A Christmas Story

More radiant than the Sun
Purer than the snow
Finer than the ether
Is the Self
The spirit in my heart
This self I am, I am this self

R. Steiner

Here's a Christmas story from my family to yours:

My daughter, in her mid 20's, works for a local video store in a small strip mall. She's very outgoing and a great favourite with the regular customers. In this mall is also a cafe, where she often pops in to grab a coffee and a snack. The lady who runs this store does not have very good English, but is very nice. One day, Victoria popped in and asked, How's business? Business not very good, was the sad reply. Well, said Victoria, I will tell all my customers to come over to grab a coffee and snack after they get their videos. Now, this is a great marketing strategy, since if you're going to stay up watching movies, you might as well grab a coffee and a snack while you're at it. So this is what she did. Later in the evening, Victoria turned around, and there was her friend from the cafe with a tray of baked goods. Victoria, she said, we have good business today. People come in and they say, Victoria sent us. We are closed now, and will not be open tomorrow, so this is for you to say thank you. Needless to say, she and her coworkers devoured the treats and a new relationship was born.
You can make your own moral to this story, but for me it is this: never let language, culture or religion be a barrier, for a whole world of possibilities and opportunities is waiting.

Sparky

Advent, Christmas and Epiphany Programs (December 2010 to February 2011)

Double click on the images below to enlarge them:

Singin in the Rain

Hi there, me again.
One more reason why I love our church: we love to sing!
Maybe it's because, as Rev. Dancey pointed out this past weekend, we are surrounded by the songs of nature - mountains, water, wind, rain, even whale song (I'm sure you can find some tracks online. If you have never heard a whale song, it is worth finding.)
Singing, of course, goes back to the Old Testament, to the Psalms of David. David was called to the court of King Saul to soothe him with his harp playing, and ended up becoming King.
Singing is one of those activities that can lift you out of yourself, to higher realms, especially hymns and gospel music. Gospel music in particular, speaks to and from the heart. It can be joyful, hopeful, sorrowful. I love all different kinds of music - classical, country, rock, gypsy, Latin, etc. People sing for all different kinds of reasons and all different kinds of circumstances. You can sing in the shower, while you are vacuuming, working in the garden, even just when you are looking for inspiration. Singing is a very wonderful activity when you are working. It could be something mind-boggling boring, or just really hard slogging - singing helps make the work seem to go easier and faster. Convicts sing together working on a chain gang, women sing together washing clothes by the river. Singing lends a rhythmn to whatever you are doing. Children love to sing even when they are just playing on their own, and they love to sing at the top of their lungs. This is actually very good for your body, too.
This past weekend, we had a seminary workshop, focussing on the concept of "work". The concept that I liked best was that whatever you do, it should be done with JOY. Whether it is working for yourself, for others, some kind of endeavour for the future, and particularly when we come together in celebration, there can be joy, and one of the best ways to bring this about is in song/music.
Each season has its own special song. For us here in Vancouver, Fall begins with songs for Michaelmas and Thanksgiving coming together, followed by All Souls Day and Remembrance Day in November, honouring all those who have gone before us, leading up to the quiet song of Mary during Advent, to the crescendoing chorus of angels from all the hierarchies on Christmas Eve. Gratitude, Conscience, Hope and Compassion.
Yup, you guessed it, here in Vancouver, we're singin (and dancing) in the Rain! Come join us.

Sparky

Jellyfish image

Jellyfish

We have reached the time of year when the nights are getting longer, and the days shorter. Especially if you live in Vancouver, it can seem like there are days, even weeks, when you never see the light. The clouds settle in for the winter, and you don't know if you are going to get rain or snow, depending on elevation and location. Gone are those long, warm summer days. The ripened fruits of the field have been harvested, thanks to all that beautiful warm sunshine. We have had the chance to absorb all that wonderful light,and store it internally. It has to carry us through the winter, until the sun breaks through the clouds again, sometime in early spring. It's time for us to take what we have been given from the outside, process it inside, and radiate our own light. My favourite image to express this is the jellyfish. If you have a city aquarium,you might be lucky enough to have a display of these beautiful creatures, and see what I mean. This is a challenge for us in spiritual terms as well. Can we take the Light we have been given, and in turn radiate it out to the world, especially when faced with Darkness? You can actually see this quite clearly in the faces of some of the people around you. Some people just seem to have a brightness, or aura, of light around them. Take a look sometime into a crowd, and I bet you can pick someone out who seems to shine, or have a glow about them.
You can't force it to happen, you have to just be like the jellyfish. Let all the bad, dark stuff float away - don't hang onto it - and let that little light inside you shine for all the world to see.
Sparky
Song for the day: You Light Up My Life

At the Ringing of the Bells

Here is the next in a series of anonymous pictures with verse by Rudolf Steiner

Giving Thanks

Greetings:

I hope by now that anyone reading my blogs understands that the underlying intent is to express my gratitude and thanks to my church family and all the friends I have made. There is no greater gift than to have family and friends stand by you in times of crisis, and perhaps extend a helping hand to those who are not so lucky.

This weekend we celebrate the Canadian Thanksgiving. It's a time to think of all the things we have to be thankful for, and remember to Whom thanks is due.

The word "commune" comes from Latin, meaning com (with or together) and munus (gift). It also means an "intentional community". For us to be able to come together and worship who are like-minded, is a great gift. But as we know, it is not receiving but giving that is important. That is what we are now being asked: what can we give? in what shape or form? what should be our intent in reaching out to the world outside our doors? How, what, where, when?

Introducing a community point of view is the basis of threefolding, whose roots date back to the 19th century, to a movement in Germany called Lebensreform, of which Rudolf Steiner was a proponent. Combining thought/logic and feeling/love into something not just meaningful but inherently human - a social conscience. I have a feeling that once we get a handle on this concept, we will be able to perceive something else standing behind it - a 4th element. You only need to consider the image of a pyramid to grasp what I mean: 4 triangles standing together on a square, or rhombus. Long considered a magical or sacred space.

If you look on Dr. Emoto's website, you will be able to call up pictures of water crystals representing words like "love", "gratitude" and "joy". I think these are also appropriate for Thanksgiving. So let's pray, eat and love, not necessarily in that order, and consider the concept of Joy in Community - next blog.

Sparky

P.S. Instead of a song for inspiration, here's a dance: SAMBA!