Apr 22: Spirit of Peace Meditation [In Person]

What:  Spirit of Peace Meditation - In Person!

When:  Tuesday, April 22, 2025, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Where:  South Minneapolis, email for location

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What is this?  Read more about this practice here and join us in practicing seeing the love and light in each other and recommitting our strength to the cause of love.  

Aug 30: Spirit of Peace Meditation ONLINE

 

It feels like a season to invite folks to a public practice of the Spirit of Peace Meditation.

If you feel called to join with others in 1) recommitting to "give our strength ... that love may reign and war may cease" and 2) to practice seeing the love and light in one's self and others, please consider yourself welcome to the next public online practice.

What: Spirit of Peace Meditation*
When: Friday, August 30, 4:30-5:15 p.m. Central Time USA (UT-05)
Where: Zoom Meeting ID: 941-277-002; Password: DUP

At this time we will meet monthly online. It may shift to in-person and more frequently, so sign up for the Spirit of Peace newsletter on this page to be most up-to-date.

If you have interest and delight in supporting this public practice of dedicating one's spirit to peace and seeing the holy love and light in each person, please reach out and let us know. Use the contact form here or send an email to listening@pointsoflightmusic.net.

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Interested in history of the practice? Follow this link of posts tagged with "Spirit of Peace Walk" including *how we adapted it to zoomland,

A Christmas Carol Dance: Joy to the World!

In the summer of 2019, I took a workshop on liturgical dance from Susan Mendenhall at the UCC Musicians Association Conference and it inspired me to create and lead a Christmas Carol Festival later that year.  This year I got the invitation to offering music and dance for an Advent (pre-Christmas) Sunday morning worship on Joy and I gleefully offered lead us in a circle dance for the traditional Joy to the World.

Here's the movements.  I believe they are Susan's (I'll need to find my materials to check!)

Feel free to use whatever verses that fit your context.  The hymntune is ANTIOCH, which is from a theme in the oratorio "Messiah" by George F. Handel, adapted by Lowell Mason in 1742.  Please source Susan Mendenhall for the movements and point folks to this page if you can. https://plm.tiny.us/DanceJoy2World

A New Easter Carol: Lord of the Dance

This year I got encouragement from Brene Brown to create another Easter dance.  Our church was reading her book, Gifts of Imperfection, where she names "Laughter, Song, and Dance" as one of 10 guideposts to cultivate.  And knowing this community usually sings "Lord of the Dance" at the Easter Sunrise service, it seemed a no-brainer.

Not having a lot of capacity to do exhaustive research, I took to my personal mobile research unit and intuited my way to something that felt natural and meaningful.  Here's the write-up; a video from the service is at the end.  Let us know what you think.

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Refrain:  Instructions first with (accompanying words from the song in parathesis)

1. Standing in a circle facing in, take hands with your neighbors and take four steps in (Dance then)
2. Step back 4 steps (wherever you may be)
3. Turn in place to the right (I am the Lord of the Dance said he)

Socially Distant Easter Dance: In the Bulb There Is a Flower

A angular sketch of
Tom Vetter's Flower in the Seed labyrinth
in prep for a large outdoor installation.

Early last week, I was starting to settle some ideas for the outdoor Easter Sunrise service the current congregation I serve has every year.  (Except last year, my first year with them.  Last year, we suspended it because it was the first month of pandemic life and we didn't know what we didn't know...)

One of the traditions I heard was the use of Natalie Sleeth's 1986 strophic text "In the Bulb There Is a Flower."  (New Century Hymnal #433)

Singing with other people during this respiratory pandemic honestly gives me the willies.  It's not quite rational and I'm sure some of it has to do with the ways that some of my ancestors have been tricked and hurt by oppressors.  Beside that, I'm interested in reducing paper waste and embodying our songs.  It didn't take long for the germ of an idea to bloom into something fully formed (ahem) that could be used for all verses ... and guide our social distancing.  :)

Here's the write-up: