The Experience
Experience Your Spirituality
We know that walking into a new community can be daunting, at least, it was for all of us. So we’d like to take some of the mystery and hesitation out of the process by giving you an idea of what to expect at our Sunday morning gatherings:
Once you’ve made your way through our doors, take a moment meet our greeters who are there to welcome you, give you a program and answer any questions you might have. Everyone is welcome including children who may like our services as much as you do!
After you find a seat, make yourself comfortable and relax. Usually there is music playing and a series of images or quotes projected on the screen. Enjoy it. Let it put you in thoughtful frame of mind.
When the service gets started, you can expect music and readings and sometimes movie clips or recordings. Usually there is someone who will give a short reflection based on his or her personal experience, but not always. Sometimes it’s quiet and we meditate. Or sometimes we invite the audience to share their own personal stories. Whatever we do, our intention is to allow you the space to absorb spiritual ideas and come to your own conclusions.
The music, of course, is a highlight of our services. You might hear us perform songs by artists that are as engaging and diverse as Emmylou Harris, U2, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Blind Boy of Alabama, Rachmananoff and many others. We’ve also included old spirituals, African drumming, classical and gospel music all of which has the ability to take us deeper into the spirit.
We also like to include movie clips whenever we can and have shown a variety of movies such as Cider House Rules (for a theme about orphanhood), Shawshank Redemption (for a theme about hope), and About A Boy (for a theme about unconditional love.) We’ve even clips from The Simpson’s, Charlie Brown, The Wizard of Oz, and Farenheit 451—anything that helps illustrate a spiritual idea.
Our taste in readings is just as diverse. We’ve used excerpts from classic literature, children’s books, sacred texts and poems. Some readings may be familiar to you while others are new. Recently, we’ve used text from the Bhagavad Gita, Rumi, T.S. Eliot, the Bible, Dr. Seuss, Joseph Campbell and Thich Nhat Hanh.
There is always a period of meditation, an opportunity for silent contemplation that lasts about ten minutes. You can use the space and silence as an opportunity to process the words, readings and music you’ve just experienced. Or you can pray or listen or just be still and let the silence calm you.
Each week we also offer everyone the chance to share in a spiritual meal together of bread, fruit, or another food that symbolizes our desire to nourish ourselves spiritually. You are welcome to participate in as much or as little of our services as you like. Mostly we just want you to enjoy yourself and feel welcome.
Finally, we end our services with more great live music. From start to finish, our services are one hour long. If you wish, you can stay afterwards for refreshments and the opportunity to meet others and talk. We hope you do!
