Citylights Community

Hello Lights,

Thank you everyone who has been participating in God’s-love-and-healthy-food-we-deliver operation for Kojic family!  It seems parents, baby, and two boys are doing fabulously well.

Yoga class in on this Saturday, June 2!  A while ago when we were planning to start Yoga class as a part of Citylights, a number of you raised your hand saying, “Yes, I want to do it!”  Well, this is it, brothers and sisters. If you want to be a person of your word and go beyond mere enthusiasm into improving your life for real, please contact Carmen right now. It will be every 1st and 3rd Saturday from 9:30 to 10:45.  Please count on helping with paying for space and other costs, $10 per session. You will need to sign up for four sessions: Jun 2, 16, Jul 7, 21. To register and sign up for updates, please contact our Yoga teacher Carmen Rusu at: carpathian_air@yahoo.com, or  phone:  201-805-1739 See you on the mat!  Om and amen!

Last Saturday, May 26, Karen Ong led is in reflection on the topic of: “Take and Give: Questions about God.”  Heart-felt singing, mind stretching, and full of grace service.

Next Saturday, June 2, we are starting a new series called “Christianity After Religion” and are kicking off with one of our favorite teachers Bowie Snodgrass, titled “I sing a song of the saints of God.” Here is a blurb from Bowie:

My daily spiritual practice this year has been reading from “Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints” each night before going to sleep, which includes a 1-page bio of the saint of the day and scripture verses that resonate with their ministry.  This service will explore the role of saints in Christian life, yesterday and today.

Please participate in this new series.  Here is how: 

We spend a lof of time saying “no” to religion of the past, but what is our “yes”?  Workign title of the series is ”Christianity After Religion,” focused on making our experience and discussions more re-constructive, rather than de-constructive (although sweet discipline of de-construction will always be at hand!). So, if you have a spiritual or life practice, way of being, or ritual that sustains you, please email me. We want to feature what we are really doing, believing in, hoping for, and practicing. If at all possible, I would love to hear from you, so we can learn from one another. It doesn’t have to be thought through, I will help you clarify and find a way to participate the way it works for you. Nothing is insignifiant or off limits!

Our next Leadership Team meeting will be June 20, Wednesday, 6-8 pm at Cosi’s just South of Union Sq. Facebook Group update:  Bo and I are still lazy bums and have not done it yet.

I have registered! Wild Goose Festival in North Carolina is June 21-24 and it is time to meet with our sister communities from all over the country! And it’s time to register!  Also subscribe to the updates.  This year, we expect 3000 people, twice the size, twice the fun!  Go to: www.wildgoosefestival.org Check out the new video! Here is the mission statement which I am proud to have participated in creating over a long walk on the streets of D.C.

The Wild Goose is a Celtic metaphor for the Holy Spirit. We are followers of Jesus creating a festival of justice, spirituality, music and the arts. The festival is rooted in the Christian tradition and therefore open to all regardless of belief, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, denomination or religious affiliation. In adopting the image of the Wild Goose we recognize that in the current climate of religious, social and political cynicism, embracing the creative and open nature of our faith is perhaps our greatest asset for re-building and strengthening our relationships with each other, with our enemies, with our stories, our texts, and the earth. In that spirit, in a festive setting, and in the context of meaningful, respectful, and sustained relationships, we invite you to create with us!

Sabbath can’t come too soon,

Samir Selmanovic, Coordinator, Citylights Community