Experiments
that didn’t work or
didn’t happen at the right time.
Open Space, Quiet Space
January 2024 - December 2025
One of the first things we wanted to do in sowing seeds in this community was to open the sanctuary as a space of rest and stillness. This is how we described Open Space, Quiet Space at the time.
“There is no program, nothing you need to do, or say, or achieve. It is a space to just be present: to grieve, catch up, practice gratitude, listen to our hearts, etc., etc., etc. Nothing more, and nothing less.
There will be candles lit in the center of the room, and you are invited to do whatever your body needs to find ease in the candlelight. You might: lie down on the floor, sit on a meditation cushion or bench, find a chair along the walls, find enough light to read or journal, daydream… “
Maybe it wasn’t the right time. We’d love to provide more opportunities for contemplation!
Compline
February - June 2024
In early 2024 we experimented with a chanted service of Compline: the prayers that monastics have said before bedtime for centuries. We blended the chanting of these ancient prayers with other pieces of devotional music, including some playful reinterpretations of pop melodies to accompany a chanted psalm (Billie Eilish, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, the Magnetic Fields, Neil Young). Mostly we worked with a choral quartet, but also did a very special compline with guitarist Jay Sorce—and we may do more down the road!
For now this Compline is on hiatus as we put our creative energy elsewhere.
