Save the Date – Aramaic Lord’s Prayer and Dance – December 11

From brother Murad Phil:

Mark your calendars for a very special event, the Aramaic Lord’s Prayer cycle of dance

Keystone Congregational Church,
5019 Keystone Pl N, Seattle, WA 98103.
Wednesday, Dec. 11 @ 7:30 pm
(to celebrate and dance the Aramaic Lord’s Prayer).

Once again we will be steeping in the words of Yeshua (Jesus) in his native tongue, Aramaic, joining in his breath, giving ourselves to his profound invitation and guidance for realizing the Christ presence within.

Through his prayer, Yeshua beckons us to surrender to the immense and timeless longing at the depths of our being. Dancing, chanting and breathing the native words of his prayer, gradually or all at once, we sense our dance becoming one with the root movement of Creation.

May we offer our dance as an act of surrender into this universal movement at the core of our being, that we may emerge with renewed clarity, vitality and compassion. Especially during times when our human family is deeply divided and polarized, it becomes all the more vital that we renew our connection to the inner sources of strength, peace, and compassion. Many of us have found the Aramaic prayer cycle to be a potent vehicle for the journey.

I, personally, will be preparing by meditating and praying with each line, one at a time per 5 to 7 day periods. If you feel drawn to do so, you are most welcome to join me. I will be sending out brief reminders as we move from one line to the next. The practice can be anything that works for you. For me, it can be anything from meditating on a line over a period of some time, chanting with simple body practices, or simply sensing the
subtle energetic qualities awakened by each line even if only in a brief moment of silence.

Please come and add your vitally important breath and presence!

Starting now with the first line:

Abwoon d’bwashmaya

[translations by Neil Douglas Klotz, PhD. (aka Murshid Saadi)]

O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos, you create all that moves in light.

O Thou! The Breathing Life of all, Creator of the Shimmering Sound that
touches us.

Respiration of all worlds, we hear you breathing – in and out – in silence.

Source of Sound: in the war and the whisper, in the breeze and the
whirlwind, we hear your Name.

Radiant One: You shine within us, outside us – even darkness shines – when
we remember.

Name of the names, our small identity unravels in your, you give it back as
a lesson. Wordless Action, Silent Potency – where years and eyes awakened,
their heaven comes.

O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos!

Whidbey Zikr this Sunday

If you are joining us from this side of the pond, we meet at about 4:45 or so in the parking lot in front of the Azteca Mexican Restaurant (across the street from the QFC) on the Mukilteo Speedway to carpool to the ferry.

From brother Hassan:

Nov. 11th
Monthly Whidbey Zikr Circle
Unity of Whidbey
5671 Crawford Rd, Langley, WA

6:00 p.m. Community Potluck
7:30 p.m. Zikr Allah
(425) 788-1617 

Beloveds,
Please join us for our monthly Zikr Circle and Potluck.  Wakil and I will be accompanied by Yana Viniko on keyboard and Khalid Ron Ward on drums, perhaps others.   Let’s warm our hearts as we welcome winter!

Much Love, Many Blessings,
Hassan

An Autumn Poem – She Let Go

As we witness the last of the blazing fire-colored leaves released to the welcoming earth, this poetry by Safire Rose felt perfect and appropriate.

She Let Go

by Safire Rose

She let go.

She let go. Without a thought or a word, she let go.

She let go of the fear.

She let go of the judgments.

She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head.

She let go of the committee of indecision within her.

She let go of all the ‘right’ reasons.

Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go.

She didn’t ask anyone for advice.

She didn’t read a book on how to let go.

She didn’t search the scriptures.

She just let go.

She let go of all of the memories that held her back.

She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward.

She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.

She didn’t promise to let go.

She didn’t journal about it.

She didn’t write the projected date in her Day-Timer.

She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper.

She didn’t check the weather report or read her daily horoscope.

She just let go.

She didn’t analyze whether she should let go.

She didn’t call her friends to discuss the matter.

She didn’t do a five-step Spiritual Mind Treatment.

She didn’t call the prayer line.

She didn’t utter one word.

She just let go.

No one was around when it happened.

There was no applause or congratulations.

No one thanked her or praised her.

No one noticed a thing.

Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go.

There was no effort.

There was no struggle.

It wasn’t good and it wasn’t bad.

It was what it was, and it is just that.

In the space of letting go, she let it all be.

A small smile came over her face.

A light breeze blew through her.

And the sun and the moon shone forevermore…

Shoreline: Last Chance to Peace Dance until Spring

NOTE: AFTER this Friday, we will begin our Winter Hiatus. Watch for announcements in the Spring.

