03/28/2018
As our first Sunday gathering falls on Easter this year, we will be doing some special programming:
Chants: Gather at 1:15 ~ Chants @ 1:30
Immerse yourself in the native tongue of Jesus.
For the first time in Des Moines, we will Chant the entire Aramaic Lord’s Prayer.
Using translations from Neil Douglas-Klotz, we will attune to the positive messages contained in the prayer.
Dances: Gather at 2:15 ~ Dances @ 2:30
Drawing on several spiritual traditions, we will Dance the four paths of Creation Spirituality, which has its roots in mystical Christianity.
More about the prayer:
The Aramaic Lord’s Prayer presents a whole cycle of renewal, a guide for retreat, a cleansing prayer to help us remember what’s important in life.
It also contains the “four paths” articulated by the Creation Spirituality movement in a beautiful and deep way:
· Original Blessing ~ Via Positiva
· Letting Go ~ Via Negativa
· New Creation ~ Via Creativa
· Compassion for All Beings ~ Via Transformativa
The first half of the prayer is about aligning with the Oneness
The second half is about living in harmony on Earth with our fellow creatures
NDK’s translations reveal how feminist Jesus was:
· Abwoon is derived from the root for parenting; it is neither male nor female; it could be compared to A - U - M
· Malkutha, the word translated as “Kingdom” is related to the word for “Great Mother” in the Middle East
· “Daily Bread” means nourishment of all kinds and derives from roots for words for Divine Feminine, Holy Wisdom, Sophia
Aramaic:
· Doesn’t distinguish between inner/outer or means/end
o Ex. “Kingdom/Queendom of Heaven” is both within and among us
· Mind Body and Spirit are not separate
· Expresses many layers of meaning
o The same word can have many meanings
§ Ex. Shem can mean name, light, sound, experience Is close to Earth
o Lots of references to planting and harvesting
o Heaven is not a metaphysical concept ~ is “Light and Sound shining through all of Creation” Is rich in sound-meaning
o Body Resonance
o There is: Direction, Color, Movement and other sensations as sacred words resonate in the body
NDK says, these are living, transformative words and when they are experienced with the heart, not just studied with the head, they take on new meaning. We are invited to have our own mystical experience and feel how the words move in us.
Example ~ 1st line of the prayer:
Abwoon D’bashmaya
Original Blessing ~ Via Positiva
NDK: O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos
KJV: Our Father which art in heaven
In this first line, we remember our origins – not in guilt or imperfection – but in blessing. As we intone “Abwoon” we can feel the source of our breathing in the Creator, and the vibration that allows us to participate in life as co-creators
Donations are gratefully received for Chants and Dances ~ there is no specific charge
