Bible Study on “Some Dude”, Thurs Nov 29
November 28, 2007
Tomorrow, Thursday, November 29th, we’ll be meeting at Mi Floridita’s for Bible Study. Dinner and social time begins at 7 pm and Bowie will lead Bible Study from 8-9.
We’ll be discussing the gospel reading for this coming Sunday (Advent 1), Matthew 24:36-44, in conversation with Genesis 32:22-31, Jacob wrestling with the Angel.
For good laughs and context for our conversation, check out jSnodgrass’ recent blog post below on ”Some Dude” (Expect the Unexpected)
Mi Floridita’s is at 3219 Broadway
Take the 1 train to 125th, cross to the NW corner, walk N to the end of that block
See you tomorrow! Bowie
Thanksgiving & Holy-days
November 18, 2007
As the holy-days draw near again, here’s our calendar for the next five weeks. Advent, the season of expectation leading up to Christmas, is one of our favorite liturgical times of year. We’d love to see you at any or all events. Blessings, Bowie
THIS WEEK - from Katherine Lee -
Hi there,
So I’m thinking of doing a ritual Wednesday based around the themes of gratitude and thankfulness, but instead of being thankful for exterior things, which are all very well and good (e.g. family, friends), I’m coming up with a ritual that will hopefully turn our gratitude inwards. It’s not often that we give thanks for our own gifts, and I think taking stock in what we are good at in the context of serving others can be a transformative experience.
Let’s say 7:30-ish at my place? Please email me for directions (kcl232@gmail.com), and I’ll make a main dish. BYOB or sides/dessert welcome.
K
UPCOMING CALENDAR
Thurs, Nov 29th - Bible Study at Floridita’s, 3219 Broadway at 125th Street
Wed, Dec 5th - Advent Transmission, theme and location TBA
Thurs, Dec 13th - Bible Study in Union Square, led by Renata
Wed, Dec 19th - Advent Transmission, theme and location TBA
“Berlin in Lights” in Washington Heights
November 18, 2007
Rev. Ike’s Words of Wisdom, originally uploaded by Awreye.
“It’s nice to be important, but more important to be nice.” – Rev. Ike
This was one of the quotes in the foyer of the United Palace Theater ,where more than one hundred New York City school kids danced tonight to the Igor Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring.”
The Rev. Ike restored the art-deco “Wonder Theater”, where tonight’s great gathering happened, and uses it as the “cathedral” for his Christ United Church. But tonight, the palace was the scene of “Berlin in Lights,” and, as Sir Clive Gillinson said, these kids were dancing with the best “pit bands” possible, the Berliner Philharmoniker.
Stravinsky’s revolutionary orchestral composition, written between 1911 and 1913, was vibrant, alive, and masterfully played. The energy on the stage was electric. The kids captured my full attention and heart in the first moments of their dance.
If you are free tomorrow at 3pm, spend the $15 and travel up to Broadway and 175th Street.
Right in the heart of Washington Heights, there’s music and magic to be seen and heard.
Bible Study: Why ‘THE’ and not ‘A’ Good Samaritan?
November 12, 2007
…And who ARE/WERE these Samaritans anyway that even Jesus would only concede that ONE of them was any good? In this week’s Transmission Bible Study, we’ll be polling the prophets (Isaiah, Hosea, Jeremiah, Etc.) enlisting the Histories (1 & 2 Kings) and hassling the Nazorean to shed some light on the Bible’s view of Samaritans, only one of whom was supposedly good …at least in theory.
This meeting will take place at John, Elizabeth & Jackson’s apartment at Union Theological Seminary (Broadway @ 121st). This Thursday evening at 8:15. We’ll go dutch on chinese take-out. Please RSVP by 4PM Thursday to magyardomo@gmail.com and John will send you instructions on how to get in.
Fall leaving you frayed? Come refuel!
November 6, 2007
October and November are busy months and some of us are feeling frayed – so this Wednesday, November 7 from 7-9pm, join us for refueling! Bowie likes to cook and clean when she needs centering, so come over to her place to share a home-cooked meal and good company.
