The week after I attended the Quaker Meeting I attended St. Gregory of Nyssa. This is an Episcopalian church. I heard about this congregation from my dance class because they have a couple of congregational dances in their service.
When you walk into the church, technically you walk into a part of the worship space. It is mostly wood! The room you walk into is octagonal in shape and around the top are 90 dancing saints painted in a mural! It is quite a magnificant site! We all congregate in this room with the saints and then the priests or leaders lead us into the worship space. The congregation is divided in half and they face each other. In between the two sections of cogregation is a runway of sorts. At the far end is the area where the priest sits and some of the other worship leaders. At the closer end, are some poles with banners on them and then the lectern where the scripture was read.
They sing all of their liturgy. In addition to singing the liturgy, they just sing alot! Something I appreciated about their service was after each of the scripture readings and the sermon, they rang these bowls and everyone sat in silence to reflect and meditate on the "Word" and on the priest's message. How appropriate to reflect on what the Spirit is trying to communicate with us. Then after his message and the silence, he asked if anyone felt they needed to share soemthing with the community. Following these reflections the whole community porcessed back into the room we had originally come from by form of a dance. We were connected to each other by putting our right hand on the shoulder of the person in front of us. We processed as a congregation around the communion alter. We participated in communion and then we closed with a circle dance as a community!
It was just a very rich and neat experience. After the service, I stayed for a prayer study. The man leading it had been a monk for 6 years. He asked each of us to think about our prayer life for a minute. Then we were to reflect on how we felt about our prayer life and what we hoped to receive from the prayer studies.
It was so enriching to hear each story. To hear where their prayer life began and where it is now, some came full circle some were just beginning, some were wanting something different. but as I wrote some of the significant comments made by people it was obvious several things were at the heart of everyone there...hunger for something more, something deeper; yearning; wanting to be connected; a friendship with a higher being...it was so powerful to hear other people struggling to understand this connection we have to this great mysterious being and all of us wanting that connection to be more intimate!
WOW to think we didn't use any curriculum...we just shared our personal story of prayer! Loved it!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Shhhh...Quakers
I had the opportunity a few weeks ago to attend a quaker meeting for sunday service! this particular meeting was unstructured which means there is no opening prayer, no "sermon", no hymns, etc. Basically the moment you walk into the sacred space, you begin your worship. There services are completely silent until someone feels the Holy Spirit has given them a message they feel is not just for them but for the community at large. The service I attended we sat in about 30-40 minutes of silence before someone stood to speak! It is very judgemental of me but this is just my perception! It seemed some were very in tune with the Holy Spirit and then others were just talking to get to talk! It was interesting to hear what people felt the Spirit wanted them to say!
There were not many young adults or children within the community. The children come in for the last 5 minutes or so. The service ends when the "clerk" starts a handshake. Everyone then begins passing handshakes. This is the end of the service.
It was an interesting service. I actually loved the silence. I liked basically being forced to be quiet and listen to God and Spirit! Isn't it sad that we have to have something force us to shut up and listen to God's voice in our life!
There were not many young adults or children within the community. The children come in for the last 5 minutes or so. The service ends when the "clerk" starts a handshake. Everyone then begins passing handshakes. This is the end of the service.
It was an interesting service. I actually loved the silence. I liked basically being forced to be quiet and listen to God and Spirit! Isn't it sad that we have to have something force us to shut up and listen to God's voice in our life!
Camp Gualala or bust!
One of the students at PSR (Pacific School of Religion) works at a church aobut 20 minutes east of Berkeley. He had arranged for his youth group to go on a retreat this past weekend but for some reason no one signed up to go. So he sent out emails to all of the young adults in his church offering this retreat to them. No takers! So he sent out an email to several students at PSR letting us know his church had reserved this camp and if we wante to go, we could and it wouldn't cost anything! So about 20 PSR students loaded up and took off for Camp Gualala about 3 hours north of Berkeley. We left about 6:30pm and arrived at Camp about 9pm. I drove and the last hour of the trip was curvy, curvy, curvy oh did I say curvy roads. At one point, I had to slam on my brakes because I couldn't find the road it cut back so much! It wouldn't have been such a big deal if the yellow lines in the center were still there but they weren't so it literally looked like the road ended and there was no where to go! Eek! At some points, in true mountain road fashion, it was one lane although it didn't warn us it was going to be one lane! Very surprising sometimes! We did make it without any major hitches! Couple of our passengers did get car sick...no bueno but no messes! :-) When we arrived, we pulled up in front of this big lodge! The bottom floor is jsut a big Great Room with huge fireplace and a kitchen in the corner. In one corner there were the log stairs that led up to the bedrooms. It was a huge log cabin basically!
