A note about the quiet and reflective Christmas Day morning Zoom gathering (including a loving-kindness meditation) between 10:30am and 11:15am

A reminder that on Christmas morning, between 10.30am and about 11.15am, I will lead a Zoom gathering from the Cambridge Unitarian Church which will include two responsive meditations from the Czech Unitarian tradition (you’ll find the words of these printed below), a led, loving-kindness meditation, a piece of live music, and a short thought for the day. When the gathering concludes, people are free to say goodbye and leave straight away, or to stay for half-an-hour or so of convivial conversation.

The Zoom link is as follows:

 Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87259001228?pwd=cmbIK9wp96JAiCi6YNguYeaek9m5MH.1

Meeting ID: 872 5900 1228

Passcode: 271472

First Czech Unitarian responsive meditation:

Just to note that the word “Arkona” is a reference to the ancient Slavic pagan temple-fortress on the island of Rügen (in modern-day Germany). This site was a centre of worship for the deity Svarog or, perhaps, Svantevit), a major god in Slavic mythology, thought by some to be akin to Zeus. The temple at Arkona was renowned for its grandeur before it was destroyed during the Christianization of the region in the 12th century. In order to avoid their services being associated with all the usual Christian, ecclesiastical meanings, the Czech Unitarians decided to imbue the word “Arkona” with new meaning by using it as their special word for a type of Unitarian worship service.

GOD IS LOVE (Christmas Arkona, December 1928)

Whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in them.

Whoever loves is born of God and knows God.

If we love one another, God is within us, and his perfect love is within us.

Whoever says, “I love God,”
but hates their brother [or sister] is a liar.

For whoever does not love their brother [or sister], whom they can see, how can they love God, whom they cannot see?

Therefore, above all, let us have true love for one another.

Let us bear with one another and forgive one another.

Let us be inclined toward one another with filial love.
Love does no harm to a neighbour.

Love is patient, does not envy, does not think evil, does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in truth.

Love, where is your sanctuary,
and what are the paths to it?

You are within us, walking the paths of faith in humanity.

Love, how shall we glorify you,
and to what name shall we dedicate your memory?

We shall glorify you in the name of humanity, and your presence in us sanctifies us.

Love, when were you born, from where do you come,
and who are your priests?

You are born from eternity in each person anew, and whoever has you is a priest of the Most High.

Love of parents and children, brothers and sisters, friends,
and all who serve humanity:

Remain with us and grow within us!

Love, through which the lowly rises to greatness,
sorrow becomes joy, struggles become victory,
and death becomes life:

You are the meaning of existence, the light on our paths, and the strength of those who overcome.

You were the mystery of the great Masters
and the awakeners of humanity.

From their lives, your radiance shines throughout humanity.

You are the sun of every Christmas, the Bethlehem star.
You were the mother of every Christ and every Krishna.
You are the sole salvation of all the daughters and sons of this Earth.

To you, we dedicate ourselves; to you, we sing our songs; you make every service an act of worship.

Second Czech Unitarian responsive prayer: 

Just to note that the word “sadhána” is borrowed from the Sanskrit, “sádhana” which means “methodical discipline to attain desired knowledge or goal” (notice the different diacritical used in each case). In the Hindu and Buddhist traditions the goal of “sādhana” is to attain some level of spiritual realization, which can be either enlightenment, pure love of God (prema), liberation (moksha) from the cycle of birth and death (saṃsāra), or a particular goal such as the blessings of a deity. As with their use of the Slavic word “Arkona,” in order to avoid their services being associated with all the usual Christian, ecclesiastical meanings, the Czech Unitarians decided to use the word “sadhána” to signify a type of worship service.

RED BLOOD (Christmas Sadhána, December 1932)

Red blood gives life to our body. Let it always be pure and healthy, so that the living temple of the spirit remains fresh and ready for service to God.

Let a healthy spirit have a healthy body!

When love was lacking, freedom was paid for with spilt blood. Man rose against man, and brother against brother, [sister against sister.]

We are all of one blood and one spirit.
Let us be brothers and sisters to one another.

Orange is the colour of the sun. Let our moods be brightened and illuminated by the rays of love and joy!

We give ourselves to sunny moods!

Let the rays of sunny days warm us in our memories, even during the night!

Every night is a path to morning; after it shines [there is] a new day.

Yellow is the colour of thought and truth. Thought prevails. Let true and truthful thinking have a home among us.

We devote ourselves to truth in thought and action.

Let us think new and life-giving thoughts, thoughts from which actions are born.

Through free-thinking, let us walk toward freedom and fraternity!

Green is the colour of nature. Nature is ours, as is our naturalness, our youth, and the greenness of a creative life.

We dedicate ourselves to creative living.

We want to live beautifully, we want to live strongly, and to succeed to the very end!

Let us cultivate the art of a great life!

Blue is the colour of peace. The peace of a blue sky. The peace of the heart and the eyes. The peace of an inner balance.

Let peace be ours.

Wherever we go, may peace follow us.

With calmness and a smile, let us move forward.

Purple is the colour of service and sacrifice. We are heirs to countless acts of service and sacrifice by the best sons and daughters of humanity. Let us honour their memory with new acts of service and sacrifice.

So let it be!

In the past, people died for their beliefs.

We want to live for truth and love!

White is the blending of all colours, the symbol of a full life and the embodiment of God in humanity. We want to live through all noble relationships and all expressions of a beautiful life. We want to bring everything into our brother [and sister]hood that allows us to live it more fully.

We are God’s children.

Let everything good, beautiful, and true have a home among us.

We dedicate ourselves to truth, goodness, and beauty.

(The original Czech texts of both these prayers can be found at this link)