A Universal Worship Service: Example 3
This came from A Universal Worship was held at St Phillip's Cathedral on June 12, 2005. The service was prepared by Jacob Kabb and was from the Sufi Order of Atlanta site. We thank them, and hope they do not mind.
"Addressing Fear"
A Universal Worship was held at St Phillip's Cathedral on June 12, 2005. It lasted approximately one hour and fifteen minutes . Attendance was small, and several had not attended a Universal Worship service before. The theme was "Addressing Fear."
I peformed the role of Coordinating Cherag for the service.
The scriptures were forwarded to me in the past year and were gathered by the Beliefnet.com website. I introduced the subject and offered a couple of personal thougths on the subject and then we meditated on how each of us has dealt with fear in our daily lives.
We did the prayers and the candle lighting. The traditions chosen were the religions originally used in the service and we dedicated each of the scriptures after reading them. They were brief yet targetted to the theme of fear. After each scriptural reading we did a brief exercise or practice together. These are some of the practices we did together.
Hindu: We did a sri ram group chant
Buddhist: We did a partner meditation where one person asked the other what has helped you overcome your fears. (The question is repeated over and over and then the partners switch roles.)
Zoroastrian: We did a Worship dance ("step into the holy fire").
Jewish: We sang a prayer song given by Rabbi Nachman ("The Whole World Is Just a Narrow Bridge"). The upcoming holiday of Shavous was noted.
Christian: Our exercise involved contemplating ourselves counseling a tormented and fearful soul. We are the pastoral counsellor and we envision listening and/ or helping the person.
Islam: We did some wazaif (ya vakil - protection) and a Zikr chorale.
Sufi: We gave out a home work exercise for people to write down their own scripture on "fear."
There was good participation and involvement. The service was informal yet held with dignity and a serious focus. It was a delight to be together with everyone for this special program.
Blessings always
Jacob Kabb
Cherag
These are the Scriptures that were shared:
He who knows me as his own divine Self breaks through the belief that he is the body and is not reborn as a separate creature. Such a one is united with me. Delivered from selfish attachment, fear, and anger, filled with me, surrendering themselves to me, purified in the fire of my being, many have reached the state of unity in me.
--Bhagavad Gita 4:9-10
The one whose mind knows the clarity of perfect wisdom is never afraid or even anxious. Why? Because when being at one with the living power of wisdom, the mother of all the buddhas, that person has the strength to remain in a state of undivided contemplation even while ceaselessly and skillfully engaging in compassionate action. The wise one is enabled to act because of concentration on a single prayer: "May all beings never leave the path of enlightenment, which is their own true nature and is empty of separate self-existence."
--Prajnaparamita
All tremble at the rod,
all are fearful of death.
Drawing the parallel to yourself,
neither kill nor get others to kill.
--Dhammapada, 10
translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
From evil springs forth more evil.
Therefore, evil is to be feared even more than fire.
To commit no wrong, even against one's enemies,
Is said to be supreme wisdom.
--Tirukkural 21:202-203
The whole world is a very narrow bridge. And the most important thing is to not be afraid.
--Rabbi Nachman of Breslov
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil;
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff,
they comfort me.
--Psalm 23
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love.
--John 4:18
Whosoever submits his will to God, while doing good, his wage is with his Lord, and no fear shall be upon them, neither shall they sorrow.
--Qur'an 2.112
Links to examples and actual services