In the bathroom stalls there was a sign that read like this:
Toilet Directions
( and you thought you knew)
If its pee, let it be (put toilet paper in trash can)
If its brown flush it down with tp
I can't remember what the very bottom said but basically thanks for helping with the stewardship of the water usage or something and the waste system of the camp!
That was very different! It was such a refreshing weekend! Friday night we did a processional to the river. We carried incense and candles to the river. We sang "down to the river" from Oh Brother Where Art Thou.
There was this big suspension bridge that was suspended from two enormous Redwood trees! It would swing when you walked on it! It reminded me of the bridges in moives where one of the cables starts coming apart and one side falls and everyone is hanging on for dear life! Nothing like that happened but we wouldn't have fallen very far so it might have been fun! hehehe
there were huge Redwood trees and one had a sign on it saying it was 2400 years old! That is older than Jesus! hehehe One tree had been cut down, it looked like becasue of a fire! One of the guys laid down and its diameter was bigger than his heigth. It was probably 8 feet in diameter! WOW, that is big! On Saturday about 5 or 6 of us went on a hike on the Dogwood trail! It was a very beautiful hike! There was a creek and lots of fallen trees for us to climb on and over! I felt like a kid again! I did make out with a big bruise on my thigh from hitting in on a tree!
the meals were amazing! Definitely not like any camp food I have had before! Yolanda and Tom cooked very good for us! Saturday we had pancakes, yogurt, cereal, eggs, and bacon! then we had strawberry or peach topping for our pancakes not to mention the syrup and whip cream to go on top. Orange juice and granola to go on top of the yogurt! OH it was mighty fine! Mmmm! Hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch with an awesome dessert! they had every topping you could have possibly imagined for your burger! OH so many choices! Dinner was a mexican casserole! Breakfast on Sunday was french toast, eggs, bacon, yogurt and all the fixings!
We watched some movies. I taught some ballroom dancing to some of them! We had a communion service on Saturday night! We played some games and even read some! I spent alot of time in front of the fireplace because it was pretty darn chilly there! Oh my! I actually slept in front of the fire! It reminded me of being at my grandpa's in Kansas! I would always sleep in front of the fireplace cause I'm the only one that wouldn't get too hot!
On our way home a group of us followed HWY 1 along the coast! That was breathtaking! The first 30 minutes from the camp to the HWY was right through the forrest! It was like we were in the jungle! The ocean was...I don't know that I have words for it! The coast is rocky and it would jut out here and there...rocks poking up out of the water making its presence known! Then the ocean just went on and on and on for as far as you could see! You would think this was the first time to see the ocean...it wasn't but everytime I am in awe to think the one who created me created such a beautiful landscape for me to be in awe and wonder! We stopped at a beach a ways down the coast! We cooked some hot dogs on our drift wood fire! We laid out some blankets and sheets. Admired the ocean. Felt the sand. Soaked up the sun! big breath and sign! Amazing! We played apples to apples on the beach for a bit and then we all just laid down and took a nap! It was a wonderful afternoon just cruising along the coast...once again kinda like the movies! hey it really exists in really life too! Awesome!
Just a side note: Apparently Camp gualala is for sale! Like 500 some odd acres for $1.7 million. So if you happen to have some spare cash laying around...buy it and I can think of lots of things I could do with it! And you would fall in love with it too! hehehe
In the bathroom stalls there was a sign that read like this:
Toilet Directions
( and you thought you knew)
If its pee, let it be (put toilet paper in trash can)
If its brown flush it down with tp
I can't remember what the very bottom said but basically thanks for helping with the stewardship of the water usage or something and the waste system of the camp!
That was very different! It was such a refreshing weekend! Friday night we did a processional to the river. We carried incense and candles to the river. We sang "down to the river" from Oh Brother Where Art Thou.
There was this big suspension bridge that was suspended from two enormous Redwood trees! It would swing when you walked on it! It reminded me of the bridges in moives where one of the cables starts coming apart and one side falls and everyone is hanging on for dear life! Nothing like that happened but we wouldn't have fallen very far so it might have been fun! hehehe
there were huge Redwood trees and one had a sign on it saying it was 2400 years old! That is older than Jesus! hehehe One tree had been cut down, it looked like becasue of a fire! One of the guys laid down and its diameter was bigger than his heigth. It was probably 8 feet in diameter! WOW, that is big! On Saturday about 5 or 6 of us went on a hike on the Dogwood trail! It was a very beautiful hike! There was a creek and lots of fallen trees for us to climb on and over! I felt like a kid again! I did make out with a big bruise on my thigh from hitting in on a tree!
the meals were amazing! Definitely not like any camp food I have had before! Yolanda and Tom cooked very good for us! Saturday we had pancakes, yogurt, cereal, eggs, and bacon! then we had strawberry or peach topping for our pancakes not to mention the syrup and whip cream to go on top. Orange juice and granola to go on top of the yogurt! OH it was mighty fine! Mmmm! Hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch with an awesome dessert! they had every topping you could have possibly imagined for your burger! OH so many choices! Dinner was a mexican casserole! Breakfast on Sunday was french toast, eggs, bacon, yogurt and all the fixings!
