Sept 20th and 21st, Community Work Day and Sacred Sweat

Dear Community,

Can you can feel that? The shift beginning as the seasonal wheel continues to turn? The heat has already started to dissipate, the light is getting longer and more golden due to rays needing to stretch a bit further in order to kiss our cheeks. The dew meets us again in the morning with air clear, crisp and sweet. Breezes waft the fragrance of nature’s bounty all around us, signaling the harvest is ready to be gathered. Autumn beckons us towards finding the organization and balance needed to prepare for the introspective and reflective energies of winter. By taking the opportunity to engage the bonds available to us in community, we strengthen the infrastructure supporting us as individuals and as a collective. As the long days journey into the night of winter approaches, showing appreciation and gratitude to Creator, Mother Earth and each other by caring for the land prepares our spirits for the big shift marked by the Fall Equinox.

There is much to do, both on the land and within our hearts. We invite you to join us as we work and pray together as family and community.

We Invite You To Join Us For Community Volunteer Day on Saturday, Sept 20th and Sweat Lodge on Sunday, Sept 21st.

Saturday, 9/20: Community Work Day

10 am: Arrive for Work Day

2:00 pm: Community Lunch Provided By COOA (Shared Food Offerings Graciously Accepted)

Sunday, 9/21: Sacred Sweat

9am: Arrive for Sweat Lodge Preparation

11:00 am: Enter Sacred Sweat

1pm: Potluck Lunch and Depart

Preparation and Attire for Entering The Sweat Lodge

Ladies: We ask you bring a cotton skirt (representing the cycle of life) and a short sleeve tee shirt as shoulders should be covered in the lodge

Men: Please bring shorts (not just underwear) for the lodge

All: Bring a towel and water bottle for hydration before and after our sacred sweat.

Clothing made from cotton or other natural fabrics is recommended for sweat lodge. Synthetic fabrics prevent the skin and body from breathing, can be uncomfortable with some even being dangerous under intense heat.

For these same reasons, contact lenses and metal jewelry/accessories are NOT recommended inside the sweat lodge.

Songs in the Sweat Lodge

In the North American Native traditions, it is said the strongest prayer are those put into song. The sweat lodge is a sacred place for purification and communal healing. All prayer songs come from indigenous traditions and respect the sacredness of life.

We welcome everyone to come and learn traditional Native prayer songs so that you may participate within the ceremony.

The best way to learn is to just show up, listen with an open heart and joining in whenever you can.

Suggested Contributions:

For those participating in the community workday prior, that will be your contribution to the sweat lodge. We offer deep gratitude and thanks for generously offering your time and coming with a humble heart.

If you are unable to attend the Community Work Day but wish to take part in the sacred songs and prayers of the sweat lodge, we welcome you to join us.

The suggested donation of $20 for the Sweat Lodge would be graciously accepted in the form of personal check, cash or PayPal at: Church of Our Ancestors

**This contribution is never a charge for the sacred ceremonies of the sweat lodge, but rather an offering in the spirit of reciprocity from the community.*

We invite all participants to bring offerings of tobacco or other plant medicines (sage, sweet grass, osha root, etc.) for the elders and fire-keeper.

Our Sweat Lodge is a community event, we ask participants to bring something healthy for our potluck meal after the sweat lodge. We suggest offerings be vegetarian or gluten-free (it doesn’t need to be both!), so that there is something for everyone. Please be assured that whatever you bring, even if it’s just yourself as you are, will be welcomed with gratitude and appreciation.

Registration:

Space for Sweat Lodge is limited. To secure one or more of the precious seats available, please register by replying to this email or sending a request to:registrar.cooa@gmail.com. We look forward to sharing time and space as we strengthen the bonds of our community, open our hearts to introspection and the love and support of Creator.

Let us come together in support and reverence as we continue to travel the sacred path towards remembering, connecting to and embodying our true selves.

Much Love,

Linda and John Reed