It is good to gather with friends of the heart, to breathe in sparkling spirits which dwell in enlightened community. Greeting and appreciation to those who are new to us. Thanks also to those who have journeyed together year after year. Let faith, wisdom, and commitment blend in this place. Let us come together as a blessing, and go forth filled with love, joy, and reverence.
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Each of us arrives as a solitary journeyer from a separate, dusty past. Let us be mindful in our moments together. Let this time become our sweet oasis, our broad tent, where we share ancient and nourishing waters. Let us partake of our common cup in mutual reverence and then pass on, remembering and celebrating that we shared in this hour.
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We come together as a living sanctuary from the storms of the world. We come together as a varied and diverse people, striving to be a community of belovedness. We change even as the world changes. But simply in being here we find something: truly, some indefinable thing; which we find in no other place.
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Each person bears gifts to share: joy and grief, struggle and hope, reluctance and aspiration. To be in religious community is to unfold our gifts in mindfulness. It is to share them about in such a way that each of us leaves with more than we brought. Let us open our hearts to celebrate all who give and each who receives.
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Each of us is a solitary journeyer toward a mysterious land. When we join in religious community, we weave those separate journeys into a single, binding cord which supports and sustains all. The work of weaving strengthens even as it challenges–while an aspiration shared is a destination achieved.
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