Hello Friends!

Paul and I would like to invite you to a night of response to the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. This Thursday, September 8th from 7pm-10pm we’ll gather to eat, catch up, and hold the hurricane victims in our thoughts, prayers, and best wishes.

This is an inter-faith expression of solidarity and hope. We’ll be providing supplies to make flags, similar to Tibetan Prayer flags which you’ve no doubt seen around town.

We’ll have cloth squares and arts supplies — so you’ll be able to personalize your prayer/hope/wish for the folks down south. Stamp out a one word prayer with alphabet stamps; draw a picture with colored sharpies; copy a poem or a quote to bring hope…anything goes.

Then we’ll string our collective thoughts across our neighborhood (or at least across our front yard.) These flags will symbolize our thoughts/hopes/prayers for the people in the flooded south. As the wind passes through them they will catch our eyes, and remind us to continue praying and hoping for those who are suffering.

(If folks are interested, we can also do some standing yoga poses as a form of embodied prayer/hope/thoughts/meditation.)

Please come experiment with us in the communal response to the reality of our world. A simple soup supper of black beans and rice will be served, so please RSVP if you are planning on coming. Oh — and feel free to pass this along.

Shalom!

(This is an email I sent out. If you are local and would like to come, email me at urbanabbess at monkfish dash abbey dot org.)