Here is our list of upcoming Transmission events for the summer. We meet at 7pm on the first and third Wednesday of each month. Please click on Contact to join our email list and receive announcements with addresses and directions for our events.

Wed July 7: host-Isaac, cook-Isaac, Patrick, Violet, ritual-Dan and Amber – we will be blessing Katie, Issac, and Patrick’s new apartment
Wed July 21: host-Dan, cook-Dan, ritual-Bowie
Sat July 31: planning meeting, location TBD

Wed Aug 4: host-Mabel, cook-Isaac, ritual-Patrick
Wed Aug 18: host-Johannes, cook-Violet, ritual-Isaac
Sat Aug 28: planning meeting, location TBD

Wed Sept 1: host-Patrick, COOK AND RITUAL NEEDED
Wed Sept 15: host-Sarah, cook-Mabel, ritual-Johannes
Sat Sept 25: planning meeting, location TBD

Wed Feb 17: host-Caleb, cook-Caleb, ritual-Katie. This Ash Wednesday, we will be making ashy soap for use throughout Lent. See our post from last year for more details.
Sat Feb 27: Planning meeting at Caleb’s house

Wed Mar 3: host-Mabel, cook-Katie, ritual-Johannes
Wed Mar 17: host-Elaine, cook-Dan, ritual-Isaac. We will be blessing Elaine’s new home and celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.
Wed Mar 24: Planning meeting at Johannes’s home
Wed Mar 31: Planning meeting at Dan’s home

Holy Week
Sun Mar 28: Interfaith Seder at Church of St. Francis Xavier, Mary Chapel. If you are interested in attending, you must RSVP by Wed, March 24. Please contact us for more information.
???? ? ???????Fri Apr 2: Stations of the Cross around NYC?
Sat Apr 3 – Sun Apr 4: Easter Vigil? We had a very successful vigil last year, and we are searching for a space for our Easter ritual redux. We have also discussed doing a hike, heading up-state, or traveling to a church in New Jersey.

Wed Apr 7: game and movie night, host-Mabel, cook-local pizza place
Wed Apr 21: host-Johannes, cook-Isaac, ritual-Sarah

If you would like to come to any of these events, get on our mailing list by clicking on the Contact link. We hope to see you soon!

The warriors: Ula, Johannes, Isaac, Sarah, Paul, Mabel, and me.
Highlights from the trip: Friday night ritual at First Presbyterian Church of Matawan. We explored the different uses of the church space, the narthex and entryway, the nave, chancel and sanctuary, all spaces for different ingredients of worship. We rocked to some music around the piano, and shared a holy communion of a more blue collar style, cranberry juice and Stroehmann’s Multi-Grain bread. (Photos to come.)

2.Holmdel Park On a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, this place seemed like heaven. Between the arboretum, the open fields, the ponds, hills, trails and farm animals, I felt the presence of God. As well as of the Von Trapp family. Who are always welcome.

In all seriousness, though, this was a wonderfully organized retreat thanks to everyone’s contributions. I know we say we’re a leaderless group, but Isaac and Sarah really stepped up to the plate in coordinating our work together. Our reflections on 1 Thessalonians, on the opening praise and closing appeal of Paul to the Church at Thessalonica, made for stirring discussions. We talked about our anger about the tragedy in Haiti and God’s perceived inaction, and the readings led to a great closing ritual for us on Saturday night.

We each stepped up to the pulpit and delivered what we were grateful for in Transmission, and what we would appeal to each other to do to strengthen and maintain our community. Then we praised God for each member of the group and what they have brought to us as part of our church. Sarah’s quiet steadiness. Isaac’s love and honesty. Johannes’ joyful curiosity. Paul’s outspokenness. My anger and determination. Ula’s fearlessness. We thanked God for the gift of each other and went home grateful partners in faith.

Finally, on Sunday morning, we led the Children’s Chat at First Presbyterian Church, the talk with the kids, mostly under 10 years old. The scripture reading was Jesus’ miracle at the Wedding in Cana, where he turned water into wine. We re-enacted the miracle for the kids by giving them water and pouring in instant Crystal Light packets turning it rapidly into a dark pink lemonade. Then we told them that God in their lives could be just like that powder, turning what seems ordinary into something precious. I think the kids got the idea, although some said the Crystal Light lacked flavor. Hey, we ain’t Jesus, li’l guys. So drink it and LIKE it!

Our next meeting is this Wednesday at Johannes’ house for dinner and a movie night. I’m not sure how theological or completely ridiculous the film will be: however, if you come, you will have a vote! Call Johannes if you have any questions, and see you then.

This week we’ll be joining up with our brothers and sisters at Radical Living, a very cool intentional living community in bed-stuy for food, worship, and fellowship.¬† Our worship will focus on transitions, callings, and mid-career crises of faith.¬† The folks at Radical Living are very cool, and seeing what they’re up to will be well worth your time.

We’ll meet at 7pm at 622 Marcy Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. The closest stop on the subway is probably Myrtle-Willoughby on the G train. For those of us who live in Upper Manhattan and other far-flung places, make sure to leave enough time to get there.

Finally, out of consideration for our hosts, please send me a note if you intend to come so I can give them an accurate headcount.

See you then!

We’ve got a lot going on!¬† First, Sarah is welcoming us into her new home this Wednesday to do a house blessing.¬† Second, Wednesday is also Dan’s birthday, so we’ll be celebrating that.¬† Third, Bowie’s got a ritual planned for us involving looking at July 15th throughout history – it’s a surprisingly active day.

Also, on July 30th we’ll be attending a screening of The Yes Men Fix the World, along with a bunch of other emergents, house churchers, and progressive christians, and we’ll have a conversation with the director afterwards.

Second, July sees us returning to Wednesdays, where we’ll stay for the foreseeable future. Hopefully we’ll have fewer travel conflicts.

Third, this Wednesday, I’ll be hosting Transmission at my place – send an email if you need directions. Dan will be leading the ritual (I’m not sure yet what he has planned), and I’ll be cooking. See you then!

-isaac

The theme I wanted to touch on this week was that of happiness within suffering.¬† As I’ve been sick this week, I’ve at the same time been reading very humorous e-mails from someone else who was sick, a friend of mine in DC.¬† And it struck me that she seems to have a much better attitude about sickness than I: I tend to get very downcast and gloom n’ doomy when I get ill.¬† How is it that certain people are able to handle illness and other kinds of suffering with grace, while others find only anger and sadness? I invite people to bring in a story of what got them through one of the sickest times in their lives, and the memory of something that got them through it.¬† Any personal items (a book you read while you were sick, a poem, a song you wrote, etc.) that remind you of how you stayed above the suffering would also be helpful.¬† I’ll also bring in some philosophical and Gospel wisdom on the subject.

Email for directions. Hope to see you there!

If you’d like to take a look behind the scenes and learn more about planning rituals, reflect on your liturgical experiences, or debrief and decompress from the month, please join us. Email for directions! Hope to see you there.