Please also think about sharing one of the ways you get back in touch with God and your center. George, who is a conductor, plays piano or opens a score (including some that he returns to time and again). Some of you, who are dancers or do yoga, may have stretches you could share with us. Others may have a book of the Bible or a collection of poetry that sits by your bed or favorite chair…
Please bring an activity, anecdote, or meditation that you can share in a few minutes. Where do you find stillness, inspiration, or Sabbath moments?
We will also allocate some portion of the evening – 5 to 20 minutes – to sit together in silence. And, as always, we’ll have time to socialize with each other, pray, and eat!
Please email back if you can bring food or drink to share – or need directions to Bowie’s apartment.
Blessings! Transmission
PS On Wed, Nov 21, we’ll be doing a ritual on “Exorcisms and Invocations.” Bowie, Isaac, and George shared this ritual with an emerging group called CityLights on Oct 27th (you can see what they had to say about it below). Please plan to join us! Location TBA.
“We had a pleasure to welcome Transmission and Forum people last week and together to take part in the worship that Bowie and Isac prepared. Thank you for introducing to us and leading us through your creative and original ritual. It asked us to be personal and trusting and stimulated us to confront our fears. We do hope that we will worship together many more times.” - CityLights
Practicing Random Acts of Candy
November 2, 2007
We were one pooped bunch of Tranmissioners on Halloween Wednesday, but Paul dressed up as a bookworm (picture coming soon!), bought pounds of candy, and inspired a few of us to hand out candy on the street. As we made our way up to the 116th Subway exit on Broadway, Katherine joked that we were “practicing random acts of candy!” This became our motto of the night.
We offered candy to everyone who passed and got an array of responses. Of course some people were suspicious and politely said “no thanks” (or maybe they really don’t like candy). But seeing serious and sad faces turn to smiles, being overrun by costumed kiddies, having random exchanges of kindness with strangers, and wishing our fellow New Yorkers “God Bless,” made for a magical evening.
Past Always Changing, Creation in Proverbs - 10/25
October 22, 2007
THE FUTURE IS CERTAIN - IT’S THE PAST THAT’S ALWAYS CHANGING
Another view of Creation in Proverbs 8:22-36
- Gather for dinner & social time 7pm @ Floridita’s, 3219 Broadway (1 train to 125th, cross 125th St, Floridita’s is at end of block)
- Due to Mr. Snodgrass’s academic schedule, the Bible-study will begin at 8:15
Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past. - George Orwell.
Scholarly studies have demonstrated that Genesis 1 is not the oldest creation narrative in the Bible. At least half a century before the Torah took its final shape, the book of Proverbs showed our familiar patriarch assembling the Earth - with the help of a feminine partner. This Thursday’s Bible Study will focus on the Bible’s first creation story (Proverbs 8:22-36), with an eye toward how it shaped the Genesis creation, the creation in John 1, and our understandings of the patriarchal “way of the world.”
TRICK OR TREAT - TWO CHANCES to participate in EXORCISMS & INVOCATIONS ritual
- Bowie is working on a Halloween Ritual for Wed October 31st exploring the power of language to impact reality! More info to follow.
- SATURDAY, Oct 27th from 11am-1pm, she’ll be doing this ritual with City Lights, another emerging church community in NYC, and would LOVE to have a couple other Transmissioners come along! If you’re available on Saturday and would like to help out with the planning for our Halloween ritual, please email bowiesnodgrass@gmail.com. Thanks!
An invitation from the Congregation of St. Saviour at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. Lead by the Reverend Victoria Sirota, Canon Pastor and Vicar.