Friday, November 8th, 2019, 7:30-9:30pm

LAST SHORELINE PEACE DANCE UNTIL SPRING

~NAMASTE YOGA STUDIO
The Evergreen Building
18021 15th Ave NE, Suite 101
Shoreline, WA 98155
map- Namaste Yoga Studio

Ample Parking
ADA accessible
~Suggested donation $5-15. You are welcome regardless of funds.
Got Questions?
Ginger Hayra, 206 546-6092
Shoreline PeaceDancing.org

Namaste Yoga Studio is a beautiful and inspiring place to meet! 
Namaste Yoga Studio

Poetry from St Mary Oliver

Life has been full to overflowing lately so these posts have fallen off a bit. I hope to get back to regular posting soon.

The always wise Mary Oliver helps us remember that every moment is sacred.

MOCKINGBIRDS

This morning
two mockingbirds
in the green field
were spinning and tossing

the white ribbons
of their songs
into the air.
I had nothing

better to do
than listen.
I mean this
seriously.

In Greece,
a long time ago,
an old couple
opened their door

to two strangers
who were,
it soon appeared,
not men at all,

but gods.
It is my favorite story–
how the old couple
had almost nothing to give

but their willingness
to be attentive–
but for this alone
the gods loved them

and blessed them–
when they rose
out of their mortal bodies,
like a million particles of water

from a fountain,
the light
swept into all the corners
of the cottage,

and the old couple,
shaken with understanding,
bowed down–
but still they asked for nothing

but the difficult life
which they had already.
And the gods smiled, as they vanished,
clapping their great wings.

Wherever it was
I was supposed to be
this morning–
whatever it was I said

I would be doing–
I was standing
at the edge of the field–
I was hurrying

through my own soul,
opening its dark doors–
I was leaning out;
I was listening. 

~ Mary Oliver ~ 

Dances of Universal Peace Wednesday

From dear sister Elizabeth:

Dear dancing friends

At our dance tomorrow (Wednesday October 30) , we will have an altar for anyone to bring a picture or remembrance of an ancestor or other loved one who has passed through the veil… Come and join us as we dance and sing in celebration of the cycles of life! 7:30 PM at Keystone church in Wallingford.

We look forward to sharing these precious moments with you,

Elizabeth and Lesley

Meditation Class in Mukilteo & Peace Chorus Concert

October 24 – 6:45 PM

From our dear friends Kimya and Khalid Paul:

Dear Friends,
We are excited to facilitate another community meditation and discussion at the Mukilteo Library in the meeting room on Thursday, Oct. 24th from 6:45-7:45.

Meditation will be about 30 minutes with some introduction beforehand and a short discussion afterward. We are looking forward to being with you all. Feel free to invite friends.

Mukilteo Library- 4675 Harbour Pointe Blvd 

In harmony,
Kim and Paul Kramer

The Seattle Peace Chorus is proud to present our up-coming concerts, People of the Drum, in honor of Native Americans and their contributions to our nation, community, and environment. We wish to express our solidarity with them and with their struggle for identity and cultural preservation.

Our concert program represents a collaboration with our Native American communities and features music composed by Frederick N. West, the director of the Seattle Peace Chorus.

Native American singers, drummers, storytellers, and tribal elders will be an integral part of our concert.

Native American tribes in the United States have struggled for years to uphold treaties that protect their rights to fishing, hunting, and preservation of their sacred grounds. This work will include poetic renderings of these and other legacies, including the Navajo prayer “Beauty before us, beauty behind us, we walk in beauty; it is finished in beauty.”

We present this concert at two Native American sites in Seattle with limited seating: Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, and the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center.

Featured Artists
Frederick N. West, Director Seattle Peace Chorus and composer of the musical program
Sondra Segundo, Haida singer
Johnny Moses, Tulalip storyteller
Kevin Locke, Lakota hoop dancer, storyteller, and Native American flute expert (Duwamish Longhouse only)
Professional chamber orchestra
Edie Loyer Nelson, Duwamish tribal elder

Thank you for your contribution and your support. Our goals of promoting peace and justice and making connections with justice-minded people of our Seattle community, our country, and the world is enhanced by your support both in attendance at our concerts and financially.

Your ticket for Sunday or Saturday is good for only the given date and venue. Seating is limited, so get your tickets as soon as possible from a chorus member, or on Brown Paper Tickets (see below).

Sunday 17 November 2019, 3:00 pm
Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center
5011 Bernie Whitebear Way, Seattle, WA 98199

http://brownpapertickets.com/ref/231313/event/4289976

or call 800.838.3006

Saturday 23 November 2019, 7:00 pm
Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center
4705 W Marginal Way SW, Seattle, WA 98106

Because of the limited number of seats available at these venues, ticket prices are $30 at the door; $25 in advance; $23 seniors, students, special needs.

https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4289991

or call 800.838.3006

Coming Events – Zikr with Ruhaniat Murshids, Ancestors Dinner at Hawthorn Farm

Saturday, October 26, 2019 • 7:30 pm

SONG of the SOUL…

ZIKR: REMEMBRANCE

Let the soul now sing
that it become
utterly triumphant,

Let the soul now sing
that it become totally free,
That murmurs and forebodings be dispersed,

