that is, my first mosque, was an amazing and emotional experience. It was Saturday, February 27 at 5:00pm when Rabbi Lynn helped Carolyn and I wrap our scarves around our heads and necks to cover our hair. She said we looked perfect.
I was uncomfortable.
We got in the car and started driving to the Mosque. I became even more nervous. I wondered if someone would mistake me for Muslim. Not for the reason you are thinking. If I was mistaken for Muslim, that would be no problem, but what if someone hurt me because I was wearing a head scarf? I was scared.
We finally arrived, and the parking lot was full, so we asked some guys in the parking lot where we should go. Lynn took our "potluck" food offering and Carolyn and I adventured to park the car. I voiced my nervousness, and she seconded it.
My nervousness now turned towards the place of worship we were about to enter. Some young men stood at the door. I was scared and wasn't really sure what to do, so I pretended like I wasn't nervous and smiled and said hello to everyone who looked at me.
We removed our shoes, then we entered what I would call the sanctuary. It was breathtaking. Deep blue tiles covered the walls and beautiful pieces of art/Arabic writings hung everywhere. There was a group of elder women sitting in the corner, and various groups of men talking and kids running around everywhere. I continued to try to smile at people.
I don't know how much time passed when a woman approached us, I will call her Angela. She smiled and asked us where we were from and why we were visiting. Then the call to evening prayer came. A few other ladies said we could sit and watch along the edge, and Angela said we could sit along the edge, or if we wanted to participate in the motions of the prayer, she would show us what to do. Throughout the prayer, and the Sufi chant/circle, she translated and shared what the words and motions signified.
We then had dinner, and the Shaykh spoke afterwards. He spoke of many things. It was Muhammad's birthday. The connection that was felt to the Prophet was visible. He spoke about watermelon and cucumber, and how similar they were. He then spoke of pretending. He said that we must admit to ourselves that we are not good people, but that we must pretend that we are. We must admit that we do not love one another as we ought, but we must pretend that we do. For if we pretend that we do, maybe one day, we will forget that we are pretending.
The woman sitting next to me, started whispering the countries of origin of the parishioners; Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Palestine, Brazil, Sudan, Russia, Ireland, she rarely repeated a country. I was amazed at the diversity.
We continued to another Sufi circle dance/chant. Again, Angel came and translated for us. There were only two phrases that I could recognize. One meant that there is no other God than God. And the other, Hi, meant Everlasting God.
We left shortly after this part of the worship. It was nearly 10:30, and the night was not over. And though it was Muhammad's birthday, this was not an extra long service, this was normal. I sank into thought. We got back to Stony Point, and I did not take my scarf off. I had become accustomed to wearing it.
all for me, for now.
katie
Monday, March 8, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Gravity....
I give thanks this day for Gravity.
It sounds a little crazy, I know. But, if you take a moment to think about it, where would we be without it? Moving slowly, floating around? Striving to hold on to the the earth's furry layer as we move about our day. Can you imagine what your day would be like if it took effort to stay attached to the earth, to be grounded? Perhaps there would be major industry built up around the idea of keeping us attached to the earth with really heavy shoes, or some sort of reverse jet pack. Yeah, and I am sure there would those radical groups out there floating around saying peace, love, and float.
In one way, no one wants to be kept down. And in another, in my life at least, I strive to stay grounded; to keep my feet on the path.
Right now, my intentional community is feeling the ripples of change. I think we have all experienced change in that ripped up, unrooting, unsettled sort of way. That kind of change can take it's toll on anyone singly, let alone a community.
I guess my prayer is that my community can experience gravity as we morph through these changes into our new realization of self. That without thought, we can stay grounded and on track. And that we can perhaps strive to be gravity for one another. Can you imagine a community that acts like gravity? A community that is constant. A community that keeps you grounded. A community that makes it possible to walk through your day, staying on your path.
It sounds a little crazy, I know. But, if you take a moment to think about it, where would we be without it? Moving slowly, floating around? Striving to hold on to the the earth's furry layer as we move about our day. Can you imagine what your day would be like if it took effort to stay attached to the earth, to be grounded? Perhaps there would be major industry built up around the idea of keeping us attached to the earth with really heavy shoes, or some sort of reverse jet pack. Yeah, and I am sure there would those radical groups out there floating around saying peace, love, and float.
In one way, no one wants to be kept down. And in another, in my life at least, I strive to stay grounded; to keep my feet on the path.
Right now, my intentional community is feeling the ripples of change. I think we have all experienced change in that ripped up, unrooting, unsettled sort of way. That kind of change can take it's toll on anyone singly, let alone a community.