Saturday, November 3rd
9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m
Cathedral House, 1047 Amsterdam Ave
Itinerary
9:30-10:00 Registration and Breakfast
10:00-10:15 Opening by Reverend Sirota
10:15-11:45 Isabelle Silverman, Environmental Defense: “The Science of Global Warming”
11:45-12:45 Lunch
12:45-1:00 Spiritual Meditation with Reverend Sirota
1:00-1:45 Elena Lomicky, Green Living Consultant: “Things We Can Do at Home to Reduce Our Carbon Footprint”
2:00-2:45 Bob Muldoon, Sierra Club: “Environmental Advocacy at the Community and National Level”
3:00-3:45 Frank Morris, Ecological Advisors: “The Spiritual and Economic Case for Environmental Investing”
4:00-4:30 Closing Service
People of all faiths are warmly welcomed to attend. We request a $12 donation. Serving wonderful organic, vegetarian fare. RSVP required. Please contact education@saintsaviour.org
Thurs, 10/11 – High Priest haute couture in Exodus 28
October 8, 2007
“Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finish, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques.” - Wikipedia
Well, that pretty much sums up the excesses of fashion detail in Exodus 28, describing garments for the great high priest. Wikipedia calls this “one of the least readable potions of the Torah”, but I think it’s truly fabulous and can’t wait to bible study it with you all…
This THURSDAY @ 7pm
Coffee Shop, 29 Union Square West
Ask for Transmission or call 646 245-7346
I’ll bring copies of the text (which you can also read ahead of time online), illustrations of the garments described, and discussion points…
- Do we believe making “sacred garments” can “give dignity and honor”? Ex 28:2
Have you ever head of the Urim and Thummim? Ex 28:30 They were special objects of divination… which make appearances on Yale’s shield (along with their popular Latin translation Lux et Veritas, for Light and Truth), in Joseph Smith’s account of how he found the Book of Mormon, and in Paulo Coelho’s novel, The Alchemist.
What clothes do you know which incorporate sound in their design? Exodus 28:33-35 gives instructions for pomegranates and bells to be alternated around the hem of the high priest’s robe, that will be heard when he enters the Holy Place, so that he will not die! Today, POM Wonderful just tells us to drink their pomegranates so that we will not die…
- And what are your thoughts on special undergarments, like the ones that must be worn by high priests in holy places “so that they will not incur guilt and die”? Ex 28:43
Sabbath Poem (Mahler 3)
October 7, 2007
Last night I saw Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 for the second time this year! This time it was the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, conducted by Pierre Boulez, at NYC’s own Carnegie Hall. This was only my second time there! and we sat in ‘limited legroom’ seats in the balcony, with wonderful sounds of 120 orchestra players, plus 30 women and 30 boy singers reverberating off the ceiling.
The first time I heard Mahler 3 was on July 14th at Tanglewood, MA with the James Levine conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra. During the intermission between the first movement and the last five… I got engaged! Yup, George asked me to marry him on the hillside above Ozawa Hall. So this piece has permanent special significance to me…. especially the 6th movement, “What love tells me”.
I was struck again by the text for the 4th and 5th movements again last night and wanted to share them as my Sabbath Poems for this week. Enjoy!
IV. “What Man Tells Me”
Text: Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
Translation: Larry Rothe
O Mensch! Gib Acht!
Oh man, take heed!
What does deep midnight say?
I slept!
I have woken from a deep dream!
The world is deep—
Deeper than the day had thought!
Deep is the pain!
Joy deeper still than heart’s sorrow!
Pain says: Vanish!
Yet all joy aspires to eternity,
To deep, deep eternity.
V. “What the Angels Tell Me”
Text: from Des Knaben Wunderhorn
Translation: Larry Rothe
Three angels sang a sweet song.
It resounded throughout heaven;
They also rejoiced
That Peter was free of sin.For as the Lord Jesus sat down at the table
And ate the evening meal with his twelve disciples,
The Lord Jesus said, “Why are you standing here?
When I look at you, you cry.”“And shouldn’t I cry, you kind God?”
You shouldn’t cry!
“I have broken the Ten Commandments;
I go and cry bitterly.”
You shouldn’t cry!
“Oh come, and have mercy on me!”“If you’ve broken the Ten Commandments,
Fall on your knees and pray to God.
Just love God always,
And you will have heavenly joy.”Heavenly joy is a blessed city,
Heavenly joy, which has no end;
Heavenly joy was prepared for Peter
By Jesus, and for everyone’s salvation.
Translation copyright © 2003 by the San Francisco Symphony