We’ve taken steps back from the regular day to day church work and feel in touch with the big picture and what’s most important. We’ve been flooded with gratitude. Your faces come to our awareness, and we feel much appreciation and love.
We’ve had the time to visit Spirit Rock Meditation Center for a dharma talk and sitting meditation. We spent New Year’s Eve at the Siddha Yoga Ashram in Oakland where we received a teaching and joined in an evening of chanting and meditation. One Sunday we worshiped at the Sacramento Unitarian Universalist Society and another with the Mount Diablo Unitarian Universalists in Walnut Creek.
To prepare for our journey to India, we’ve been reading about pilgrimage and more novels and books about India: Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger, Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children, and Sukanya Rahman’s memoir Dancing in the Family about three generations of classical Indian dancers. We’ve reread the Hinduism and Buddhism chapters in Huston Smith’s The World’s Religions, and we’ve watched the Joseph Campbell film Sukhavati and the first two episodes of the PBS series The Story of India.
We’re excited. We are writing this the night before we fly. We’ve each packed one bag. Along with our clothing we have journals; watercolor pencils; a small photo album of family, friends, and church life; a spiritual practices guide book with blue ribbon bookmark; and a flock of paper cranes to release to sew peace.
We hold you in our minds and hearts and prayers, and we are sustained by your blessings and good wishes.
Barbara and Bill
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Dear Members and Friends of the UU Church of Berkeley,
Blog Archive
During our sabbatical from January to June 2009, we'll be sending monthly notes and photos from our travels and experiences.
Our dispatches will be archived on this blog, as well as included in UUCB's monthly newsletter, the Beacon.
Many Blessings,
Bill and Barbara
4 comments:
While I was on BART this morning I saw so many people with bags headed to SFO to set out on journeys. I imagined the two of you flying off, buoyed by all of our good wishes.
Yesterday, with Lynn and the Committee on Ministry we proclaimed with and to and for the congregation and the newcomers and the visitors that "We are it, we are all there is!” We minister to each other with love and respect, holding each other in your absence. Good wishes on your journey!
Traveling Mercies to you, dear Barbara and Bill!
Here's a translation of the traditional Jewish prayer chanted by travelers starting out on a journey. Note the emphasis on peace!
May it be Your will, HaShem, our G-d and G-d of our fathers, to lead us in peace and direct our steps in peace; to guide us in peace, to support us in peace and to bring us to our destination in life, joy and peace. Deliver us from the hands of every enemy and lurking foe, from robbers and wild beasts on the journey, and from all kinds of calamities that may come to and afflict the world; and bestow blessing upon all our actions. Grant me grace, kindness, and mercy in Your eyes and in the eyes of all who behold us, and bestow bountiful kindness upon us. Hear the voice of our prayer, for You hear everyone’s prayer. Blessed are You HaShem, who hears prayer.
sending much love and many blessings,
Sue
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