
But true peace can only be found when traffic moves smoothly
Through a crowded city,
Or quickly down an eight-lane freeway.
No grid jams, no fender benders, no blasting of horns
Granting the right of way, being alert, forgiving others,
Both hands on the wheel and not riding the brakes
Moving together, not bumping each other on our different journeys
To the same final goal.
That’s peace.
That’s coming home.
“IF THERE IS TO BE PEACE” Lao-Tse
If there is to be peace in the world,
There must be peace in the nations.
If there is to be peace in the nations,
There must be peace in the cities.
If there is to be peace in the cities,
There must be peace between neighbors.
If there is to be peace between neighbors,
There must be peace in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home,
There must be peace in the heart.
CLOSING SONG:
YIH’YEH SHALOM (There will be Peace) (by Rick Recht)
1) When we hear one another there will be peace in the world.
When we understand one another there will be peace in the world.
When we love one another there will be peace in the world.
Yih’yeh shalom, yih’yeh shalom ba-olam.
Yih’yeh shalom, yih’yeh shalom.
2) When we believe one another there will be peace in the world.
When we learn from one another there will be peace in the world.
When we work with one another there will be peace in the world. (CHORUS)
3) When we believe that peace will come, we can see the beauty in everyone
When we believe that peace can be, we are children of one family. (CHORUS)
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Opening Monologue
The story goes that, after his enlightenment, Siddhartha Gautama-the historical Buddhawas walking down the road when he met a fellow traveler. The other man perceived a great radiance emanating from Siddhartha, so instead of asking,
“Who are you,” he asked, “Are you a god or a divine being? “No,” answered the Buddha. “Are you a shaman or a sorcerer?” “No,” answered the Buddha. “Are you a man?”
Again the Buddha answered, “No.” “Well, then,” the man said. “what are you?” The Buddha answered, “I am awake.” And, indeed, this is what “Buddha” means: one who is awakened.
Jesus told his followers that the answer was within themselves: “If those who lead you say the Kingdom of heaven is in the sky, then the birds of the sky will get there before
you do. If they say it is in the sea, then the fish will beat you there. Rather, the kingdom is within you… Every teaching, every word - no matter how profound - is only a guidepost along the way. Every seeker is a pilgrim, and every pilgrim travels alone.
If the words of certain teachers move us, and if we were to examine our thoughts while reading them, what often strikes us most is not that these teachers are telling us something new, but that they are reminding us of something we already knew but, perhaps, had forgotten! It is as if we had always known these truths at some deep level, so we respond with, “Aha!” “Yes, of course! I knew that all along!” These teachers
reveal the truth that has always been within us.
The Words of the Teachers
Jesus
The Kingdom is not coming with signs to be observed. The Kingdom of God is within you.
-The Gospel of Luke
Krishna
Those who seek oneness ceaselessly find the Lord
dwelling in their own hearts.
-The Bagavad Gita
Buddha
To begin the journey in the Way…First, set yourself straight. You are the only Master.
-The Dhhammapada
Lao Tsu
The Way is empty, yet contains all. Words cannot describe it. Better that one should look for it within.
-The Tao Te Ching
Second Monologue
The Way spoken of by the world’s great teachers is not one single path, yet all paths lead to the same destination. Traveled by the pilgrim, the Way is the path to Life. It is the quest for our own personal holy grail. The Way stretches out before us, endless. It leads beyond the horizon, yet it begins with a single step.
Once the Way is chosen, there is no turning back. We may stop and rest awhile. We may tarry here and there for as long as necessary. We may even fall asleep by the side of the road. But we will eventually awaken no matter how long we sleep. Then, recognizing that the day’s shadows are falling long across the path, we stir ourselves, cinch up our belts, and continue on.
The Words of the Teachers
Jesus
I am the way, the truth, and the life.
- The Gospel of John
Krishna
Many are the paths of men, though all those paths end in Me for those who love Me.
- The Bagavad Gita
Jesus
I am a beacon to those who see Me. I am a mirror to those who look at Me. I am a door to those who knock on Me. I am a Way to you the traveler.
- The Hymn of Jesus from the Acts of John
Krishna
I am the Way, and the Master who watches in silence – your friend, your shelter, your dwelling of peace. I am the beginning and the end of all things – the seed of eternity, and the treasure supreme.