We watched some movies. I taught some ballroom dancing to some of them! We had a communion service on Saturday night! We played some games and even read some! I spent alot of time in front of the fireplace because it was pretty darn chilly there! Oh my! I actually slept in front of the fire! It reminded me of being at my grandpa's in Kansas! I would always sleep in front of the fireplace cause I'm the only one that wouldn't get too hot!
On our way home a group of us followed HWY 1 along the coast! That was breathtaking! The first 30 minutes from the camp to the HWY was right through the forrest! It was like we were in the jungle! The ocean was...I don't know that I have words for it! The coast is rocky and it would jut out here and there...rocks poking up out of the water making its presence known! Then the ocean just went on and on and on for as far as you could see! You would think this was the first time to see the ocean...it wasn't but everytime I am in awe to think the one who created me created such a beautiful landscape for me to be in awe and wonder! We stopped at a beach a ways down the coast! We cooked some hot dogs on our drift wood fire! We laid out some blankets and sheets. Admired the ocean. Felt the sand. Soaked up the sun! big breath and sign! Amazing! We played apples to apples on the beach for a bit and then we all just laid down and took a nap! It was a wonderful afternoon just cruising along the coast...once again kinda like the movies! hey it really exists in really life too! Awesome!
Just a side note: Apparently Camp gualala is for sale! Like 500 some odd acres for $1.7 million. So if you happen to have some spare cash laying around...buy it and I can think of lots of things I could do with it! And you would fall in love with it too! hehehe
Riding bikes with Alvin
just from the title I'm sure you have already said "oh no!"...well that is exactly what I said when Alvin asked if I wanted to ride bikes! First let me back up and explain how I believe this came up!
I decided to go outside and read my school books instead of being cooped up in the house on such a beautiful day! So as normal Alvin tends to follow me and see what it is that I am doing! He comes out and asks what I'm doing...I reply reading books for class! So he begins to just wander around the backyard where I'm reading. In the basement are two bicycles, Bob (his son) brought for me to use if I needed them. I haven't used them much because I think it is easier to walk up the gigantic hills than to ride up them! Anyways I notice Alvin became fascinated with these bikes! I almost already had a sense this wasn't going to be good, but he forgets things so I thought that might happen! Well he went back inside and I went in to check some things on the computer and he comes up and asks the magical question...would you like to go ride bikes? Well several things went through my mind 1) You just turned 89 years old, when was the last time you rode a bike? 2) you have demensia...this could be interesting 3) I still had things I needed to work on but i knew it would crush him... So I said sure I'll go ride bikes with you!
We pull out the bikes and we take them over to the street. It was quite apparent it has been a while since he had been on a bicycle. He just couldn't get it going! So he tells me he is just going to use the downhill slope to get going! Oh no! So he turns his bike to go down hill and off he goes! Somehow he ends up on the sidewalk and out of my sight! I feel like I am watching my kid and now I can't see him! AAAaaaahhhh! Finally, there he is! He is stopped by this point but still heading in a direction that will give him some boost for his ride. Well we both get going and things seem ok! Just keep in mind this is with several times of him trying to get his bikes going, him scooting along on the bike! We get to a street that is very busy so I tell him we have to turn around. We head back toward the house and since we have stopped it takes him quite a bit to get going again. I decide there is a block we can go around and be pretty confidant there won't be much traffic. So he is scootin' along and gets going. I am ahead of him just a bit and see a truck coming along the road we are going to turn on so I circle back to just let him know to watch for the truck...thinking he won't stop but just watch out! Nope! He stops! So this means he has to get going again and for some reason he stays right next to all the parked cars to do this. So he is bumping into cars and scootin' and refuses any help! So we get to the corner to turn to go back to the house and I am once again just a bit in front of him and I hear and see him fall! He didn't fall all the way down but he and the bike fell into a car and then the bike continued to crash to the ground. He caught himself on the car! so I rush over to check on him. He hops up and I urge him just to walk to bike back to the house..."No I'm fine. I can do this" Me- "I know you can do it but the house is right there." Him- "No I'm fine. I'll ride to the house!" There is no use arguing with him!