I guess my prayer is that my community can experience gravity as we morph through these changes into our new realization of self. That without thought, we can stay grounded and on track. And that we can perhaps strive to be gravity for one another. Can you imagine a community that acts like gravity? A community that is constant. A community that keeps you grounded. A community that makes it possible to walk through your day, staying on your path.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
We can not sleep even though it is night....
Isaiah 21:11-12
A prophecy concerning Dumah. Someone calls to me from Seir, "Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?" The Watchman replies, "Morning is coming, but also the night. If you would ask, then ask; and come back yet again."
I heard this verse and thought, "What on earth is this sermon going to be about?" But as he spoke, I found myself leaning forward in the pew; eating every word he spout.
He spoke of the marches with Dr. King. It was night. He spoke of Jim Crow. It was night. He spoke of the first time he was jailed. It was night. He spoke of Rosa Parks. It was night. He spoke of the death of Malcom X. It was night. He then spoke of the election of Barack Obama. And how morning had come.
But, as with every day, night always falls and we must persevere until morning comes once more.
There are people without food, water and shelter. It is night. There are students chained to educative debt. It is night. There are pollutants seeping into our Mother Earth and killing her. It is night. There are sick and dying without access to healthcare. It is night. There is war. It is night. There is racism, classism, sexism, ageism, heterosexism, inequality of every degree, rampant in our country. It is night.
We can not sleep even though it is night. We must persevere until the morning.
I have never dreamed that I would ever be in a position to hear Rev. Jesse Jackson speak. It was as though we were of two separate worlds. And in a way, perhaps we were. But we are no longer. I hope that what I heard in his sermon and have relayed here touches you as it has touched me.
peace be to you all.
katie
A prophecy concerning Dumah. Someone calls to me from Seir, "Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?" The Watchman replies, "Morning is coming, but also the night. If you would ask, then ask; and come back yet again."
I heard this verse and thought, "What on earth is this sermon going to be about?" But as he spoke, I found myself leaning forward in the pew; eating every word he spout.
He spoke of the marches with Dr. King. It was night. He spoke of Jim Crow. It was night. He spoke of the first time he was jailed. It was night. He spoke of Rosa Parks. It was night. He spoke of the death of Malcom X. It was night. He then spoke of the election of Barack Obama. And how morning had come.
But, as with every day, night always falls and we must persevere until morning comes once more.
There are people without food, water and shelter. It is night. There are students chained to educative debt. It is night. There are pollutants seeping into our Mother Earth and killing her. It is night. There are sick and dying without access to healthcare. It is night. There is war. It is night. There is racism, classism, sexism, ageism, heterosexism, inequality of every degree, rampant in our country. It is night.
We can not sleep even though it is night. We must persevere until the morning.
I have never dreamed that I would ever be in a position to hear Rev. Jesse Jackson speak. It was as though we were of two separate worlds. And in a way, perhaps we were. But we are no longer. I hope that what I heard in his sermon and have relayed here touches you as it has touched me.
peace be to you all.
katie
Saturday, February 20, 2010
A Welcoming....
I was officially welcomed at lunch yesterday. All of the volunteers who were present sang me a song and I was given a gift. Don't get too excited, it was a Stony Point coffee mug, with a satchel inside. Contained in the satchel was an eraser, a penny, a marble, a rubber band, a string and some chocolate hugs and kisses accompanied by a piece of paper.
It reads:
Stony Point Resident Survival Kit
An eraser, so you can always correct your mistakes.
A penny, so you need never feel you're broke.
A marble, in case someone says you've lost all of yours.
A rubber band, to stretch yourself beyond your limits.
A string, to tie things together when everything falls apart.
And hugs and kisses to remind you that we are here for you.
It was agreed that it is slightly corny, but incredibly true.
I also celebrated my first sabbat last night. That may be incorrectly spelled or worded. It was quite a beautiful dinner at the Shomer Shalom house where Lynn and Carolyn are living. Shomer Shalom means Keeping Peace. Lynn said the blessing of the wine and the only word I recognized was l'haim (also probably spelled wrong) and then the blessing on the bread--there was the most amazing honey butter on earth. A delightful dish of brown rice, veggies and fried tofu as well as a cucumber yogurt salad. We sat around and talked and I enjoyed the company immensely.
I do have a bunch of photos of Stony Point Center and of the town itself, and I was going to try to add a slideshow on the blog, and I may still in the future, but not this morning. So, here is a link to the photos on facebook so you can see where I am. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=185425&id=532274918&l=333efff641
all for me, for now.
katie
It reads:
Stony Point Resident Survival Kit
An eraser, so you can always correct your mistakes.