- The Bagavad Gita
Buddha
The most supreme among humanity are those who have eyes to see. This is the Way, and there is no other that leads to purifying the intellect. Take that path!
- The Dhammapada
Lao Tzu
When the wise man hears of the Way, he works hard to apply it. When the mediocre person hears of it, he keeps it then loses it. But when the ignorant hear of it, they laugh. If they did not laugh, it would not be the Way.
- The Tao Te Ching
Jesus
The kingdom of God does not come in such a way as to be seen. No one will say: “Here it is” or “There it is!” Because the kingdom is within you.
- The Gospel of Luke
Buddha
The Way is not in the sky. The Way is in the heart.
- The Buddha
All readings and sayings are from Richard Hooper, ed. Jesus Buddha Krishna Lao Tzu:
The Parallel Sayings (Sedona, AZ: Sanctuary Publications, 2007)
A reading from the Gospel of Mary (trans. Karen King)
When the Blessed One had said these things, he greeted them all. “Peace be with you!” he said. “Acquire my peace within yourselves! “Be on your guard so that no one deceives you by saying, ‘Look over here!’ or ‘Look over there!’ For the child of true Humanity exists within you. Follow it! Those who search for it will find it.
Call to Conversation
The story goes that, after his enlightenment, Siddhartha Gautama-the historical Buddhawas walking down the road when he met a fellow traveler. The other man perceived a great radiance emanating from Siddhartha, so instead of asking,
“Who are you,” he asked, “Are you a god or a divine being? “No,” answered the Buddha. “Are you a shaman or a sorcerer?” “No,” answered the Buddha. “Are you a man?”
Again the Buddha answered, “No.” “Well, then,” the man said. “what are you?” The Buddha answered, “I am awake.” And, indeed, this is what “Buddha” means: one who is awakened.
Jesus told his followers that the answer was within themselves: “If those who lead you say the Kingdom of heaven is in the sky, then the birds of the sky will get there before
you do. If they say it is in the sea, then the fish will beat you there. Rather, the kingdom is within you… Every teaching, every word - no matter how profound - is only a guidepost along the way. Every seeker is a pilgrim, and every pilgrim travels alone.
If the words of certain teachers move us, and if we were to examine our thoughts while reading them, what often strikes us most is not that these teachers are telling us something new, but that they are reminding us of something we already knew but, perhaps, had forgotten! It is as if we had always known these truths at some deep level, so we respond with, “Aha!” “Yes, of course! I knew that all along!” These teachers
reveal the truth that has always been within us.
The Words of the Teachers
Jesus
The Kingdom is not coming with signs to be observed. The Kingdom of God is within you.
-The Gospel of Luke
Krishna
Those who seek oneness ceaselessly find the Lord
dwelling in their own hearts.
-The Bagavad Gita
Buddha
To begin the journey in the Way…First, set yourself straight. You are the only Master.
-The Dhhammapada
Lao Tsu
The Way is empty, yet contains all. Words cannot describe it. Better that one should look for it within.
-The Tao Te Ching
Second Monologue
The Way spoken of by the world’s great teachers is not one single path, yet all paths lead to the same destination. Traveled by the pilgrim, the Way is the path to Life. It is the quest for our own personal holy grail. The Way stretches out before us, endless. It leads beyond the horizon, yet it begins with a single step.
Once the Way is chosen, there is no turning back. We may stop and rest awhile. We may tarry here and there for as long as necessary. We may even fall asleep by the side of the road. But we will eventually awaken no matter how long we sleep. Then, recognizing that the day’s shadows are falling long across the path, we stir ourselves, cinch up our belts, and continue on.
The Words of the Teachers
Jesus
I am the way, the truth, and the life.
- The Gospel of John
Krishna
Many are the paths of men, though all those paths end in Me for those who love Me.
- The Bagavad Gita
Jesus
I am a beacon to those who see Me. I am a mirror to those who look at Me. I am a door to those who knock on Me. I am a Way to you the traveler.
- The Hymn of Jesus from the Acts of John
Krishna
I am the Way, and the Master who watches in silence – your friend, your shelter, your dwelling of peace. I am the beginning and the end of all things – the seed of eternity, and the treasure supreme.
- The Bagavad Gita
Buddha
The most supreme among humanity are those who have eyes to see. This is the Way, and there is no other that leads to purifying the intellect. Take that path!
