Last Saturday, Dec 13, we had a wonderful, meditative Living Room based on Advent, the season in the Christian calendar that precedes Christmas. In American consumer culture, the Christmas shopping season begins after Thanksgiving (or even before!), but in the Christian calendar, Christmas begins on December 25 and the feast continues for twelve days. The four weeks of Advent are a time of preparation, penitence, expectation, anticipation, pregnancy, darkness, quiet, silence, and listening...
You can go through the service we did by yourself at home. You just need a computer with internet, speakers or headphones, and a couple of candles to light. In this modified "Lessons and Carols", you will read the first chapter of the gospel of Luke (the silence of Zacharia, the song of Mary, the birth of John the Baptist, etc.), selections from Isaiah (a prophetic vision of social justice), a psalm and the beginning of the gospel of Mark. Interspersed are verses of O Come O Come Emmanuel, which you can sing aloud or read along, and "anthems" you can watch or simply listen to on YouTube. To review the entire liturgy outlined by Bowie Snodgrass click HERE.
UPCOMING FAITH HOUSE EVENTS IN NYC:
December 20, Sat. 4 pm
Festivities of Light: Chanukah (Subud Chelsea Center, 230 W 29th St)
Facilitator: Jill Minkoff
Our Living Room will be followed by a big fat Jewish partaaay!
It starts at 7pm and it for all ages. Muslims, Christians, and people of any faith (or no faith) are welcome to join.
One Love, One Light Chanukah Bash is organized to benefit
Romemu, a vibrant Jewish congregation from the Upper West Side and friends of Faith House. Notice that at the door, they have suggested donation for their members. Please feel free to match that or contribute with whatever you can. Come and give to help our Jewish brothers and sisters thrive in New York City!
The party's all about giving and receiving, and the line-up includes
free: massages, Thai yoga therapy, chocolate-making lessons,
craftmaking for kids and an extraordinary silent auction. Not to
mention a special Chanukah havdalah teaching, a puppet show, world
class live music, dancing, and private chef treats.
December 27, Sat. 4 pm
Angels and Spirit Guides(Subud Chelsea Center, 230 W 29th St)
Facilitator: Jill Minkoff
January 3, Sat. 3 pm
Marriage Blessing of Bowie Snodgrass & George Mathew(Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Ave.)
NOTE: The Faith House community is warmly invited to this celebration, which will be a traditional Episcopal (Christian) wedding blessing in the newly re-opened Cathedral at 3 pm, followed by a light reception. RSVPs appreciated, but not required:
www.georgeandbowiewedding.com2009 Living Room gatherings will commence on Saturday, January 10.
Faith House
Habitat for Humanity Sunday in December:
TBACoordinator: Sammer Aboelela
January 12, Mon. 8pm
MAHLER FOR THE CHILDREN OF AIDS(CARNEGIE HALL)
Bowie's husband, George Mathew, is Artistic Director and Conductor for MAHLER FOR THE CHILDREN OF AIDS (www.mahlerforthechildren.org), a benefit performance of Gustav Mahler's monumental Third Symphony, to
raise public consciousness and funds for the mothers and children affected by Pediatric AIDS and for the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT).
Today, every minute of every day, a child under the age of 15 dies of AIDS-related illnesses and there are approximately 15 million AIDS orphans around the globe. The beneficiary of the evening will be CMMB (Catholic Medical Mission Board) a leader in meeting the challenge of HIV and AIDS around the world.
It will bring together the world finest principal orchestral musicians, all of whom are generously donating their time and artistry, from the New York Philharmonic, The MET Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's, The Brooklyn Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, the Emerson Quartet and many others, and a chorus of women for the Dessoff Symphonic Choir, and children's choirs from the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in New York. They will be performing under the musical direction of conductor, George Mathew, who has produced two previous benefit concerts: Beethoven's Ninth for South
Asia and Requiem for Darfur (www.requiemfordarfur.org).
Ways to get involved:
* Purchase tickets:
www.mahlerforthechildren.org * Share the concert with your networks on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=36098791770Find out more about our weekly Saturday 4pm
Living Room gatherings.
FROM OUR FRIENDS AT INTERSECTIONS:
I (Samir) have heard about Immaculee over and over again from friends on the West Coast urging me not to miss an opportunity to hear her story. I was excited to learn that
The West End Lecture Series event on January 8, at 7 pm described below will have her as a guest speaker. Immaculee Illibagiza, a Tutsi woman who survived the Rwandan Genocide
by the Hutus in 1994, is a living example of faith put into action.
Immaculee's life was transformed dramatically during the 1994 Rwandan
genocide when she and seven other women spent 91 days huddled silently
together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor's house. For more information on the series, time, and location, click
HERE.