A penny, so you need never feel you're broke.
A marble, in case someone says you've lost all of yours.
A rubber band, to stretch yourself beyond your limits.
A string, to tie things together when everything falls apart.
And hugs and kisses to remind you that we are here for you.
It was agreed that it is slightly corny, but incredibly true.
I also celebrated my first sabbat last night. That may be incorrectly spelled or worded. It was quite a beautiful dinner at the Shomer Shalom house where Lynn and Carolyn are living. Shomer Shalom means Keeping Peace. Lynn said the blessing of the wine and the only word I recognized was l'haim (also probably spelled wrong) and then the blessing on the bread--there was the most amazing honey butter on earth. A delightful dish of brown rice, veggies and fried tofu as well as a cucumber yogurt salad. We sat around and talked and I enjoyed the company immensely.
I do have a bunch of photos of Stony Point Center and of the town itself, and I was going to try to add a slideshow on the blog, and I may still in the future, but not this morning. So, here is a link to the photos on facebook so you can see where I am. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=185425&id=532274918&l=333efff641
all for me, for now.
katie
Thursday, February 18, 2010
A True Beginning of Consciousness...
So, I went to a Lent sevice last night. I haven't been to an Ash Wednesday service for years. I honestly don't remember the last time. But, I got to go last night. And the local Presby Church here in Stony Point is just a half mile down the road and is such a beautiful church, with a rather small congregation. The pastor has an inter-faith background, and wasn't Presbyterian when she began there, and is going to Peru in June. It was a nice service, we were invited to come and be in a very non-traditional way, with very traditional verses and songs. It was quite a dichotomy.
It seems quite poignant that my first day at Stony Point is the first day of Lent. I have not observed Lent for some time, and it was usually on accident. I hadn't decided to give something up until our resident Rabbi was unsure if she should offer me wine, and as a joke, I said wine was fine, I had given up coffee. I had been thinking that I was just going to take this time here at Stony Point during Lent to be purposefully intentional; with my blog, my relationships, with my actions, with my life. I feel like that could be just as meaningful, if not moreso, than depriving myself of coffee. Today, however, I realized that I am going to give the no coffee thing a real shot. I had three opportunities to partake of the good brew today, and something tugged me. I did say I gave it up. I should be impeccable with my word.
On a side note of interest, I have been asked more than seven times in the past twenty-four hours if I was Presbyterian. I found it kind of strange to ask that considering I drank wine with a female Rabbi, one of the co-directors here at SP is Quaker, many of the Christian volunteers don't go to church and many more don't know what they believe. This is not a judging statement, so please don't confuse it for one. I just found it interesting that to get to know me, I needed to be categorized and labeled. It made me wonder about that radical hospitality that I spoke of before. Is it possible to uncategorically accept, understand and appreciate someone for who they are, as they are, when we are so many, many different things all at once?
Another aside, I am so excited about being here. I have so much to learn from the people who have chosen to be here with me. And now, I must revel in the lesson of the YAV, just be. For that is when community forms, and fellow volunteers become peers, who in turn become friends.
Viva la revolucion.
katie
It seems quite poignant that my first day at Stony Point is the first day of Lent. I have not observed Lent for some time, and it was usually on accident. I hadn't decided to give something up until our resident Rabbi was unsure if she should offer me wine, and as a joke, I said wine was fine, I had given up coffee. I had been thinking that I was just going to take this time here at Stony Point during Lent to be purposefully intentional; with my blog, my relationships, with my actions, with my life. I feel like that could be just as meaningful, if not moreso, than depriving myself of coffee. Today, however, I realized that I am going to give the no coffee thing a real shot. I had three opportunities to partake of the good brew today, and something tugged me. I did say I gave it up. I should be impeccable with my word.
On a side note of interest, I have been asked more than seven times in the past twenty-four hours if I was Presbyterian. I found it kind of strange to ask that considering I drank wine with a female Rabbi, one of the co-directors here at SP is Quaker, many of the Christian volunteers don't go to church and many more don't know what they believe. This is not a judging statement, so please don't confuse it for one. I just found it interesting that to get to know me, I needed to be categorized and labeled. It made me wonder about that radical hospitality that I spoke of before. Is it possible to uncategorically accept, understand and appreciate someone for who they are, as they are, when we are so many, many different things all at once?
Another aside, I am so excited about being here. I have so much to learn from the people who have chosen to be here with me. And now, I must revel in the lesson of the YAV, just be. For that is when community forms, and fellow volunteers become peers, who in turn become friends.
Viva la revolucion.
katie
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Another New Beginning...