- The Dhammapada
Lao Tzu
When the wise man hears of the Way, he works hard to apply it. When the mediocre person hears of it, he keeps it then loses it. But when the ignorant hear of it, they laugh. If they did not laugh, it would not be the Way.
- The Tao Te Ching
Jesus
The kingdom of God does not come in such a way as to be seen. No one will say: “Here it is” or “There it is!” Because the kingdom is within you.
- The Gospel of Luke
Buddha
The Way is not in the sky. The Way is in the heart.
- The Buddha
All readings and sayings are from Richard Hooper, ed. Jesus Buddha Krishna Lao Tzu:
The Parallel Sayings (Sedona, AZ: Sanctuary Publications, 2007)
A reading from the Gospel of Mary (trans. Karen King)
When the Blessed One had said these things, he greeted them all. “Peace be with you!” he said. “Acquire my peace within yourselves! “Be on your guard so that no one deceives you by saying, ‘Look over here!’ or ‘Look over there!’ For the child of true Humanity exists within you. Follow it! Those who search for it will find it.
Call to Conversation
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Opening Music
In the Beginning
"In the beginning was the word…and the word was…God”
word…logos…light of the world…creative force…living presence…ordering principle…underlying harmonic pattern of creation…universal vibration…sound?
Is everything connected by the threads of sound
Intertwining interweaving here and now?
Is every cell and every pulse
Every heart in each of us
Vibrantly connected by the waves of sound?
Is everything connected in the here and now
Intertwining interweaving threads of sound?
Is every breath and every thought
Every found and every lost
Perfectly connected by the light of sound?
Is everything connected some way some how
Intertwining interweaving here and now?
Is every spark and every beam
All the dark and all the dreams
Vividly connected by the ways of sound?
Is everything connected in the here and now
Intertwining interweaving lost and found
Is every tear and every being
Every single living thing
Harmonically connected by the God of sound?
“In the beginning was the word…and the word was…God”
word…logos…light of the world…creative force…living presence…ordering principle…underlying harmonic pattern of creation…universal vibration…sound?
Anita Kruse © 2005
Call to Silence and Opening Meditation
O God of Life and Creation,
Hear our Prayers of Silence, Sound, and Word.
And We Continue to Pray:
For the Peace of the World
And a Spirit of Respect Among All Nations
That our Divisions May Cease
That We All May Be One
That We All May Be One
That We All May Be One. Amen.
Readings
A Reading from The Wall Street Journal, Friday, February 8, 2008
Mitt Romney's campaign for the presidency brought more attention to the Mormon Church than it has had in years. What the church discovered was not heartening.
Critics of its doctrines and culture launched frequent public attacks. Polling data showed that far more Americans say they'd never vote for a Mormon than those who admitted they wouldn't choose a woman or an African-American.
A Wall Street Journal/N C News poll in late January revealed that 50% of Americans said they would have reservations or be “very uncomfortable about a Mormon as president. That same poll found that 81% would be “enthusiastic” or “comfortable” with an African-American and 76% with a woman.”
The Mormon religion “was the silent factor in a lot of the decision making by evangelicals and others,” says Democratic pollster Peter Hart, who conducted the poll. The Romney campaign ran into a “religious bias head wind,” Mr. Hart and his Republican polling partner, Bill McInurff, wrote late last month.
A Reading from Luke 10:29-37
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”
He said, “The one who showed mercy on him.”
And Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
A Reading From the “New Testament of the Tao Te Ching”
“Love your neighbor as yourself,” said the Way.
Through love of neighbor do we enter into love of the Way:
For our neighbor is the image of the Way;
And thus the Way accepts what we do for our neighbor as if it were done for Him[Her].
When this realization is kept constantly in mind,
It become the source of the purest love for our neighbor.
“And who is my neighbor?” the Way was asked.
Our neighbor is whomever the Way puts before us:
Insider or outcast,
Faithful or unfaithful,
Friend or foe,
Help or burden,
Encourager or reviler,
Rescuer or murderer.
Therefore, said the Ancient Sage,
“Even if people be bad, why should they be rejected?
The holy man takes care of all people,
And in consequence there is no rejected person.”
Love for neighbor, then, is love for all equally,
And equally with ourselves.
