“For Equilibrium, a Blessing:
Like the joy of the sea coming home to shore,
May the relief of laughter rinse through your soul.
As the wind loves to call things to dance,
May your gravity be lightened by grace.
Like the dignity of moonlight restoring the earth,
May your thoughts incline with reverence and respect.
As water takes whatever shape it is in,
So free may you be about who you become.”
John O’Donohue, To Bless The Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings
Dear ones,
Yes, may our All Souls community be a place that allows each of us to be free to become, to live into our whole selves, sharing our unique gifts and ideas, and allowing others to support us if we are struggling. We come together each September for our Ingathering Service and Water Ceremony, blessing our water and hearing our stories. It is a time of transition into the Autumn, a new season of letting go, representing a time of balance.
Our Worship Team utilizes a program called SoulMatters with themes for each month, and September offers the practice of Invitation. What might this mean? It seems to be a call for both a deeper and more expansive perspective and relationship, one that encourages us to open the doors and windows of ourselves, so that we might be seen and known by those around us. It can seem like a scary proposition, to have people know us on a deeper level, but this is the purpose and blessing of spiritual community. We are co-creating a home where we can return to again and again, where those around us yearn to hear our experiences, learn our histories and honor our challenges.
As we enter a new year together, may each of us feel seen and heard, celebrated and comforted. But for this to happen, we each need to allow ourselves to be vulnerable and be brave enough to bring our whole selves to our conversations. Let us be both bold and gentle in word and action, bridging differences and deepening connections.
On that note, we will welcome Women of Vision on September 21st at All Souls for an inspiring event! Four women from Israel who are dear friends and have been gathering monthly for years are traveling to the US and offering events throughout the Northeast and they will be coming first to us in Brattleboro! Two of the women are Jewish, one is Palestinian Muslim, one Circassian and a Druze. (she is only available via zoom in the wake of the Majdal Shams tragedy). One of the women is an amazing singer-songwriter and musician, and will be collaborating with Daniel K. and Sharon L. to offer music and song. As I write this, I am thrilled that we will be hosting this opportunity and support their vision of honoring our common humanity beyond differences and divisions for a more peaceful future. This is community building across barriers, and deepening relationships among people. I feel that we are, All Souls is the community to hold and promote this powerful vision and I look forward to supporting their journey, which I believe is parallel to our own. May we welcome each other home to ourselves and to All Souls!
Blessings, Rev. Telos