And the Universal Light
become known to all

 ~ Sufi Murshid Samuel Lewis

Ballard IOOF, 1706 NW Market, Seattle, WA

with SUFI RUHANIAT INT’L 

Pir Shabda Kahn
Murshid Wali Ali • Murshida Leilah • Murshida Khadija
Murshida Mariam • Murshid Saul-uddin • Murshida Darvesha
Murshid Allaudin • Murshid Aslan • Murshida Rahimah

$20 Suggested Contribution (no one turned away for lack of funds)

INFORMATION: (206) 303-7968

Beloved Friends, Enroute to their annual retreat, the murshids/senior teachers of the Sufi Ruhaniat Int’l will stop in Seattle to share with the local extended Sufi and Dances of Universal Peace community. This group is responsible for carrying forward the spiritual transmission of Sufi Murshid Samuel Lewis, the first American Sufi Master; many have traveled and represented this lineage for 40-50 years.

ANCESTOR SUPPER AT HAWTHORN FARM

October 26, 4 p.m. arrival and preparation

Join us for this annual feast of feeding our ancestors.  This is different from our usual casual Council, though similar in spirit–feasting together, sharing stories from the heart. 

The idea is to bring a dish that honors your ancestors, whether a person you knew or a cultural dish.  Don’t worry about cooking for a crowd–less is more when we have to eat all the food that night or give it to the fire.  No giant pots of soup! 

If you want to come or even think you want to, RSVP and Alexia will send you more details to help you feel oriented and prepared.  It’s one of our favorite events of the year and we extend a hearty welcome.  

Hawthorn Farm
17340 NE 195th St. Woodinville, WA 98072

Alexia: hawthornhealstheheart@gmail.com

A Mystic’s Climate Prayer

This poignant prayer comes from a fellow Chaplaincy Institute graduate:

A MYSTIC’S CLIMATE PRAYER

REV DR JOHN ROBINSON

Divine Consciousness of Life, Earth and Cosmos, God of all names and none, holy Presence dwelling in every creature, we come to you on our knees, in guilt and shame, in sorrow and dread, admitting horrific crimes against Creation. Listening to the Earth’s dying cries, we acknowledge our sins of arrogance, apathy, selfishness, plunder and rape. Our “stewardship” of Creation has been a tragic joke. In failure and profound remorse, we humbly seek forgiveness and guidance – we have completely lost our way and stand to lose so much more.

We know you, Divine One. We share your Being and Consciousness. We are you when we cease pretending to be someone else, someone separate and superior, someone in charge. In abject surrender, in ego-shattering fear and grief, in naked helplessness, we seek the only path home: we return to you. As the fires and storms of human foolishness consume our grandiosity, we ask you to receive us, Divine One, help us return to Creation.

Born of Earth, we can live nowhere else. We are the latest blossom of your enchantingly beautiful, infinitely mysterious, love-drenched creativity – the 14-billion-year evolution of yourself – and our home is here. Can a fish live out of water? Can a bird fly with no air? Can humans survive the cold toxic radiation of space? Desperate plans, false solutions, more foolishness.

But what can we do? Divine One, what do you need from us? Even as we ask, words burst from sacred consciousness:

“Be still. Be silent. Stop talking. Turn off TV and cell phone. Go outside. Open wide your eyes. I shine before you as Creation: vibrant, colorful, alive; the symphony of your life and destiny. Look intensely. Look without thought. Open your senses: seasons of Earth, power of wind, greenness of plant, wetness of rain, warmth of sun, smell of soil, abundance of life, chatter of bird and squirrel, busyness of ant and worm, darkness of night, love-making everywhere, all rising in the holiness of Creation. You don’t have to figure this out because you are Creation. Let the one you were born to be take you home. Creation will heal you, then your tenderness, joy, and adoration will heal Creation.”

May the Earth bless and keep us,
May truth lead the way,
May the ancestors see our efforts,
May peace finally stay.

May the heart inform our journey,
May Creation bring us home,
May our lives be deeply planted,
And may we know we’re not alone.

Beautiful Poetry from Rilke on being in transition

As we move through transitions, this is a reminder to be present for and mindful of the inner, the outer, the heaven, the earth, the star, and the stone. (from Panhala – To subscribe to Panhala, send a blank email to Panhala-subscribe@yahoogroups.com )

Evening 

The sky puts on the darkening blue coat
held for it by a row of ancient trees;
you watch: and the lands grow distant in your sight,
one journeying to heaven, one that falls; 

and leave you, not at home in either one,
not quite so still and dark as the darkened houses,
not calling to eternity with the passion
of what becomes a star each night, and rises; 

and leave you (inexpressibly to unravel)
your life, with its immensity and fear,
so that, now bounded, now immeasurable,
it is alternatively stone in you and star.

~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~ (The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, translated by Stephen Mitchell)