Well, I find myself sitting in my new, reminiscently dorm-style room in the 700s sector of the Beta building basement on the Stony Point Center complex. I haven't really seen much of the grounds yet. This morning was spent barely functioning after my red-eye flight from Seattle to Newark (have I mentioned that this is my second flight of the year, my second red-eye flight of the year??---I think the Peruvian habit of night travel may have been ingrained in my psyche). Anyway, I had breakfast and met a slew of people and slept through lunch. I unpacked and found that my shampoo bottle top was ripped off somewhere in transit and seeped out of the protective plastic bag and onto the majority of my clothes, so I washed those this afternoon. In doing so, I stumbled upon a book called Radical Hospitality.
It is about the Benedictine Rule of hospitality. It talks about love and a spiritual longing for connection, how simple and secular human spirituality is, and the monastic way of life. It is speaking bounds to me right now; especially the word acceptance. The writer's describe acceptance as a loaded word. it is not just merely tolerating someone else (and their views and life), but accepting them for who they are in this very moment and relishing in that joy. It's funny because I have been trying to come up with a better word for tolerance, a word with a positive connotation, and I believe that acceptance is that word.
The book's introduction also speaks about hospitality, monastic hospitality. It doesn't involve itineraries or programming plans. It is a hospitality that I am already experiencing here at Stony Point. It centers on the idea of being welcoming and available, while maintaining an unforceful nature. I have been asked questions about how I got here, but nothing too in depth. And I have been told more than once not to worry too much about starting work just yet--there will be time for that later. Right now, I should learn some names, and sleep a lot, and get used to being here. Part of me was a little apprehensive that no one had knocked on my door, and I must admit that I had flashbacks to my first two weeks of college freshman year. Nervous, unsure, scared even. But, I took a moment and took a breath. Everyone I have approached has listened to me and asked me questions and were very amiable. No need to fret.
So, that is my very limited view of my first ten hours at SPC.
Stay tuned for more....
It is about the Benedictine Rule of hospitality. It talks about love and a spiritual longing for connection, how simple and secular human spirituality is, and the monastic way of life. It is speaking bounds to me right now; especially the word acceptance. The writer's describe acceptance as a loaded word. it is not just merely tolerating someone else (and their views and life), but accepting them for who they are in this very moment and relishing in that joy. It's funny because I have been trying to come up with a better word for tolerance, a word with a positive connotation, and I believe that acceptance is that word.
The book's introduction also speaks about hospitality, monastic hospitality. It doesn't involve itineraries or programming plans. It is a hospitality that I am already experiencing here at Stony Point. It centers on the idea of being welcoming and available, while maintaining an unforceful nature. I have been asked questions about how I got here, but nothing too in depth. And I have been told more than once not to worry too much about starting work just yet--there will be time for that later. Right now, I should learn some names, and sleep a lot, and get used to being here. Part of me was a little apprehensive that no one had knocked on my door, and I must admit that I had flashbacks to my first two weeks of college freshman year. Nervous, unsure, scared even. But, I took a moment and took a breath. Everyone I have approached has listened to me and asked me questions and were very amiable. No need to fret.
So, that is my very limited view of my first ten hours at SPC.
Stay tuned for more....
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Explanations....
Well, this is my first intentional blog.
I have spent the past seven months readjusting to life in the United States after living in Lima, Peru for one year. It has been hard. It has been good. My time in Peru has changed me and the focus of my life inexplicably. Suffice it to say before Peru I thought I would end up an English Professor at a Community College, and in one weeks time I am moving to Stony Point, NY to work at a conference center and to live in an intentional multifaith community dedicated to peace and non-violence. I am not exactly sure what the future holds for me, but I am undoubtedly heading there, and plan to keep this blog along the way.
I hope to include book reviews, thoughts on God (god, goddess, the power of the universe, etc...), anecdotes from community, struggles, personal revelation and insights.
Thank you for paying attention, being involved and loving all that you do.
To the REVOLUTION!
katie
I have spent the past seven months readjusting to life in the United States after living in Lima, Peru for one year. It has been hard. It has been good. My time in Peru has changed me and the focus of my life inexplicably. Suffice it to say before Peru I thought I would end up an English Professor at a Community College, and in one weeks time I am moving to Stony Point, NY to work at a conference center and to live in an intentional multifaith community dedicated to peace and non-violence. I am not exactly sure what the future holds for me, but I am undoubtedly heading there, and plan to keep this blog along the way.
I hope to include book reviews, thoughts on God (god, goddess, the power of the universe, etc...), anecdotes from community, struggles, personal revelation and insights.
Thank you for paying attention, being involved and loving all that you do.
To the REVOLUTION!
katie
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