Moment of Oneness - March 16, 2022

Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81507551772
Meeting ID: 815 0755 1772
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Learning to live in the present moment is part of the path of joy….Sarah Ban Breathnach

Buddhist and Sufi teachers spend a lot of time talking about ‘waking up,’ by which they mean, I think, living life to its fullest because we are aware of living it moment to moment.  Aware of breathing in, aware of breathing out, aware of chewing and swallowing our food, aware of placing one foot in front of the other when walking.  Aware of seeing your infant son, of the effect of your words on a coworker, of the fact that your one foot is resting on top of the other.

Waking up is a process, it doesn’t just happen once and for all, but rather, must  occur again and again as we realize we have forgotten the miracle of  being alive, and in recognizing our forgetfulness, we wake to the miracle once again.  In the moments that we are awake to the wonder of simply being alive, gratitude flows, no matter our circumstances.

From Giving Thanks:  The Gift of Gratitude by MJ Ryan

Opening Song: One Breath at a Time by Karen Drucker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_x8LDnLFGM

Reading 1:

When the world expects sadness,

help us, Creator of Light, to look for pockets of joy.

When the world is overwhelmed by darkness,

give us eyes to see little delights.

When the world is caught up in sensationalism,

help us speak of the hidden wonders we’ve discovered,

holding them up for others to see.

The sacred stillness of the early morning,

a quiet moment in the sun,

small children laughing on scooters,

trees bursting into bloom and lilies opening at the corner bodega.

These small joys reveal the truth of the world we live in.

No, there is not peace everywhere

and all pain has not been removed.

But there are still people returning home,

voices that pray,

moments of forgiveness,

signs of hope.

We don’t have to wait until all is well

to celebrate the glimpses of your Kingdom at hand.

Let us not deny sadness,

but transform it into fertile soil for more joy.

Let us not deny the darkness,

but choose to live in the light.

Cynics seek darkness wherever they go,

but joy is the mark of the people of God.

Help us discipline ourselves to choose joy

for the reward is joy itself.

Help us renew our minds until they default to joy and not fear,

for there is so much to frighten us.

Help us believe that the Light can be trusted,

for there is so much darkness to mislead us.

Holy One, you are both the One of Sorrows and the One of Complete Joy,

help us to hold both sorrow and joy in the ways you’ve shown us.

Help us to remain in your love

so that your joy may be in us

and our joy may be complete.

Adapted Return of the prodigal son – Henri Nouwen

Reading 2:   

Too often we wait for joy to come to us when the real truth is that joy is something we must take responsibility for creating, not just for ourselves but for others as well.  The beauty of joy is that, like a stained glass window through which light breaks into a myriad of colors, it enables us to see how good life is, even when it seems that it isn’t.  Joy is not an event, it is the attitude a healthy person takes into every situation in life --- work, family, social life, and even moments of personal stress.  It speaks of hope and openness, of enticing possibility and the deep conviction that what is given to us in life is given to us for our own highest good.

Closing Prayer:   A loving-kindness prayer from Pocketful of Miracles by Joan Borysenko

When we are mindful, experiencing the world around us freshly with all our senses, we leave the judgments of small mind behind and enter the web of interconnectedness, the Big Mind of God.  Happiness, joy, peace and gratitude arise spontaneously from within our hearts. 

Closing Song:  the Receiving Chant by Karen Drucker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYoViQkWvAI