Shared Spiritual Practice & Transformative Experimentation
People come to religious community to transform as individuals, as a collective, and to bring about transformation in the world around us; whether it’s feeding the hungry, learning to live through hard times with grace, challenging oppressive power structures, or building the beloved community where each person can be their whole and authentic selves, the work of our congregation is the work of bringing about transformation.
But transformation is not something one can do casually; it takes practice, effort, and commitment. The caterpillar doesn’t turn into a butterfly by squeezing the process of metamorphosis into the cracks of its caterpillar life; it devotes itself to transformation, dissolving its being into an unformed soup that will later take on a new form. It’s not something we can try on like a hat, but a process which touches every corner of our lives.
Transformation is not easy. Sometimes it might feel scary, but when a community shares a common practice, we become better equipped to face personal and communal transformation and change. We hope that by bringing the congregation together around, not only a common theme, but also, a common practice, we will create deeper, more meaningful worship and congregational life experiences for our community.
Transformation doesn’t happen by thinking alone; there must also be doing. In that spirit, we invite you to try out the shared spiritual practices suggested through the year. We encourage you to do the practices on your own or with your family. We will gather monthly during the social hour after worship to briefly discuss our experiences.
This year we invite you to transform!
But transformation is not something one can do casually; it takes practice, effort, and commitment. The caterpillar doesn’t turn into a butterfly by squeezing the process of metamorphosis into the cracks of its caterpillar life; it devotes itself to transformation, dissolving its being into an unformed soup that will later take on a new form. It’s not something we can try on like a hat, but a process which touches every corner of our lives.
Transformation is not easy. Sometimes it might feel scary, but when a community shares a common practice, we become better equipped to face personal and communal transformation and change. We hope that by bringing the congregation together around, not only a common theme, but also, a common practice, we will create deeper, more meaningful worship and congregational life experiences for our community.
Transformation doesn’t happen by thinking alone; there must also be doing. In that spirit, we invite you to try out the shared spiritual practices suggested through the year. We encourage you to do the practices on your own or with your family. We will gather monthly during the social hour after worship to briefly discuss our experiences.
This year we invite you to transform!
Shared Practice for January & February 2025
For the next few weeks, chant.
For two months we will chant during the reflection period of the worship service and you are invited to try chanting everyday.
To practice the chant, inhale a full breath, as deeply into your diaphragm as is comfortable. When you exhale, vocalize the following sounds, letting them flow together. As you do the chant, practice fitting all seven sounds in one exhale. It might take a while to match the rhythm of your breath to the syllables, but with practice your body will figure it out.
Notice where the sounds vibrate in different parts of your body. Notice how the sounds change as you practice. What is it like of you chant louder or softer or with different tones? Or in a lower of higher scale? What is it like to chant the syllables once or twice and what it is like to chant for three minutes? Do you notice any differences in yourself before and after chanting?
These are are the syllables:
Ee (as in the “ee” sound in greet)
Eh (as in the “e” sound in red)
Ah (as in the word “awe”)
O (as in the “o” sound in zero)
Oow (as in the “oo” sound in moose)
Mm (as in the “m” sound in moose)
Nn (as in the “n” sound in next)
Inhale ~ Ee-Eh-Ah-O-Oow-Mm-Nn & repeat
We’ll share our experience of this practice on January 19, 2025 after church.
For two months we will chant during the reflection period of the worship service and you are invited to try chanting everyday.
To practice the chant, inhale a full breath, as deeply into your diaphragm as is comfortable. When you exhale, vocalize the following sounds, letting them flow together. As you do the chant, practice fitting all seven sounds in one exhale. It might take a while to match the rhythm of your breath to the syllables, but with practice your body will figure it out.
Notice where the sounds vibrate in different parts of your body. Notice how the sounds change as you practice. What is it like of you chant louder or softer or with different tones? Or in a lower of higher scale? What is it like to chant the syllables once or twice and what it is like to chant for three minutes? Do you notice any differences in yourself before and after chanting?
These are are the syllables:
Ee (as in the “ee” sound in greet)
Eh (as in the “e” sound in red)
Ah (as in the word “awe”)
O (as in the “o” sound in zero)
Oow (as in the “oo” sound in moose)
Mm (as in the “m” sound in moose)
Nn (as in the “n” sound in next)
Inhale ~ Ee-Eh-Ah-O-Oow-Mm-Nn & repeat
We’ll share our experience of this practice on January 19, 2025 after church.
Social Hour Discussion Circles on the third Sunday of every month
Previous Shared Practice
Take photographs of anything you see that makes you think of transformation.
Write stories about transformation that are only six words long.
Watch ice melt.
Eat a meal mindfully.
Take photographs of anything you see that makes you think of transformation.
Write stories about transformation that are only six words long.
Watch ice melt.
Eat a meal mindfully.