Sacred Activism

at the Unitarian Church in Westport

~ An Afternoon of Interfaith Chant for World Peace ~

Sunday, January 31, 4:00 p.m.
Followed by A Pot Luck Supper & KIVA Presentation at 6:00 p.m.
In Front of the Fire in the Meeting House For the Celtic Holiday Imbolc, A Fire Festival Welcoming the Return of the Light
If you can say Om, you can chant !
Unlike singing, chant is not about performing, or expressing ones self. As a form of spiritual practice, like yoga or silent meditation, chant is about transcending ones self. Blending your individual voice into the greater resonance of the group voice creates a powerful sense of unity ~ with the group, and by extension, with all people, the Earth, and the All That Is. Thus chant can be a form of devotion ~ an offering ~ of ones limited self ~ TO the Oneness ~ as a drop of water flows into the ocean. When you chant Ong Namo Guru Dev, as we will be, you are thanking Life Itself, as a beloved teacher (Guru Dev), for ALL you experience. This state of gratitude for the bad along with the good is a form of Surrender (Namo) to the Absolute (Om or Ong). Its an expression of wonder for the miracle of the Universe, the fact of existence, the mystery of consciousness, the capacity to love ~ even the experience of suffering. Our Sacred Activism Program bridges spiritual practice and inner peace with Social Justice ACTION for our less fortunate brothers and sisters and children in our global family ~ Do Peace and Justice seem like hopeless ideals? Did you know that with just $5 and a click of the mouse, your individual drop in the bucket can be pooled with others ~ like the voices in a spiritual group or sangha ~ to empower a new entrepreneur in the Third World? Michael will give us a tour of UCWs portal at KIVA.orgs Microfinance web site.

We will be chanting with a CD of Snatam Kaurs, a world-known American Sikh devotional chant practitioner and Kirtan leader. Please join Gail Ostrow (CHJs Social Action co-chair) and her Blackrock Sangha, with UCWs Marjorie Partch, plus special guest speaker Michael Cadden, co-chair of UCWs KIVA Microfinance Committee. Accompanied by Randy Brody on Swiss Hang Drum & Jeff Greenberg on bamboo flute.

Sacred Activism is a Program of UCWs Social Justice Council. For an advance copy of the Dharma Lesson, contact: Marjorie Partch, mpartch@optonline.net / 203.838.6825