So I think that once we get back he will be done with it. As many times I am, I am wrong! We put the bikes up and I am getting ready to go into the house when I notice he is getting his bike back out! What are you doing, I ask. Him- "I'm going to just practice here in the back yard until I get it down." Me- "I think you have done good for today. Why don't we put the bike up and we can practice tomorrow." Him- "No, I won't take it on the street but I am going to practice here." Me- "I'm just afraid you will be sore tomorrow and you won't be able to move" Him- "No, I won't be sore tomorrow. I won't take it on the street but I'm just going to practice here in the back yard."
I will say that was probably one of the most frightening and sad moments of my life! He wanted to ride so bad and yet just couldn't quite get it! I hope I always have the courage to try something even though it seems impossible to do so! Oh the lessons Alvin is teaching me!
I decided to go outside and read my school books instead of being cooped up in the house on such a beautiful day! So as normal Alvin tends to follow me and see what it is that I am doing! He comes out and asks what I'm doing...I reply reading books for class! So he begins to just wander around the backyard where I'm reading. In the basement are two bicycles, Bob (his son) brought for me to use if I needed them. I haven't used them much because I think it is easier to walk up the gigantic hills than to ride up them! Anyways I notice Alvin became fascinated with these bikes! I almost already had a sense this wasn't going to be good, but he forgets things so I thought that might happen! Well he went back inside and I went in to check some things on the computer and he comes up and asks the magical question...would you like to go ride bikes? Well several things went through my mind 1) You just turned 89 years old, when was the last time you rode a bike? 2) you have demensia...this could be interesting 3) I still had things I needed to work on but i knew it would crush him... So I said sure I'll go ride bikes with you!
We pull out the bikes and we take them over to the street. It was quite apparent it has been a while since he had been on a bicycle. He just couldn't get it going! So he tells me he is just going to use the downhill slope to get going! Oh no! So he turns his bike to go down hill and off he goes! Somehow he ends up on the sidewalk and out of my sight! I feel like I am watching my kid and now I can't see him! AAAaaaahhhh! Finally, there he is! He is stopped by this point but still heading in a direction that will give him some boost for his ride. Well we both get going and things seem ok! Just keep in mind this is with several times of him trying to get his bikes going, him scooting along on the bike! We get to a street that is very busy so I tell him we have to turn around. We head back toward the house and since we have stopped it takes him quite a bit to get going again. I decide there is a block we can go around and be pretty confidant there won't be much traffic. So he is scootin' along and gets going. I am ahead of him just a bit and see a truck coming along the road we are going to turn on so I circle back to just let him know to watch for the truck...thinking he won't stop but just watch out! Nope! He stops! So this means he has to get going again and for some reason he stays right next to all the parked cars to do this. So he is bumping into cars and scootin' and refuses any help! So we get to the corner to turn to go back to the house and I am once again just a bit in front of him and I hear and see him fall! He didn't fall all the way down but he and the bike fell into a car and then the bike continued to crash to the ground. He caught himself on the car! so I rush over to check on him. He hops up and I urge him just to walk to bike back to the house..."No I'm fine. I can do this" Me- "I know you can do it but the house is right there." Him- "No I'm fine. I'll ride to the house!" There is no use arguing with him!
So I think that once we get back he will be done with it. As many times I am, I am wrong! We put the bikes up and I am getting ready to go into the house when I notice he is getting his bike back out! What are you doing, I ask. Him- "I'm going to just practice here in the back yard until I get it down." Me- "I think you have done good for today. Why don't we put the bike up and we can practice tomorrow." Him- "No, I won't take it on the street but I am going to practice here." Me- "I'm just afraid you will be sore tomorrow and you won't be able to move" Him- "No, I won't be sore tomorrow. I won't take it on the street but I'm just going to practice here in the back yard."
I will say that was probably one of the most frightening and sad moments of my life! He wanted to ride so bad and yet just couldn't quite get it! I hope I always have the courage to try something even though it seems impossible to do so! Oh the lessons Alvin is teaching me!
Honk, Honk, there's a Bonk!
Well Tay I used your amazing phrase to title this blog! This is more of a vent than anything! It is unbelievable (side note as I was typing this a song that was on the radio was singing unbelievable...that is just unbelieveable!) how many people honk here! I mean honk at anything and everything at anytime! I was walking the other day and a car coming from the top of the hill was already honking because a car at the bottom was trying to turn! HOOOOOOOOOONK! coming all the way down the hill! Crazy! Then someone who has the right of way was going around a curve and a car who was supposed to have been stopped was trying to turn into the path of the car with the right-of-way and started honking at said car! Crazy! I would be interested to know the percentages of horn repairs in California compared to Oklahoma!
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