Perfect love is the summit of detachment;
It knows no distinction between one's own and another's,
Between male and female,
Between black and white.
Such single, simple love has a single cause:
The Way Who is honored and loved in every neighbor.
Through love of neighbor do we enter into love of the Way:
And as the former grows in us, so does the latter,
Until at last the Way is all in all,
And we forget ourselves.
Then love becomes a depth of illumination,
A fountain of fire inflaming the thirsty soul.
Growth is added to growth.
Love is the progression of eternity.
Hieromonk Damascene's Christ The Eternal Tao (Valaam Books, 2004) 174-175
Call to Conversation
In the Beginning
"In the beginning was the word…and the word was…God”
word…logos…light of the world…creative force…living presence…ordering principle…underlying harmonic pattern of creation…universal vibration…sound?
Is everything connected by the threads of sound
Intertwining interweaving here and now?
Is every cell and every pulse
Every heart in each of us
Vibrantly connected by the waves of sound?
Is everything connected in the here and now
Intertwining interweaving threads of sound?
Is every breath and every thought
Every found and every lost
Perfectly connected by the light of sound?
Is everything connected some way some how
Intertwining interweaving here and now?
Is every spark and every beam
All the dark and all the dreams
Vividly connected by the ways of sound?
Is everything connected in the here and now
Intertwining interweaving lost and found
Is every tear and every being
Every single living thing
Harmonically connected by the God of sound?
“In the beginning was the word…and the word was…God”
word…logos…light of the world…creative force…living presence…ordering principle…underlying harmonic pattern of creation…universal vibration…sound?
Anita Kruse © 2005
Call to Silence and Opening Meditation
O God of Life and Creation,
Hear our Prayers of Silence, Sound, and Word.
And We Continue to Pray:
For the Peace of the World
And a Spirit of Respect Among All Nations
That our Divisions May Cease
That We All May Be One
That We All May Be One
That We All May Be One. Amen.
Readings
A Reading from The Wall Street Journal, Friday, February 8, 2008
Mitt Romney's campaign for the presidency brought more attention to the Mormon Church than it has had in years. What the church discovered was not heartening.
Critics of its doctrines and culture launched frequent public attacks. Polling data showed that far more Americans say they'd never vote for a Mormon than those who admitted they wouldn't choose a woman or an African-American.
A Wall Street Journal/N C News poll in late January revealed that 50% of Americans said they would have reservations or be “very uncomfortable about a Mormon as president. That same poll found that 81% would be “enthusiastic” or “comfortable” with an African-American and 76% with a woman.”
The Mormon religion “was the silent factor in a lot of the decision making by evangelicals and others,” says Democratic pollster Peter Hart, who conducted the poll. The Romney campaign ran into a “religious bias head wind,” Mr. Hart and his Republican polling partner, Bill McInurff, wrote late last month.
A Reading from Luke 10:29-37
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”
He said, “The one who showed mercy on him.”
And Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
A Reading From the “New Testament of the Tao Te Ching”
“Love your neighbor as yourself,” said the Way.
Through love of neighbor do we enter into love of the Way:
For our neighbor is the image of the Way;
And thus the Way accepts what we do for our neighbor as if it were done for Him[Her].
When this realization is kept constantly in mind,
It become the source of the purest love for our neighbor.
“And who is my neighbor?” the Way was asked.
Our neighbor is whomever the Way puts before us:
Insider or outcast,
Faithful or unfaithful,
Friend or foe,
Help or burden,
Encourager or reviler,
Rescuer or murderer.
Therefore, said the Ancient Sage,
“Even if people be bad, why should they be rejected?
The holy man takes care of all people,
And in consequence there is no rejected person.”
Love for neighbor, then, is love for all equally,
And equally with ourselves.
Perfect love is the summit of detachment;
It knows no distinction between one's own and another's,
Between male and female,
Between black and white.
Such single, simple love has a single cause:
The Way Who is honored and loved in every neighbor.
Through love of neighbor do we enter into love of the Way:
And as the former grows in us, so does the latter,
Until at last the Way is all in all,
And we forget ourselves.
Then love becomes a depth of illumination,
A fountain of fire inflaming the thirsty soul.
Growth is added to growth.
Love is the progression of eternity.
Hieromonk Damascene's Christ The Eternal Tao (Valaam Books, 2004) 174-175
Call to Conversation
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