I joined the First Church “sangha” about 15 years ago. I had been thinking about it but was a bit intimidated about joining. Of course, there is hardly a more welcoming practice than that of Buddhism. And, after all, it’s made up of the same First Church members that sit around us on Sunday mornings. There are no robes or incense, but we do bow to each other at the end, which is just another way for the divine in us to recognize the divine in others.
We sometimes describe our group as a book club with meditation. We take 10 minutes at the end of our one and one-half hour meeting to meditate. Need some help getting started with meditation? We’ve all been there and can help you with that, too.
But the main event of our meetings is our discussion of the current book. Over the years we’ve read a variety of authors like Pema Chödrön, Norman Fischer, Thich Nhat Hanh, and many others. We’re wrapping up a book in February and going back to the basics with discussing the Four Noble Truths (in a free PDF), which are the very basic principles of Buddhism.
It’s a great time to be welcomed by our group and to ground yourself in the basics. We’d love for you to join us on first and third Wednesdays of the month at 6:30 p.m.
Mark Miller